Hook

Rating:
Summary: Just Think Of Happy Thought, Any Happy Little Thought!
Review: Belive me, I am being generous in giving this 2 stars. If it wasn't for CUTE little Maggie I would give it 1 star. In the first place, I don't like the whole concept of the movie. Peter Pan isn't supposed to grow up. That's the whole point! Sure, this movie has some good stuff in it but there's so much bad stuff it's not even worth it. Also it had a lot of bad words and gross insults. Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys (Rufio most of all!) were very irritating. I mean, skateboards and graffiti in Neverland? And another thing: Tootles was very, very creepy. The two best parts in it were when Moira was telling Peter Banning how little time they have with their children, and the other was when Maggie says "Look what Jack drew!" That part is really funny. I know some friends of mine really like this movie, so maybe it's a thing where you either love it or hate it. If you want to watch a Peter Pan movie, don't watch this (especially not with your kids): instead, watch P.J. Hogan's MASTERPIECE Peter Pan from 2003.

Rating:
Summary: What's your happy thought?
Review: This is a brilliant movie. Peter Pan has always been one of my favourite stories, and I still have the same J.M. Barrie book I had as a child, which continues on the story, with John & Michael growing up, and saying what everyone else was doing. I always skipped the rest of the story, and read the ending.

Peter Pan is now grown up, into the 'pirate', who ignores his wife and kids, to concentrate on an all important job. He's played brilliantly here by Robin Williams, a less comedic role for him this time. Also playing the old Wendy, is a fantastic actress by the name of Maggie Smith. She can turn her hand to anything, and still be wonderful. Tinkerbell is surprisingly played by Julia Roberts, which is quite strange. (Her nickname on the film set was apparently Tinkerhell) There's something not quite right about her playing Tinkerbell. For starters she looks nothing like the Tinkerbell more well known from the Disney movies, and when she becomes a 'big' Tinkerbell, and tells Peter she loves him, it's extremely unbelievable.

There are a lot of cameos in this movie, which I discovered by looking at the cast list. Gwyneth Paltrow is one of the more noticeable ones, in a blink-a-few-times-and-you'll-miss-her role. The kissing couple who begin to float when some fairy dust lands on them are actually George Lucas and Carrie Fisher in a cameo. The pirate shut in the chest with the scorpion was played by Glenn Close - I'll have to re-watch that scene, as it looks nothing like her! Also appearing in a tiny role is Phil Collins - weird I know, he plays a policeman.

Apart from the two extremely bratty children, what really annoyed me was the fact only Tootles was the only original Lost Boy in it. (If I remember correctly, did Wendy not take them all home with her at the end of the book? I haven't read it in years!) The other Lost Boys were: Slightly, Nibs, Curly, and the unnamed Twins.

John Williams does a terrific score to this, but mostly, it matches the scene at the time, and isn't very memorable after you've finished watching it. (That means don't play it to me, and try to make me guess it next time!)

Dustin Hoffman makes a great Hook. He's totally evil, although slightly OTT and camp at the same time! He has the right blend to make it just right. And Smee (Bob Hoskins) is fantastic! He's so funny! There are two great lines that he comes out with in this. These are:

Smee: I've just had an apostrophe.
Captain Hook: I think you mean an epiphany.
Smee: No... lightning has just struck my brain.
Captain Hook: Well, that must hurt.

and the bit where he's running about, just before he gathers up all the gold, where he's looking for Smee - who's him!

Watching this film on DVD, I found it had really aged. You can see the white lines, especially when they're flying, around the characters, and although I still love this movie, and give it four out of five, it just doesn't have the same magic as when you're young.

On the DVD is the usual: trailers, still galleries, interviews, featurettes, and a very weird set top game, which I can't get my head around.

If you can pick up this DVD cheap (I got it for £2.99, which I'm still shocked about), then it's well worth it. Wish I was still young enough, NOT to notice the white lines around the characters, and still believe they can fly.