Hook (1991)

A few years back I made a pretty bold statement to a few friends of mine. I said that I had decided what my favorite movie of all time was. They looked at me with shock (and perhaps some disgust) when I said Steven Spielberg’s 1991 opus, Hook.

Since that day, I’ve seen a lot more movies, and I am pretty sure if I ranked the films I liked for actual content, I’d say Hook wouldn’t be in the top spot…but I still consider it one of my favorites.

Biggest reason is that it is the film that made me discover Cinema. It was the first film I remember seeing in theaters, and thus holds a very special place in my heart and on my DVD shelf. When I was a kid going to the movies was a big deal. It didn’t happen all that often (and in the case of Hook, it hadn’t happened really at all. My parents say they took me to movies before that, but I honestly can’t remember. I was 5.) but it wasn’t a matter of money or anything, we were a busy family and movies didn’t fit in all that often, and thus when we went to movies, it was a big deal. Hook was the first big deal I can remember. My parents even dressed me up.

It was one of the best days off my young life, as I knew I was going to see it, and I was at pre-school all day just waiting for my parents to pick me up. I even got to brag that I was going to see a movie, which felt pretty pimp, I must say.

We got to the theater, and went in, and wouldn’t you know it, we had the whole damn theater to ourselves. It was probably late in the run, and people that were going to see it already had, but I was 5, and didn’t know that. I thought they were showing the movie especially for me, and that…was spectacular. Watching it then, I probably didn’t understand much of the plot, but I was whisked away to Neverland by the images on screen, and it felt so magical. I fell in love with movies that day, and I’ve never really looked back.

Now in 2009, it occurred to me that I should take a look back at the film that turned me into an instant film nerd. Honestly, the film hasn’t aged well, but I still love it. I will now examine the film as both the film I loved when I was a kid, and a critical eye that I haven't really seen it with.

Hook is about a grown up Peter Pan, which at it’s heart is high concept filmmaking at it’s simplest. A simple sentence can sometimes inspire a two and a half hour movie, and in this case it was “What if Peter Pan grew up?” and while a very interesting concept, it sort of goes against what J.M. Barrie wrote, but in the end, it didn’t matter, because Steven Spielberg decided that was the story he was going to tell.

Peter has grown up, and raised a family, and now doesn’t remember his life in Neverland (despite the film sort of having a “It was all a dream ending” I still like to think he really was Peter. Ah, Childish Naivety) and is now, wait for it, a horrible parent. Ah, yes, Steven’s unfailing ability to weave a Daddy issue into his stories. He’s one of the best at it, and usually it works, and in this case, it sort of feels…jammed in there, but that is the story. His kids are desperate from some attention from their lawyer father, who is working on some big deal, which I still to this day have no fucking clue what it was about. Then, while in Merry Old England, his kids are taken away by the evil Captain Hook. This sets the story in motion, and the adventure begins when Peter is brought to Neverland.

The film spends a great deal of time telling you what shmuck Robin William’s Peter Pan is, and it becomes almost tiring, but once we hit Neverland, it’s less about “Oh, he’s a bad father” and more about getting him ready for his great battle with Hook, which is at least more interesting.

As per the film's title, Captain Hook is easily the most interesting and entertaining character in the film (I'll talk about Dustin Hoffman's role in this in a moment) and his storyline is fascinating. He's old, he wants revenge, but the Peter he gets isn't anything he expected. It's...depressing, and he becomes Suicidal because of it. This is kind of fucked up for a kids movie. The plot I like the most is his attempt at turning Peter's kids against him. It's a unique take on frequently used plot device and has some really great moments (especially the "class" he teaches to the kids.)

Meanwhile Peter is getting whipped into shape by the Lost Boys, which seem very different from the Lost Boys in the original story. Rufio is a huge dick to Peter, because Peter is starting to show who he really is, meaning he'll take back his place as the leader. This culminates in the Imaginary Food scene where he starts to believe in the make-believe feast the Lost Boys created. It's a fun scene, and the scene at the end when he cuts a coconut in half was seriously bad ass when I was five. Now it's still pretty damn cool.

The film culminates in a great battle between Lost Boys and Pirates, which is mostly fluff. Fun Fluff, and as a kid I got a huge kick out of it, but it's mostly useless. The only parts that really matter are The death of Rufio (which is about the only well executed emotional plot wrap up in the story) and the final swordfight between Hook and Peter. The end of the film tries to give Hook a moment, but falls a bit flat, having not set the moment up really well earlier, apart from one line spoken by Maggie, Peter's daughter.

Now I am going to move onto the casting of this film, because it’s all over the place, both good and bad.

