A high-flying adventure from the magic of Steven Spielberg, Hook stars Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter Pan and Dustin Hoffman as the infamous Captain Hook. Joining the fun is Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Bob Hoskins as the pirate Smee, and Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy Darling, who must convince the middle-aged lawyer, Peter Banning, that he was once the legendary Peter Pan. And so the adventure begins anew, with Peter off to Neverland to save his two children from Captain Hook. Along the way, he rediscovers the power of imagination, of friendship, and of magic. A classic tale updated for children of all ages, Hook was nominated for five 1991 Academy Awards(r) including best visual effects.

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Dustin's Hoffman's Capt. Hook knows, as do all of us who remember his soliloquy, that no little children love him. His concern with how he will be remembered, and with Good Form, ring quite true to the original. The character is suave, urbane, vicious, captivating, and ultimately tragic.

At first I was annoyed at the modern elements in Never-Never-Land, but I soon realized that they had to be there, as Never-Never-Land was always a compilation of everything Lost Boys found exciting. In the twenties, that included Red Indians, but if they were lost in the 1980s, well then, baseball and skateboards should be included. The original play was Edwardian, but the movie makes no sense unless it's updated.

The role-reversal and eventual re-reversal is fascinating. In the play, the same actor always plays both Hook and the thoughtless and cruel father, Mr. Darling. But here, Peter is the uncaring father and a corporate pirate, while Hook takes the children to Never-Never-Land. The lost boys are, at first, quarrelsome and threatening, while the pirates are a happy adventuresome lot, even sentimental in the lullaby sequence. But while the Lost Boys help Peter recover himself (and to recover their own innocence), Hook's attempt to win over Peter's kids is, in the end, a failure, and we are brought full circle. The final scene of the helpless Hook surrounded by Peter and his boys parallels the earlier scene of the helpless Peter Banning surrounded by Hook and his pirates. ("Somebody lend me a hand." "I already have.")

The movie has one major flaw - most people don't know the Peter Pan legend well enough to really understand it. Seeing the play "Peter Pan" won't help much, either, because there's a lot in the storybook "Peter and Wendy", and in the play's stage directions, that enhances the understanding of the movie Hook. In a scene usually cut from the play, Peter sacrifices himself for Wendy, and thinks he is about to drown. His line is "To die will be an awfully big adventure." Later, when Wendy and the Lost Boys are leaving Never-Land, Peter is left alone, slumped in his chair. The stage directions state that at this point, if Peter only understood a little more, he would say, "To live would be an awfully big adventure." Hook is the story of how Peter finally learns that to live is, indeed, an awfully big adventure. Along the way, he must also discover what a Happy Thought for a grown-up is, and that a man with no childhood is as incomplete as a boy who would not grow up.

The pretend-food that was always Peter's favorite kind of meal is used to excellent effect. I found the first moment when Peter's adult façade started to break down surprisingly believable. He is in an insult contest, and losing badly, until he finds the intersection between his grownup life and the childish contest. He wins with the biggest, most impressive insult, ending with "... don't mess with me, man, I'm a lawyer."

Maggie Smith's Wendy fills in the roles of both Wendy and Mrs. Darling from the play. Her concern with the night-lights is especially fulfilling. We are also re-introduced to Tootles, who was the Lost Boy who always missed the adventure, and so he does again. Several times in the movie, the first time I saw it, I mouthed the dialogue along with the actors, because I knew that after Hook said, "Prepare to die", Peter had to reply, "Dark and sinister man, have at thee." There's a brief appearance of Michael's bear and John's top hat, which they took with them to Never-Never-Land so many years ago. Lisa and Nana return (Nana IX, really), and many other details make it a wonderful reunion. Bob Hoskins's Smee and Julia Roberts's Tinkerbell are true to the original, and yes, she says The Line She Had to Say.

Yes, Peter Pan grew up. But he didn't do it when he became a lawyer; he did it in Hook.

28 of 30 found the following review helpful:

Curmudgeons, Get a Life!Nov 23, 2005
By Walter P. Sheppard
Some people think you have to be "3 years old or in a coma" to enjoy this film. Rubbish! My wife and I are well-educated and well into our "senior" years, but far from senile. We think this is one of Spielberg's very best, an unmitigated treat from beginning to end. The cast is superb from top to bottom, and we also think John Williams's score has some of his very best music. (For confirmation, listen to the series of excerpts he recorded with the Boston Pops by programing your player to skip the other tracks. Each piece stands on its own without the film's images to support it.) Finally, we think those who hate the film have the same problem Peter has when he first sits down to "eat" with the Lost Boys in Neverland: a lack of imagination and sense of fun. They need to loosen up and, as the saying goes, get a life.

23 of 25 found the following review helpful:

A magical movie to remind you of what's importantDec 22, 1999
By Sheri O. Zampelli "Author & Podcaster"
This movie is so much more than a children's fable. It is a magical reminder of how powerful each of us really is. The movie begins with Peter Banning (Attorney at Law) who forgets the truth of who he is. He becomes obsessed with success, drinks too much and avoids his family. Through a series of events he is forced to look within for the "real" him, Peter Pan. Peter Pan knows that all he has to do is think "one happy thought" and he can fly. I think this is true of all of us. The more we remember and honor who we are and the more we focus on the positive, the better life works. Peter Banning was a miserable, "fat old grandpa man" but when he remembers who he is, he's filled with boundless joy and energy. A very spiritual message indeed.

14 of 15 found the following review helpful:

A Neverending Magical Fairy TaleNov 05, 2001
By Barry "Barrybgb"
Steven Spielberg's Hook is a wondrous film full of great color and fantastic visuals. It's the kind of warm and fuzzy movie to be enjoyed time and again. Robin Williams stars as a grown up Peter Pan(now named Peter Panning), who doesn't remember who he really is. While on a trip to Old Wendy's place, his two children are kidnapped by Captain Hook. With the help of Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Peter has to go to Never Never Land to save his kids, battle Captain Hook, and realize that he is the one and only Peter Pan. The costumes are great, the sets are awe inducing, and the actors are all game. People, I ask you, who is better at playing at a person who refuses to grow up than Robin Williams?. I don't think the part could of been better cast. Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook is an image to behold. It's a classic Hoffman performance. Keep an eye out for cameos by Phil Collins, Glenn Close, and a very young Gwynneth Paltrow. This movie should entertain kids and adults alike. Kids will cherish their youth, while adults will most definitley be transported back to a magical time to think about their own youth. This is a whimsical fairy tale that's a delight from the first to last frame. I can't believe why so many people have a deep disliking of this movie. Oh well. Their loss. Kudos to Spielberg for delivering a modern day fairy tale for viewers to cherish for years to come. I'm hooked!. Sorry.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

I DON'T WANNA GROW UP!Feb 19, 2000
By Jeremy Robertson
We all remember the classic fairy tale of Peter Pan. But with a new twist, Stephen Spielberg yet again proves that he is the master of them all. Robin Willams, who plays Peter, is all grown up in this movie. He has a wife and two children. When Peter's grandmother starts to show him the past of life, Peter soon starts to relaize who he really was. He doesn't believe any of this nonsence, but soon goes into another world of fantasy. This movie, I thought was great. Every child has a fear of growing up, that they don't want to belong in the grown-up world. With Peter Pan by their sides, he can take them to Never Never Land where there, they won't have to worry about nothing at all. Such a brillant movie!

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