The Task: Watch and write about every movie on my shelf, in order (Blu-rays are sorted after DVDs), by June 10, 2015. Remaining movies: 233 Days to go: 238
Movie #144: Hook
Hook is an interesting movie — kind of sad, kind of sweet, kind of weird, and way too long. Based on the premise that the original Peter Pan story really happened, it posits that Peter (Robin Williams) eventually stayed with Wendy (Maggie Smith) in London — having fallen in love at first sight with Wendy’s granddaughter Moira (Caroline Goodall) — and grew up to be a boring, old fuddy-duddy named Peter Banning who has two kids, Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). But when the Banning clan travels back to London to visit Granny Wendy, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) returns and kidnaps Jack and Maggie to incite a war with Peter.
Spielberg has an affinity for father-son stories, and Hook delves into that quite a bit. Peter is a busy and important businessman with little time for family commitments — he takes a call (on a GIANT flip phone) during his daughter’s play and he misses Jack’s baseball game entirely. He doesn’t like his kids running around or making noise or being childish, and he frequently tells Jack, especially, to grow up. So when Jack finds himself in Neverland, and his father once again disappoints by not making enough of an effort (in Jack’s mind) to save them, Jack is easily swayed by the encouragement of Captain Hook and soon forgets his parents altogether. (Neverland makes you forget.)
Peter has also forgotten, but what he can’t remember is his life in Neverland, his life as Pan. “He can’t fly, he can’t fight, and he can’t crow,” as new Lost Boy leader Rufio (Dante Basco) points out. But Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) believes in Peter, and she convinces the Lost Boys to give him a chance. Bit by bit, he regains his memory and his playfulness and even his happy thoughts, naturally saving the day and returning home to their Happily Ever After, but the movie is clunky in several areas.
The casting of Hook is very, very weird. Robin Williams makes a great Pan, in theory, but he’s more than a little disquieting as a disapproving parent. Julia Roberts is an odd choice for Tinkerbell, in just about every conceivable way. I like her a lot, and I don’t mind the performance, but it’s a strange fit. Dustin Hoffman affects an unusual voice for Hook, and plays him with far more severity than the blundering silliness that had heretofore been a hallmark of the character would seem to call for. Meanwhile, Maggie Smith was only 57 when this movie came out and yet she’s costumed to look older than she currently does, actually approaching 80, on Downton Abbey. And there are all sorts of cameos that make no kind of sense at all: Phil Collins as a detective, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett and Glenn Close as pirates, and a smooching George Lucas and Carrie Fisher just because.
Bob Hoskins actually works pretty well as Mr. Smee, but where the real casting triumphs are fall within the Lost Boys. Rufio is cocksure and swaggering — a confident leader with no use for this old, fat Peter. But he’s also just vulnerable and jealous enough to feel threatened by the Lost Boys’ faith in Pan. When his arrogance is struck down in a fight against the pirates, it’s an honest loss felt by all. The rest of the boys, too, are all adorable moppets with varying levels of smudged-nose adorableness and enthusiastic roughhousing, with the cream of the crop easily being Raushan Hammond as Thud Butt — a super cute, rotund little man who literally rolls himself into a ball to knock down some pirates in battle. He’s sweet and earnest and oh, so lovable. His genuine glee and awed pride at receiving Pan’s sword warms the heart for days.
The story itself is also a bit awkward and labored, but really seems to lend itself to being more enjoyable the more you disconnect from your rational mind — much like Peter needs to do in order to find his Pan. If you open your imagination and childlike spirit, the film can be quite touching and fun.
Sadly, not even childlike imagination can save Hook from being way too long. It could easily lose thirty minutes and probably be a much better film for it, but I still find it hard to let this one go. I keep it on my shelf through thick and thin because something in it just appeals to me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve lost my marbles.
Viable Option 