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Hook Customer Reviews (31 - 33 of 46 Reviews)

A Spielberg Film That Just Sits There--It's Inert
Aside from "1941", HOOK is the only Steven Spielberg I have ever seen that I can comfortably live without in my video collection. To this day, a little over ten years after having first seen it, my impressions of the film have barely budged at all. There's lavish sets, huge crowds, spectacular special effects, and a trio of normally first-rate actors--namely Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, and Julia Roberts. But there is simply no memorable movie-going experience given all this and the man behind the camera.

Spielberg has often cited his love for the Peter Pan story, and critics, both friends and enemies alike, have portrayed him as the real-life Hollywood version of Peter Pan. Thus, it was perhaps inevitable that he would make a film on the legend, resetting it in modern times. The problem is, however, he spent gargantuan amounts of money (at least $60 million) on sets, stars, and special effects that he forgot to put a real, effective story.

Hoffman, under all that make-up, makes for a very devious title character who kidnaps the kids of Peter Pan (Robin Williams), who is now Peter Banning, businessman. Indeed, Hoffman's performance is one of the highlights of this shockingly inert fantasy film; the legendary Maggie Smith's performance as Wendy is the other. Williams, normally a comic genius, gets very little to work with here; he is just plain bland. And Roberts tries to be cute as Tinkerbell, but instead gives probably the tackiest performance of her career. And the kids who play the Lost Boys are absolutely the most obnoxious bunch!

Not even John Williams' great score can save this staggering disappointment from Spielberg. HOOK only went to show that bigger isn't always better, especially if the story just sits there on the screen and does nothing. One expects more from Spielberg than this. Thankfully, he was able to recover yet again, as he had after "1941", going on to give us JURASSIC PARK, SCHINDLER'S LIST, and more.

"Rufio! Rufio! Rufioooooooooooooo!"
Why has this film been criticized? There's nothing to complain about Steven Spielberg's "Hook." It should be a classic; most people don't remember that it was nominated for a whole slew of Oscars.
First off, I'll cover the visuals. They're wonderful. The depiction of Neverland was incredible to behold. The effects and flying scenes nearly took my breath away, and the score by John Williams is truly magical.
And the performances worked. Robin Williams was a great choice for Peter Pan, and Dustin Hoffman hammed it up to perfection as Captain Hook. The story was pretty interesting, too. Peter Pan has lived his worst nightmare: he grew up, and has become a corporate "pirate." One night, while visiting Wendy (Maggie Smith) in London with his family, Captain Hook infiltrates the real world and kidnaps Peter's children. Even though he can't remember who he once was, Peter is aided by Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts), and journeys to Neverland to rescue his kids. The Lost Boys were hilarious, and Bob Hoskins stole the show as Hook's crooked assistant, Smee.
"Hook" is a film that people of all ages can enjoy. A rare combination of acting, storytelling, and visuals, we should add another movie to Spielberg's list of classics. This is magical, old-school entertainment at its best.

A Quintessential Classic
Hook, of the greatest action/adventure movie of all time. With a Star cast including: Dustin Hoffman (Captain James Hook), Robin Williams (Peter Banning), and Julia Roberts (Tink). A workaholic, Peter Banning has no time for his family. The family takes a trip to London to visit Granny Wendy because she is to receive an award. While at the award ceremony, Peter's children are captured. A note is left by the kidnapper signed, Captain James Hook. Tink takes Peter to Neverland, where he is to fight the dark and sinister Hook for his children. Peter has to learn to find his happy thought and become the old Pan in three days. And so the Great War between good and evil begins. Hook receives the five stars of excellence for being one of the greatest films of that year.
The musical score for Hook is an essential part in this mind blowing movie. John Williams makes this score a quintessential example of how to capture emotion. The piece was actually intended on being a musical for Peter Pan, before Stephen Spielberg wanted the score for his movie. The music does exactly what every musical does; it creates music that becomes very present in one's memory. Most musicians would categorize this score as more pop than the average score. John Williams actually started writing the score before he even saw the completed version of the film. John basically had to go off of a script to write the music. John had to create his own Neverland in his head to create the right emotion he wanted to present to the audience. One section of the score is called, 'Presenting the Hook.' The scene starts out with Smee carrying Captain Hook's hook all over the ship. The pirates start chanting, 'Hook, Hook, Hook,' as they follow Smee. Mr. Williams creates perfect pirate music. It is filled with: horns, violins, tambourines, flutes, and drums. The sound creates the image of a pirate ship in one's mind. The battle sequence is another great section of work called, 'The Ultimate War.' There are great sums of percussion, such as cymbals and cowbells. These percussion sounds, especially the cowbell, paints a picture of the preparation of war. Then one hears the upbeat sounds and at that moment, Peter has transformed into a hero. Eerie and evil sounds are played into the audiences ears. This sound is the presents of Hook. As the section continues the tempo increases drastically. The score is one of the top elements in making this movie superior to other movies.
Captain James Hook, played by Dustin Hoffman, gives this movie what it needs to become a classic. Captain Hook is the leader of the scum of Neverland (also known as pirates). Hook has grown tired of killing Indians and lost boys. The climatic adventure in his life would be to kill Peter Pan, his arch nemesis. Dustin Hoffman did a magnificent job creating this character. One of the most valuable elements of his character was his appearance and voice. The costume designer designed his costume exactly like it is in the Walt Disney version of Peter Pan. From the wig to the mustache, Dustin fits the part. Dustin's voice is the ideal voice of a pirate. His voice gave one a feeling as if one had left Great Britain and had been captured by pirates. Dustin Hoffman's character had to be nothing but fun to act.
This movie is a perfect example of a monomyth. Peter's call to action is that his children have been captured and he has to go and save them. Tink takes Peter from the house in London and he crosses the threshold into Neverland. He leaves the social realm and goes forth into the supernatural realm. Peter has to find his happy thought, so that he can fly. His gift is hidden within himself. The trials he faces are the Ultimate War between the lost boys and the pirates. His ultimate trial is fighting Captain James Hook. He defeats his opponent and takes his children home. When he leaves Neverland to go back to London, he emerges back into the social realm. Peter brings back what he has learned from his experiences. Not the gift of flying, but the gift of loving his family more and living life to the fullest.
The overall score for this movie is Five Stars out of Five Stars. The score is based on the musical score, characters, and plot. One essential element is the score written by John Williams. The score brought to story to life. Another element evaluated was Dustin Hoffman's role of Captain James Hook. The last element taken into consideration was the how the plot was planned. The plot used the journey of a monomyth. The journey of the monomyth has been used in many other great films, such as Star Wars. This movie has become a masterpiece that other directors should model after .Hook is truly magnificent

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