Spielberg! The magic touch, the weaver of dreams, one of the ugliest and dullest men in movies...
Williams! The manic, permanently bewildered little boy in a man's body, patently larger than life and constantly weaving a tale around that breakthrough role of his as Mork from Ork...
It's a marriage made in heaven as the two biggest kids in cinema wind their talent and calculating minds around the old J M Barrie children's tale, relocating it a million miles away from the undoubtedly vivid and attractive cartoon masterpiece of Disney's take on the theme.
The updated and nastier version of the Peter Pan legend, Hook, is a sumptuous film starring Dustin Hofmann as the Captain of the title and Williams as Peter Banning, the grown up version of Peter Pan who has forgotten what it is to enjoy himself and definitely can no longer fly. He now has two children of his own and is fully wrapped up in his work as a 40 year old business lawyer. In the barely disguised moral of the tale, Banning's obsession with his work sees him in grave danger of losing wife Moira and kiddywinks, Jack and Maggie.
However, it's not the initially simpering and later over the top Williams who is the dominant force, but Hofmann who is utterly compelling and seems to revel in being able to play a villain for once. He cuts a swashbuckling and foul vision of evil. I heard somewhere that during the making of Hook, he constantly ate garlic to get himself totally immersed in the part and you can well believe it - he's the epitome of nastiness. Mrs D would love him...
Dusty has always been a first rate attraction, giving some of the most memorable performances in cinema history, most of which paint him as either a very unclassical lead (The Graduate, Tootsie, Marathon Man) or just plain weird (Rain Man, Easy Rider, Papillon). He's always loved getting his teeth into a good part (except when he couldn't because Darling Larry was taking them all out in Marathon Man) and there's no exception here. Unabashedly dandified and vain, with an endless range of replacement hooks and flowing syrups, Hofmann's Hook is a wonder to behold, sinister and sleazy with too much facial hair for his own good.
He just oozes unpleasantness along with the nasty smell, and you can't help rooting for him to see off the clearly distracted and directionless Williams.
It's quite a faithful reworking of the original story, just moving the action on a few decades with the grown up Pan back among the Lost Boys who have never grown up but have adopted a new leader. Hook is intent on finishing his old and now defenceless arch enemy and will stop at no dastardly deed in his efforts so to do. He even kidnaps Pan's son and brainwashes him against his father. However, that only serves to anger Pan and bring things to a climactic finish when (of course) the evil one is vanquished. God, I almost sound enthusiastic!
Other stars in this film are Julia Roberts as the fairy Tinkerbell and Bob Hoskins as the boatswain Mr Smee and they both play with verve and over the top enthusiasm, but no one quite equals the loathsome Hook of Hofmann, a masterpiece of evil.
It's all pretty enjoyable hokum which isn't too subtle or taxing. Take it as a surface level adventure movie, because that's all there is to it. Williams' comic talents are only rarely stretched and it is not one of his better vehicles. It is quite easily forgettable, although it's tremendous fun while it lasts. All of the participants have seen better times and Hook never lived up to the hype, the expectation and its contributors. The kids will undoubtedly love every flawed, over the top, mannered minute of it, though, so why struggle?
Relish the fight scenes and the whiskers and teeth of the said Captain and enjoy yourself...
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Production Year: 2005 - Family - Director: Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Jim Broadbent, Lowell Ganz, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Greg Kinnear
Nominated for Five Academy AwardsPETER PAN - the hero who never grows old - has grown up! ... more
And he's even forgotten how to fly! Enter the magical, mystical world of a hundred fun summers as the ageless avenger and faithful fairy Tinkerbell return to Neve...
Advantages: Probably one of those films that all kids will love. Disadvantages: Be careful!...my little-one jumped out of her skin..on more than one occasion
JHPRUSHTON 20.08.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hook (DVD)
Apr 13th, 2001
(Oct 3rd, 2001)
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