Hook

Rating:
Summary: Hook, hook, give us the Hook!
Review: The only oddity in the Spielberg cannon, Hook sticks out like a sore thumb from the director's output during the late 80s to early 90s. Critically mauled on its release, the film has been seen by some intelligent critics as an underrated film that, with closer inspection, isn't as bad as most critics thought.

Robin Williams is Peter Banning, the corporate Wall Street businessman type who was once Peter Pan, but who has long since forgotten all about his childhood. Then along comes Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) to kidnap Peter's kids and take them to Neverland. Peter is then faced with having to remember who he is so he can rescue his kids. Grannie Wendy: "You must try to remember" Peter: "Remember what?"

The Spielberg themes are clearly displayed in the first half hour with the busy father never managing to spend time with his kids. And bits and pieces of the classic Pan tale were seen in E.T. Here the director's trademark visuals and astounding imaginative ideas are spread all throughout the film. One scene in particular, where Peter's kids are "hook-napped", where we see the "light", once used to touching effect in Close Encounters, here symbolising fear. John William's brilliant score underlays the themes and emotions, producing a great soundtrack to accompany the film.

Then it's off to Never Never Land, where Peter must try to remember who he is to save his kids. The problem is, once the film gets to the fantasyland, events get somewhat clustered with a number of overly loud visuals. And despite some great lines between Williams and Hoffman, the film tends to slip into sentimentality often, and Williams gives an uneasy, stilted performance as Peter when he is trying to remember. Sure, the effects are great and the strong Spielberg themes are nice, but until the finale (where we are greeted with a huge battle between good and evil, classic Spielberg), the film drags on for some time with some uneasy emotions and action.

The principal acting is good, with Hoffman barely recognisable but portraying the title character to good effect. Williams, although not his usual one-liner comic self, is at least an enjoyable character once he reverts back to being Peter Pan. Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) plays the character of Hook's assistant Smee with relish. The only disappointment is Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell. The casting is unusual however, in that Spielberg's films usually make stars like Harrison Ford and Sam Neill, but here, working with established stars, Spielberg's vision is over-clouded by a bunch of big-name actors.

But the sets, visuals, music and class storytelling redeem the film, and although it's not one of the director's best, it's still an enjoyable adventure.

Rating:
Summary: A Spielberg Film That Just Sits There--It's Inert
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Scuttle me bones, it's those scurvy skateboarders
Review: I am being generous with four stars, but the cast, the production and the sets alone (the pirate ship was a work of art) warrant at least this many.

As others have mentioned, perhaps the greatest flaw was the pitiful portrayal of the Lost Boys. Apart from the tiresome political correctness, the skateboard thing was well past its peak when this shambling travesty limped onto the screen, like an old man's idea of what is hip.

Dustin Hoffman did his best with the Hook character, but his efforts paled terribly when compared to the definitive vocal performance by Hans Conried. Conried WAS Hook and nobody will ever touch him. While not doubting Hoffman's genius, a far better candidate for Hook would have been Alan Rickman (the Sheriff of Nottingham in Kevin Costner's Robin Hood.)

Maggie Smith was superb as Wendy, and Robin delivers as always, but even their performances were a band-aid on an artery. For myself, the hideous depiction of the Lost Boys just killed the magic, and utterly ruined what could otherwise have been a brilliant movie.

Swoggle me eyes, there's always Return To Never Land...

Rating:
Summary: Spielberg strikes gold!!
Review: I first saw this film when I was a kid and I've loved it ever since. What can one really say about Robin Williams? He shines in almost every role he's ever taken. This picture is strictly for the kids and it does succeed in entertaining them, at least I think so. Spielberg's reimagining of the classic franchise does more in my opinion than any Disney or Broadway production could ever do. Williams shines as the decadent Banning who rediscovers his youth, Hoskins is hilarious as Smee, Dame Maggie Smith is heartwarming and touching as the aged Wendy Darling and who can forget the charming Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, who provides more character to that fairie than that annoying mute variation that opens up every edition of the Wonderful World of Disney can ever do.(This is not a knock on Disney because that company remains one of the greatest film studios of all time; Walt truly was a visionary for his age). If you don not enjoy this film, I guarantee your kids will.

