Filosopher's Favorites: Hook- Good Form!

Welcome to Filosopher's Favorites. Here I review some of my favorite movies of all time. I'm starting this one off with Hook.

As most of you already know, the brilliant actor and comedian Robin Williams past away this week.

This review is in honor of him. It was very hard choosing a movie he stars in to review this week, but I chose Hook, because this is probably my favorite of all his performances.

                                            WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE, 
                                                               SKIP TO THE END WHERE I GIVE THE SCORE!

We start with a elementary school play of Peter Pan. In the audience we meet Peter Banning, a very important lawyer, his wife Moira, and their son Jack. The little girl playing Wendy in the play is their daughter Maggie. Peter gets a call from someone he works with, and his wife (who has most likely told him this before) says that his is "missing it." Within the dialogue of the phone call, we learn that they are going to a ceremony tomorrow in London where a woman who basically raised Peter is having her orphanage expanded. We also learn that Jack has a baseball game that morning before they leave.

Hey look! Siggy from What About Bob!

Peter has to go out, but promises that he will be back in time for the game. Of course, he's not. We transport to the plane, where Jack is very angry with his father for not coming. They arrive at Granny Wendy's house and meet a woman named Liza and a man named Tootles who was Wendy's first orphan and who apparently has lost his marbles.

I've lost my marbles.

Peter is continually interrupted by business phone calls. Moire throws Peter's phone out the window and tells him again that he is missing his children's childhoods and that they soon may not what him to be part of it. They head out to the ceremony while the kids lay comfortably in their beds. While Peter is giving his speech, a terrible thing happens! Hook takes the kids! How do we know this? By the painfully obvious hook marks on the walls? By the letter that says that he did?

By Tootles stating that "Hook is back?" Nope. Peter actually doesn't believe any of it and assumes that it is some prank or a kidnapping. They call the Police who say that they will help as much as they can. Wendy tries to explain to him that he is actually Peter Pan and that Hook has taken his children because of revenge, but he doesn't believe it.

"Peter, don't you know who you are?"

Peter goes upstairs for some alone time. Suddenly, a tiny ball of light come from the window. It's Tinker Bell! How do we know this? Because she is standing right before our eyes? No! It's actually just a hallucination, says Peter. Well, she brings Pete to Neverland.

Super human strength seems to be happening a lot in the films I review lately.

 How do we know th...okay I think you get it. Pete doesn't believe any of it, and just goes along for the ride. But, he suddenly becomes a believer when he sees his kids in a net with Captain James Hook in charge of their safety. Peter promptly tells him that those are his kids, and he would like to take them and go home. Captain Hook doesn't believe that such a businessy and out-of-shape man could be Peter Pan.

Smee proves it to him by showing a scar on his belly that Hook gave to him. Hook, now aware that Pete has forgotten everything, tells him to go up to his kids, touch their hands, and they can go home. Strangely enough, Peter is afraid of heights and is unable to reach his children. Hook almost kills them all, but Tink conveniences him that she and the lost boys can jog his memory, and they can have a war. Hook gives them three days to do so. Peter falls off the ship, and into the water. Tink, apparently can't swim, and leaves him them there.

Wow, thanks Tink...

 Peter is saved by some mermaids, and makes it to the lost boys' camp. They don't recognize him, and chase him around for a while. Their new leader Rufio

Who does not have Fire-Bending powers at this time.

declares that he is the almighty ruler of the lost boys! and that he is an imposter! Some of the boys stretch Peter's wrinkles out and see that it is Peter Pan after all. They agree to help get him in shape. This includes loosing about forty pounds in a day.

Meanwhile, Smee convinces Captain Hook to try and win over Jack and Maggie as his own children in hopes of scaring Peter. Hook teaches the kids about what parents really think about their children. This seems to get through to Jack, but Maggie doesn't trust Hook and Smee. Because of this, Smee gives her an "F" which really seems to distress her.  Back at the lost boys' camp, supper is on the table, or is it? While everyone is stuffing their faces, Peter can't seem to see any of the food. After an insult battle between Peter and Rufio, Peter sees the food. This is the first sign of improvement. They have an awesome food fight,

and on top of that, he chops a coconut in half in midair, with a sword! We then get a very touching song by little Maggie that her mother used to sing to her.

In the morning, Jack displays his disappointment toward is father by smashing clocks. Hook comforts him, and says that Neverland is his home now. The lost boys then take Pete out to the Pirates' Cove. He is to steal Hook's hook and "crow" as it were. They find themselves amongst a baseball game in honor of Jack. Peter gets discouraged when Jack seems to be having a lot more fun there then he ever did at home, and also because he realizes that he has missed a lot. Peter is determined to fly so he can save his kids. He finds a secret hole in a tree nearby. He goes inside, and Tink just happens to be there. Peter has a breakthrough, and remembers everything. We have some great flashbacks of him as a baby, how he ended up at Neverland, him as a kid, and the reason behind him leaving. He finds his happy thought; the birth of his son Jack. He begins to fly, and he does so right out of the tree and over Neverland.

