Hook (1991) Review

https://youtu.be/qrGpgcQHroY?is=qTajfUb_rOXHOjIe

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

We all know growing up is an important part of life in order to learn from our mistakes, but that doesn’t mean to forget what fun is like.


PLOT


1991’s Hook follows workaholic lawyer Peter Banning, whose lifestyle strains him from his wife Moira and two children Maggie & Jack, due to broken promises. During winter break when visiting Moira’s grandmother Wendy Darling in London, the same woman who cared for him as an orphan, he would continuously struggle to balance his life as he loses his temper towards his kids interrupting a work call. After celebrating Wendy’s work with orphans at a public dinner, Peter & Moira would be devastated to find the kids taken from the house while sleeping. The only evidence left behind is a note claiming that the one responsible for abduction was Captain James Hook. Peter wouldn’t be sure what to believe especially when Wendy claims he is the real Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. He accepts the truth however when the fairy Tinker Bell takes him to Neverland to save his kids. In the island’s pirate town, he doesn’t even recognize his rival but accepts his challenge to fly in order to save the kids, only to fail. Dismayed of how pathetic he’s grown, Hook considers killing him immediately until Tink convinces him to have three days to train for a proper battle. She then takes Peter to the camp of the Lost Boys now led by the young Rufio. They first mock his maturity until they start training him to embrace imagination. Knowing Peter’s motivation is his kids, Hook’s first mate Smee suggests turning them against him. Maggie rejects the most, but Jack is easy to be manipulated due to being tired of his dad’s broken promises. When later trying to infiltrate the pirate town, Peter would see his son play baseball with Hook’s crew, but his heartbreak would only motivate him to save him and Maggie. When returning to the Lost Boys’ camp, Peter would follow his sentient shadow that would take him to Wendy’s home. That is where he would remember running away from his parents as a baby, afraid of dying and was brought to Neverland by Tink; When returning to London as a child hoping to find his parents was when he met Wendy who loved him deeply but is after she aged and had a family of her own after raising him did he fall for Moira. Recalling Jack’s birth to the happiest moment of his life, it helps him regain flight. The next day does Pan launch his attack with the Lost Boys and when Maggie is rescued first, Rufio dies dueling against Hook. In his dying words, he wishes to have had a father like Peter. Seeing this inspires Jack to reconcile, but Hook still wants to duel with his rival. Pam subdues him with the help of Tink and the Lost Boys, but feigns surrender. Refusing to accept defeat, he tries impaling him from behind, only to hit the taxidermy of the crocodile that ate his hand, which ends toppling over him. With Neverland free from an ongoing threat of an enemy, Tink prepares to take the Bannings back to London. Before departing, lost boy Thud Butt is appointed the new leader by Peter and gives him a bag of marbles that belong to Wendy’s friend Tootles (Arthur Malet) who used to be one of them. When waking up back in London, Tink bids farewell to Peter who discards his work phone and gives the bag to Tootles. As Tootles flies with the pixie dust, the film ends with Peter declaring to Wendy he’s found the balance of being an adult and maintaining youthful imagination by saying “To live will be an awfully big adventure”.


