Review of Hook (1991) by Kai82 — 26 Jan 2022

I am divided. Part of me sees this as 10/10 and another part says it is not that good and I have been tricked into believing this. Strangely both parts seem to be accurate. The strengths are of cause the great cast with an amazing Robin Williams and great Dustin Hoffman atop on a general good performance, the creativity, sets and costumes.

On the negative side the story is a bit cliche and foreseeable but it is well hidden behind the surface. Even legendary director Steven Spielberg said in an interview he had not that much confidence in the script and tried to hide his doubt and insecurities.

If you look carefully you can see this a bit. I don't think with a title “Hook” you need to avoid spoilers as nearly anyone will know this can only be about Peter Pan. This movie however takes some risks.

It is not retelling the story but continues the story with a Peter Pan that became an adult and even forgot he was Peter Pan. He is surprised when his two children were kidnapped by an unfamiliar man named captain Hook who challenges him.

This is the start of the adventure. While it is a great popcorn movie and works fine for me I have problems with a Peter Pan that became an adult. However the actors deliver such an interesting and good performance that I forget this for the most part.

Also the ending is as bittersweet as heartwarming. Because of all of this I am still unsure how to rate this movie. Sometimes as underappreciated masterpiece and at other times as average. The actors do a great job.

Robin Williams is amazing as Peter Pan aka Peter Banning. He fully convinces me and is so fun to watch. Then there is the equal good Dustin Hoffman as captain Hook. Those two are so good that their performance alone is worth to watch the movie.

The rest of the cast is also good. I truly enjoyed Bob Hoskins as Smee, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Dante Basco as Rufio and all the other lost boys. In this regard I consider this a great movie with an awesome cast / performance.

The visuals and effects are another strength of the movie. The world building is always immersive and never feels out of place. If I remember correctly there was even a toy line for this. Overall it is like I said at the beginning.

I can justify a 5-10/10 to myself. In my youth I would have given an easy 10/10 but now I go with a 6/10 but say it is a truly good movie with some flaws that can be minor or mayor depending on preferences.

Hope this makes sense for you.