“Have to fly. Have to fight. Have to crow. Have to save Maggie. Have to save Jack. Hook is back.”
Back to another 1990s video rental from Barry’s — this time, Hook. Adventure movies like this were the kind I really used to get into. This one, however, I remember confusing me back in the 90s. Hook was marketed as a sequel to Peter Pan. Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan, right? Right?
Well, it’s 1991 — or to be honest, a little after that, thanks to rental delays — and I’m under ten. It concerns me that I haven’t seen Peter Pan before watching Hook. This is made worse by the way the first half of the film has so many characters urging Peter (Robin Williams, practically the face of family movies in the 90s) to remember.
A little later I managed to track down the Disney cartoon, and it still didn’t seem like a sequel as such. It looked and sounded a lot different. Adult me knows this is because Peter Pan was a 1953 Disney cartoon, and Hook was a 1991 blockbuster released by Sony Pictures. But to a kid, it didn’t make sense. I sort of wish someone had clarified that it’s a sequel to the Peter Pan book — but honestly, I’m not sure anyone in our house knew that.
The concept: what if Peter Pan grew up? Spielberg has mentioned the issues with the film’s second half. They’re there, definitely. They’re undeniable. There are parts where it looks like a theme park.
But this is Retro Reaction, not a movie critic blog. It’s always been about how these movies make you feel. That first half of Hook, with its strong message about Peter forgetting what childhood is like — about him being busy with life and missing out — that’s where the story is so strong for me.
I wonder if, for younger watchers, this falls into the same category as Home Alone. They’re treading water, waiting for Peter to remember and for Pan’s return to save the day in the final act. I don’t blame them. I was once in that category. For me now, though, it’s all about the emotional journey he takes to get there. Helped a little by the iconic John Williams soundtrack again. As an adult, it can strike an uncomfortably familiar note.
We’re still in the 90s and still renting from Barry, so there will be more Robin Williams in the weeks to come. But next time… we’ve got some dinosaurs.