Rating:
Summary: Underrated masterpiece!
Review: You must see this movie! It is a spectacular wonder. Robin Williams as the slightly neurotic Peter Banning (Pan) gives a fabulous performance. Julia Roberts is adequate in the role of Tinkerbell. However, there are two other stars in this movie that steal the show (which is hard to do when Robin Williams is in the movie). Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy gives an endearing performance. Even moreso, Dustin Hoffman is Captain James Hook. There is no one who could have played this role except Dustin Hoffman. His performance could make you believe that Captain Hook really exists. Under it all, John Williams' score is breathtaking. Unbelievable movie, performances and score. Five underrated stars!!!

Rating:
Summary: Okay, I'm Hooked
Review: This DVD holds our house record for the longest continous time in the DVD player- 9 straight days. My kids wouldn't watch anything else after we got it.

I've enjoyed this movie much more watching it at home than I did when it was released in the theaters. It's hard to explain why. Maybe because my children can watch it. It may be because the Dolby 5.1 surround is crisp and the careful transfer is wonderfully clean. Could be that Neverland is green again, unlike the brown I recall in the theater.

Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams received very little credit for their work in this film, but should have. Both are very enjoyable in their scenes. Not many bonus features are available on this disc, however.

This movie suffers from what many of Spielberg's films suffer from- impossibly high expectations, and the shadows of blockbusters like E.T., Jaws, and Close Encounters. Still, it is a fine addition to your Spielberg collection. And your kids will love it.

Rating:
Summary: Bits and pieces are worth the price of admission
Review: This movie could have been great. The scenes with Hoffman and Hoskins are superb and worth the price of the VHS. It's just too bad that you have to wade through tinkerbell and the lost boys to get to the good stuff. My kids love it though and I am able to watch it over and over and over and over because of the good parts. (My kids will come and find me to tell me my favorite part is coming up) Unfortunately Hoffman, Hoskins and Smith were not able to pull the rest of the cast up to their level of artistic abilities.

Rating:
Summary: hmmm......
Review: First of all not everyone is going to like the same movie.

Second I think that this movie showed a great portrayal of how fun life was when you were a kid. You get the biggest urge of wanting to be a part of Neverland. The leading roles Hook, Peter Pan, and tinkerbell were handled beautifully. I liked how the movie combined the elements of adventrure, fantasy, and love all into one. The music scores were set at perfect places, and fit in very well. However I noticed a few flaws; the setting of neverland looks more like a movie set, Hook was well played, but his lines could have been written better, and that took most away from his threating image, the lost boys seemed too lost to understand how to act like there from neverland and not a junior high school. Other than that this movie was hopeful, and heartwarming

Rating:
Summary: Even The Greatest Can Get It All Wrong
Review: Steven Spielberg is arguably the most talented and most succesful movie Director ever. I love most of his films to varying degrees. He is an incredible talent but I'm sorry I, like Siskel and Ebert before me (and many other people), just don't like this movie. It's not that it's awful, it's just not very good and generally forgettable I'm afraid to say. Okay it's got a stellar cast (Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts and Bob Hoskins etc.) but it really fails to catch the imagination of either kids or adults (and even Spielberg reportedly conceded this).

You'd have to ask whether it was a good idea in the first instance to make Peter Pan an adult in what is essentially a kid's story in this unfortunate adaptation of the classic JM Barrie tale, that just doesn't work. What was wrong with the original story that they had to change it? if it aint broke then don't try to fix it is the old addage that Spielberg should have heeded but on top of this the film is even, dare I say it, technically ropey. I mean is it just me or do the movie sets look like movie sets and isn't the script amazingly poor by the great maestro's standards? The cast can't save it either, they're all fine but essentially wasted and is it any coincidence that this movie went 40 days over its 76 day shooting schedule, during a particularly turbulent time in Julia Roberts life (does anyone remember Kiefer Sutherland?). Don't get me wrong I'm not blaming Ms Roberts for the movies failure. It wasn't her fault and I greatly admire her work but it's symptomatic of a movie that just doen't work and it goes to show you that even the greatest occasionally get it all wrong...( and so there's hope for us mere mortals yet)!

Rating:
Summary: A Neverending Magical Fairy Tale
Review: 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.