Also, he has magical clothes changing powers.

   
He takes his place as king of the kids, but for some reason looses all recollection of who his is and why he is here. Tinker Bell grows into a regular sized person...Neverland Magic?...and jogs Peter's memory by kissing him. Remembering his wife which then leads him to remembering his children, he gets his troops together and goes to war against Hook and his merry crew. Peter tries to get Jack to come with him, but he has too lost his memory. We have a pretty awesome battle between the lost boys and the pirates. Rufio goes up against Hook, while Peter goes saves Maggie. Sadly Rufio loses against Hook and dies. It's a sad and short goodbye before Pete and James goes up against each other.

He has the chance to kill him, but doesn't want to stoop to his level. Hook cuts his arm. Peter almost kills him, but is stopped by his kids. They go to leave, but Hook threatens him. He almost kills him again, but Hook surrenders. Peter walks away, but Hook is not done yet. He is then done in when a gatorclock falls on him, and he disappears.

Peter leaves one of the lost boys in charge and leaves. At home, Moira is visited by a plastic leaf, and her children.

What's a plastic leaf doing here? Must of come from the plastic tree outside.

Everyone rejoices. Peter comes, but not before seeing a familiar face (Smee). Tink gives her goodbyes and Peter climbs up to that famous window. Everyone rejoices, again! Tootles comes in, and Peter brings him something he has been looking for for some time now, his marbles. Those were is happy thoughts, and he goes flying out the window toward the second star to the right.

 
Pros-

If I could only describe this movie with one word it would be "fun." Because that's what this movie is, fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously. That being said, it's not a silly little kid movie. When I say it's fun, I mean for everyone. There is something about this film that yells out imagination. It's almost as if they had a child consultant, that told them if that scene was fun enough. That's not the only reason this is a good movie, no. It also has some amazing acting. Everyone, and I mean everyone, even the kids, did a terrific job. Of course, Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman stand out the most, though. They just act like they're having so much fun playing these characters. The special effects are actually really impressive for 1991, and the sets are fantastic. This is basically a sequel to "Peter Pan", and does an amazing job in telling such a story. Some bits can get a bit confusing, but all in all it is great. Hook is actually 2 hours and 30 minutes long, but it doesn't feel it. It goes by rather quickly. Most people might think the pacing is off because the actually story line only starts at around the 50 minute mark, but it flows nicely. And lastly, the score is simply magnificent. It fits very well with the tone of the movie, and really brings you into it.

Cons-

Okay, I have only three here, two are nitpicks, and one that's an actually problem. I'll start with the nitpicks. Tinker Bell. I didn't like her. Not to say she is a bad character per say, but I just don't like her here. I actually prefer the jealous hothead she usually is.

In this one, she is just confusing. She acts and literally says that she is in love with Peter. And I almost get the feeling she was trying to get Peter to stay in Neverland. That would have been fine, if she hadn't been trying the whole movie to get Peter and his kids home again. I also never got the feeling in the original story that Tink was "in love" with Peter. It was more like they were pals and she didn't want him to go and find himelf another pal. But, again that's a nitpick. They don't spend too much time on this, thankfully. Nitpick #2- some of the scenes went on a bit too long and I lost interest. Scenes like the quite long chase scene between Peter and the lost boys and the war scene. Though it is epic, it goes on a bit too long. The other was the continuity errors and plot conveniences. There are a good some of those. That's what the whole "Neverland Magic" was about. There were many that I didn't even mention. Some are actually hard to notice, but some like Peter losing a bunch of weight in one day are very noticeable. Then again, maybe it is Neverland Magic. Even though there were a lot of these, it doesn't keep me from loving this movie.

Final Thoughts-

I really do enjoy this movie. If you like fantasy and Robin Williams, there is no doubt you'll like this.

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Story- 8/10 

Though there was some continuity errors and things, it still manages to hold strong.

Main Characters- 9/10

Peter is a really great and likely character. Robin is what makes him so much better though.

Side Characters- 8/10

Almost all the supporting character do an amazing job and are likable.

Villain- 9/10

Dustin Hoffman as Hook could not be better. He is arguably the best Hook ever.

Effects/Animation- 8/10

The effects and sets still hold up even today.

Songs/Score- 9/10

Absolutely breathtaking music in this film.

Entertainment Factor- 7/10

I enjoyed most of the film, though some of the scenes went on a bit long.

Total Score- 83% 

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