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Summary
There are only a handful of directors that the average person can recognize by name, and one who has shaped both the childhoods and entire lives of whole groups of people goes by the name of Steven Spielberg. Born all the way back in 1946, Steven Spielberg grew up dreaming he’d one day be able to move people with film the way others had moved him. Whether it’sJaws,E.T.,Schindler’s List,theIndiana Jonesmovies, orJurassic Park, the man has put in the work when it comes to beloved films.
With so many bonafide classics to his name, it can be easy to forget that Spielberg has had a few films that weren’t the biggest hits around. Even when his films aren’t as successful, they still tend to do quite well and even arguably better than the average movie, something that can certainly be said about 1991’sHook. This often-forgotten gem has become a cult classic in the eyes of many, yet somehow, Steven Spielberg just can’t bring himself to loveHookthe same way other people do.
Peter And Wendy
Jim V. Hart, Malia Scotch Marmo
Starring:
Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Charlie Korsmo
142 minutes
$70 million
$300.9 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
29%
Setting out to createthe next chapter for the classic Peter Pan story(known as Peter And Wendy) for the big screen,Hooktells the tale of a grown-up Peter’s return to Neverland for one final battle against Captain Hook. After eventually returning from Neverland, Peter settled down with Wendy’s granddaughter and ended up becoming an educated lawyer. At some point, Peter lost touch with the magic all around him and lost sight of what was most important, eventually becoming quite the greedy and all-around bad person.
When Peter and his family go to visit the elderly Wendy, things take a massive turn for Peter’s now-stuffy life. In the night, Hook kidnaps Peter’s kids, forcing him to come to grips with who he was and return to Neverland with Tinkerbell. Beingno match for the mighty pirateCaptain Hook, Peter has to get back in touch with his roots in order to hope to save his kids. To do so, Peter pays a visit to his old friends, the Lost Boys, but he finds they are led by the bombastic Rufio. Eventually, the Lost Boys are willing to train Peter, getting him ready for the fight of his life against Hook.
How Does Hook End?
After a lot of soul-searching to get back in touch with who he used to be Peter Banning has officially become Peter Pan once again. Knowing he needs to save his family from the dreaded Captain Hook, Peter and the Lost Boys set out to do just that. Clashing with the villainous pirates on their ship, it turns out that Peter Pan and the Lost Boys are more than skilled enough to handle Hook’s forces even all these years later. Unfortunately, Rufio isn’t quite capable enough to defeat Hookin a sword fight, with the dastardly pirate cutting down the leader of the Lost Boys.
All is not lost however as the death of Rufio is enough to remind Peter’s son of who his true father is. With nothing else standing in the way, Peter takes on Hook in one final duel to ensure the safety of all those in Neverland. Peter is able to handle Hook with little trouble, embarrassing the once mighty captain with some help from some ticking clocks. With everything set right and Hook defeated, Peter names Thud Butt of the Lost Boys as the new leaderbefore returning to Londonafter Tinkerbell and his kids.
Back in London, Tinkerbell and Peter say their goodbyes before Peter gives Wendy’s friend Tootles (one of the Lost Boys) the ability to head back to Neverland. Peter Banning will now always remember that he was Peter Pan, but that’s not all. Back with his loving family, Peter will now always remember what it means to be a good father, person, and husband to the most important thing in the world, his family.
99%
98%
97%
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
96%
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
94%
Hookdidn’t exactly make the biggest impact on the movie industry when it came out back in 1991. If the critic Rotten Tomatoes score of 29% is anything to go by, it’s safe to say that the movie wasn’t well-received.Hookhas since becomea beloved and underappreciated filmby many thanks to the impact it had on so many people’s childhoods, but Steven Spielberg seems to really struggle with viewing the movie in a positive light.
Inan article fromDen Of Geek, Steven Spielberg’s reaction toHookfrom anEmpireinterview is highlighted:
“I felt like a fish out of water making Hook,” he continued. “I didn’t have confidence in the script. I had confidence in the first act and I had confidence in the epilogue. I didn’t have confidence in the body of it.”
While Spielberg does have other choice words forHookin the same interview, it is that precise line that sheds the most light on the whole situation. It’s not hard to find criticism of the film pointed directly at the relatively mediocre middle of the story, and even the greatRobin Williams in one of his greatest rolescouldn’t save things. While perfectly serviceable and a beautiful film to look at from start to finish, the script leaves a lot to be desired as the film meanders around to get from Peter’s return to Neverland to his fated duel with Hook. For a lot of people, it specifically is the beginning and the end of the film that is most memorable from a story standpoint, with the appearance of Neverland, the performance of Dustin Hoffman as Hook, and the few iconic Lost Boys serving as most of the memorable moments through the middle of the film.