THOUGHTS


As we all moviegoers know, Steven Spielberg is the eventful filmmaker that made the trend of blockbusters and after a trailblazing run in the 80s, everyone was wondering how he was gonna take over the 90s. This is one of those adventure flicks that goes on par to The Goonies because the production design by Norman Greenwood and costumes designed by Anthony Powell are so elaborate that it’s exactly how I imagined Neverland to be in live action before Walt Disney Pictures eventually rebooted it. Everything about it is so damn colorful, from seeing the mermaids underwater to all the imaginary food, it makes me wish it was real. Add an ecstatic John Williams score with strong cinematography by Dean Cudney, it’s hard to not feel wondrous of what transpires. I think what this film differs from Spielberg’s filmography is that through a grounded script by Jim V Hart & Malia Scotch Marmo, it is arguably a beautiful representation on how you just gotta cherish your inner child as you get older because it is the one thing that can keep a strong connection with your family apart from the unconditional love you give. If you don’t do any of this, then you’ll forget what being happy feels like. Robin Williams was the perfect choice to be an adult Peter Pan because he has the energy of a child when entertaining the world with his comedic charm. Seeing him start out so absorbed with work was such a shock because it showed that every adult is going to have to cope with responsibilities at some point in their lives. Seeing how big of a load he bares that affects his family is where we quickly catch on how important it is to find the balance in order to prevent that fracture from happening. There’s no doubt that he always loved Moira because Caroline Goodall is able to be the empathetic other half that he struggles to be. It’s not a surprise since she gets that from her grandma Wendy. From the young Gwyneth Paltrow to a matriarchal Maggie Smith, she was nothing but devoted to helping kids because knowing Peter needed it when separated from his family inspired her to help many kids who deserved it too. Peter always loved that selflessness about her and seeing her age helped him understand how important growing up is, only for him to inadvertently forget what good can come from youth. Throughout, Maggie chose to be more forgiving towards him off of being younger, being self aware he doesn’t mean to break her heart, but Charlie Korsmo appropriately showed Jack to have grown fatigue of how predictable he became, which is why it was easy to be manipulated by Hook the way he did. Ironically, it would take the inspiration he passed to other kids for him to understand his dad always meant well. Rufio was a big rebel throughout, but Dante Baado showed that deep down he was someone who insecurely needed a mentor and getting to see Pan regain his mojo was all that was needed to get the chip off his shoulder. It did suck for him to die because it felt like he was finally free from the cloud that covered his judgment. Any kid could be a great leader of the Lost Boys for living to the fullest with their imagination, but Thud Butt is ultimately chosen because Raushan Hammond showed that he had the most playful since he hilariously got to use his body as a weapon like a cannonball. Knowing this, I’m sure he’ll make Rufio proud. Moving on, I was caught off guard seeing Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell, but she turned out being a great choice as well for just naturally having so much frost to it. Considering Peter was in denial of the truth Wendy told, he would’ve not saved his kids had it not been for the fairy. She and the lost boys were so helpful that he almost forgot why he came back to Neverland. What caught me off guard the most was the fact she grew to be in love with her friend. Considering how surprising that was, I think it was based on the nostalgic memories she had of him and how loyal she’s  been when they were together, especially since she saved him when he was a baby. She does the right thing accepting that was never meant to be because he would’ve reciprocated had he not left. Last but not least, the best piece of the puzzle goes to the titular villain himself. I do got to give a shoutout to Bob Hoskins for making Smee still a bumbling guy that still is devoted of a first mate and his scene as the custodian at the climax was a great nod on how imagination blends with reality on par to The Wizard of Oz, Dustin Hoffman owns this movie best as Hook himself. Spielberg names the movie after him because he is Peter’s dark mirror of a legacy; He is what happens when you refuse to give up and is Peter’s catalyst to get his groove back. It’s one thing to have it out for the guy who cost your hand, but obsessing over if for years where your rival has moved on proves growing up both ways. Had he tried to moved on, he would’ve not let his melancholic depression cause his downfall. With him being put out of misery, it goes without saying the Banning family will have many happy memories to create together going forward. I love this film dearly, but there are still a few things that don’t make much sense upon rewatching. For example, I could scratch my head wondering why Hook waits until the first night Peter leaves the kids home alone with Tootles babysitting or no one other than Peter & Moira curious on Wendy’s well being when she sense something is wrong, but I just lost it over the fact Phil Collins plays an investigator who assumes the kidnapping is a prank. Dude, there are markings left all over the walls. You can’t really call it a prank with evidence like that. Hell, I’m even surprised Moira doesn’t wake up when Tink arrives to the house. Considering her kids are missing, I’d imagine her being awake hoping for them to come back. Hook’s threat also doesn’t make much sense because there is nothing to really gain if he proves whether or not Peter can fly. That’s just more confusing than Tink napping midday after just saving Peter from him. And I know it sucks Peter didn’t love her back, but she shouldn’t be surprised at all. Just because he was a workaholic doesn’t mean he’s gonna give up on his family that easy. Putting that aside however, I can still say 1991’s Hook is an elite Peter Pan adaptation for being most authentic in all the heart it gives. If that is the kind of experience you want, see this as soon as possible.