Robin Williams is such an odd choice for Peter Pan as a grown up. It was very obviously a studio move, knowing that Hollywood’s current King Jester would rake in some ticket sales. He gives a fun performance, no doubt, but I can’t help but feel this movie would be much better, and have had a longer critical life if Steven had cast someone else. I could be wrong about that, lord knows, but Robin turns Peter Banning into a goofy version of an asshole dad, so it’s hard to see him as a real asshole (except for one scene, which he nails.) In the end, his Peter is funny, and makes the movie enjoyable, but the performance never elevates above simply enjoyable. Of course when I was a kid, Robin Williams looking at the camera made me laugh.

Dustin Hoffman as Hook is one of those great choices not many people would have put together. Dustin Hoffman is not what one thinks of when one says “Blood-thirsty Pirate Lord” but goddamn, is he out of this world in the role. He eats the scenery like it were god damn cake, and it seriously elevates the movie every time he is on screen. The year after Hook came out, I was Hook for Halloween, and I had to look exactly like Hoffman…none of this wishey washy Disney nonsense. He seriously provided the key for the movie to succeed, and while it sort of didn’t, every time I revisit it, Hoffman never disappoints.

Ugh. Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell is probably one of the worst things Steven Spielberg has ever done (well, until the swinging Monkeys in Crystal Skull) She has no charm as the fairy who should be Peter’s best friend. It seriously made me wish that they had made the character a mute like in every other version of Peter Pan. Maybe it’s my undying hatred for Julia Roberts, but…I just can’t stand it. Sometimes it really brings down the scenes around her, which otherwise would be fine.

The supporting cast is all around fantastic, and proves that usually Steven gets the nail on the head with his casts. Maggie Smith (who now looks really as old as she was made up to look on this movie) is wonderful as an old Wendy, and the two kids (one grew up to be in Can’t Hardly Wait, one grew up to be incredibly hot. Guess who’s who) are pretty good, and how can I mention Hook without mentioning the Great Bob Hoskins. He is pretty damned awesome as Smee (and thus my favorite character, besides Hook.)and who can forget the great Rufio? Seriously, I am so glad that dude still gets work, if only for the badass that is Rufio. These supporting characters make the film come alive just a little bit more (except for some of the more annoying Lost Boys), and help me remember why I was so damn fond of the movie when I was a kid.

The directing is another question entirely. Hook was at the tail end of Steven’s “Make fun blockbusters” kick. He had done more serious work before, but soon he would make Jurassic Park, and then move on to his real serious work. His hand in this project feels…lazy. He has the tendency to, on occasion, find a project that is so perfect for him, it’s too perfect, and he slips into a pattern, and in Hook, it’s pretty obvious he was just painting by the numbers. The film has it’s good moments, where Steven was trying (unlike the last Indiana Jones movie, where the dude just took a nap for the whole shoot) but in the end, it is an inferior work.

As hard as I’ve been on the film, many aspects of this film just work, however, and to me, it helps make up for all the other elements.

A good example is Dean Cundey’s wonderful cinematography. It’s a shame that Dean has slipped into obscurity somewhat after Steven switched to Kaminski, because he really knows how to shoot a damned movie. One shot comes to mind, which is when Smee is taking the Hook to the pirate ship. Every time it sucks me in and the world feels real, because it looks straight up beautiful The pirates marching onto the ship is still one of the most memorable things from my childhood. He makes the real world stuff feel very real, and the Neverland stuff feel very fantastical, which sells the journey between the two worlds very well. If they ever get around to releasing a Blu-Ray of this, it might be the film that sparks me to buy one (this or the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions)

Another fantastic job in selling the transition from normal to fantastical is none other than the great John Williams. His score is almost universally praised as the best part of the film, and you’ll hear no argument from me. He does his usual work by creating themes for each character, and they weave together to create a wonderful mosaic of music. My favorite thing is his use of a more modern sound for the scenes in America at the start of the movie, and holds off until we get to London to start throwing some high class orchestral stuff our way. It helps sell the transition, along with Dean Cundy’s work. I am listening to the score right now, and it makes me feel like a kid again, running through the back yard, whistling Hook’s theme.

Overall, Hook doesn’t entirely stand up to the memory of it from my childhood, but it is still a fun movie, and a great thrill to relive every once and a while. I cannot wait to show my kids the film and see what they think of it, when I have kids, that is.

Why wasn't the film the success it might otherwise have been? Perhaps it's not what people wanted at the time, perhaps it was too much all at once, and perhaps it was audiences telling Steven Spielberg he'd have to step up his alredy considerable game. I think the best thing that came out of this film was Steven bringing a fresh face to Jurassic Park, which really is one of the best films of the 90's no matter how you slice it.

Anyway, This was a fun trip into Nostalgia land. I know many film buffs are not fond of this movie, but I have run across several people who enjoy it, so I hope this has been a good read for you.



"Bangarang!"

Nostalgia Rating: 5/5
Real Rating 3.5/5

- DH3