Think of “Pan” as Neverland B.P. (before Peter).

The story follows 12-year-old orphan Peter (Levi Miller), who is kidnapped by pirates and taken to the mystical land to work as a slave for the infamous Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). However, Peter soon discovers that he is at the center of a prophecy that could result in Blackbeard’s demise. With the help of fellow laborer James Hook (Garrett Hedlund) and Native princess Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara), Peter must escape Blackbeard’s wrath and uncover the mystery behind the prophecy.

If there’s a fantasy movie coming out, I’m going to give it a shot no matter how it looks. I thought “Pan” had all the makings of a great movie: a solid director in Joe Wright, some great actors and the pedigree that comes with a great literary property. Unfortunately, my hopes dashed shortly after I entered the theater.

Before I get to the bad stuff, let me make it clear that “Pan” is not a complete disaster. The script, while heavy on stock chosen one-tropes, is perfectly fine. It gives Peter and Hook a good origin story and actually puts together decent mythology behind it.

Most of the performances are also solid. Jackman and Mara are Oscar nominees, so you should expect as much.

The aforementioned Joe Wright is usually more than competent. Give “Pride and Prejudice” or “Atonement” a try any day. However, he’s recently given his literary adaptations styles that don’t fit the tone. There were glimpses in “Anna Karenina,” but Wright’s taste for bombast is readily apparent in “Pan.”

Everything is loud, garish and overproduced. The visual effects, while well designed, look like a Thomas Kincaid painting with too much sugar overwhelming what could have been a satisfying meal.

However, the worst comes from Wright’s tonal decisions. “Pan” seems like the director has no idea what kind of movie he wants it to be, sometimes following the high fantasy style of “Narnia” or a style of unbearable silliness.

Blackbeard, who I thought would be a menacing villain, gives speeches consisting of spoken word and rock songs. Sorry, Joey. Your attempts to ape “Moulin Rouge” aren’t working. Garrett Hedlund is laughable as Hook, looking very uncomfortable doing a Jack Torrance impression. The nuns at the orphanage are so stereotypically stern that they send pirates to kidnap their naughty children. Oh, and don’t get me started on Tinker Bell.

For all its promise, “Pan” is undone by an overbearing style put in place by a talented but miscalculating director. I had high hopes for “Pan,” but I guess not all live-action fairy tales can be as good as “Cinderella.”