1781 replies to this topic

[Drax]

I watched Hook again today after about 10 years since the last time I saw it. Surprisingly, I like it better as an adult than I did as a child or a young person. There was something about Peter Banning's struggle with work/life balance that seems more relevant to me now in a general sense. I also liked the portrayal of Banning's life in the US as grounded, work-focused and almost neo-realist, but the moment the film shifts to the UK, the film becomes a fantasy as if London represents some whimsical old-world nostalgia. I suppose this is part of why some critics think the film is disjointed, but I always attributed that criticism to the fact that the moment Dustin Hoffman appears, we lose interest in Peter's story of self-discovery (whether real of imagined, he still becomes a better man at the end), because Hoffman chews up every scene he's in, even Robin Williams can't keep up because he's playing what could arguably be the most "normal" role of his career at that point.

[Josh500]

The best part of the movie is the beginning, before the movie shifts to Neverland (and even this isn't so great)!

At least, in my opinion.

[E.T. & Elliott]

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me. But I'm biased because I've "believed" since I was 4.

[Josh500]

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me. But I'm biased because I've "believed" since I was 4.

It's not that I have anything against escapist fantasy or even children's movies, provided they are well made. Hell, I love E.T., still one of my favorite movies! But Hook... urrrgghhh! I now officially consider it Spielberg's weakest movie.

No wonder only 29% of critics have given the film a positive review according to Rotten Tomatoes.

By the way, anybody else find it a bit weird/distracting/amusing that Oskar Schindler's wife is also Peter Pan's wife? (They are both played by the same actress Caroline Goodall.)

[BloodBoal]

The best part of the movie is the beginning, before the movie shifts to Neverland (and even this isn't so great)!

At least, in my opinion.

The beginning is the most boring part. "I got to go to my son's baseball match. Blabediblabedibla..." "Daddy isn't coming to my baseball match. Blabediblabediblabedibla"... Baseball is boring. Who cares about baseball? Nobody understand the fucking rules!

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me.

+1

[Josh500]

Well, did you forget about the kidnapping of the children and the moment Tinkerbell shows up for the first time?

[BloodBoal]

Oh, no, that was good. But all the baseball stuff is useless. Baseball sucks, man!

[Josh500]

While watching that scene, I couldn't help but think that Spielberg was trying to copy the opening scene of Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July...

That latter scene was way better (and way better scored by John WIlliams too)!

[publicist]

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me.

It's called 'cognitive dissonance'. Most bad reviews for HOOK are sound and more than deserved. Even Spielberg agrees. But there's nothing wrong with loving shit, you know? My proud collection of EMMANUELLE soundtracks is the living proof!

[Drax]

Have you forgotten how to fly?

[publicist]

Have you forgotten how to fly?

No.

[Marian Schedenig]

It's not that I have anything against escapist fantasy or even children's movies, provided they are well made.

If anything, Hook is a non-escapist take on the Pan story.

[Score_Fan]

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me. But I'm biased because I've "believed" since I was 4.

I think it's honestly one of speliberg's best, and I think, regardless of what the critics said, it's a good movie. As it's not only my opinion, but everyone i've ever talked to loves it also.

[Wojo]

The beginning is the most boring part. "I got to go to my son's baseball match. Blabediblabedibla..." "Daddy isn't coming to my baseball match. Blabediblabediblabedibla"... Baseball is boring. Who cares about baseball? Nobody understand the fucking rules!

If you're a father and you love your child, it doesn't matter if he's in a teddy bear hugging contest. You show up and support him and be proud. Otherwise his fragile little mind doubts you love him regardless of how much money you throw at him on food, clothes, and shelter.

Besides, baseball is established early on as Jack's thing so Captain Hook can exploit it and turn him against his father. No other sport that American audiences will "get" would have the line "run home" to play with Jack's mind, or "stealing" to get its own mid-game pirate execution. And the deep ball bonking Peter on the head is pretty clever as a means to set him right on his path of self-realization: his own son knocks the badly needed sense into him.

I just find it awfully silly that Peter Pan returns from Neverland, settles in England, falls in love with Wendy's granddaughter......and moves to America. Seriously? I guess it's a result of casting Robin Williams as Peter and he didn't want to hold an English accent for the entire movie. Peter Pan growing old in America makes a little better sense in that regard than an American Robin Hood in England, but I digress.

[Hedji]

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me. But I'm biased because I've "believed" since I was 4.

This is exactly what I say about the Star Wars Prequels.

[Score_Fan]

I agree there too.


*In b4 but they sucked and raped my childhood*

[publicist]

I think it's honestly one of speliberg's best, and I think, regardless of what the critics said, it's a good movie. As it's not only my opinion, but everyone i've ever talked to loves it also.

After medication, i suppose.

[Chaac]

I only saw the film on TV too long ago and I don't remember it. All of this sounds like it was something someone like Spielberg should have knocked out of the park and yet the thing crashed. I'm curious to revisit it and get my own opinion.

[Krang]

It's too bad Kevin Kline, who they originally cast as Peter, had to back out because the movie Soapdish was taking too long to film. I think he would have played the part better.

[Jason LeBlanc]

No way, Robin Williams was perfect!

[KK.]

I think it's honestly one of speliberg's best, and I think, regardless of what the critics said, it's a good movie. As it's not only my opinion, but everyone i've ever talked to loves it also.

After medication, i suppose.

+1

Never was a fan of the movie, nor will I ever be...

[Red Rabbit]

I watched Hook again today after about 10 years since the last time I saw it. Surprisingly, I like it better as an adult than I did as a child or a young person. There was something about Peter Banning's struggle with work/life balance that seems more relevant to me now in a general sense. I also liked the portrayal of Banning's life in the US as grounded, work-focused and almost neo-realist, but the moment the film shifts to the UK, the film becomes a fantasy as if London represents some whimsical old-world nostalgia. I suppose this is part of why some critics think the film is disjointed, but I always attributed that criticism to the fact that the moment Dustin Hoffman appears, we lose interest in Peter's story of self-discovery (whether real of imagined, he still becomes a better man at the end), because Hoffman chews up every scene he's in, even Robin Williams can't keep up because he's playing what could arguably be the most "normal" role of his career at that point.

I actually find it remarkable how restrained Williams is early on in the film. Even after his character shift he never goes into his usual manic comedic shtick.

[Trent Bennett]

I for one enjoy the movie. All though, I can why some are turned off by it. The score has always been a favorite of mine.

[publicist]

It's too bad Kevin Kline, who they originally cast as Peter, had to back out because the movie Soapdish was taking too long to film. I think he would have played the part better.

I love SOAPDISH, but it would have been interesting how Kline's presence would have changed the tone of the movie. Williams was a good choice, but in many scenes he's playing a Bob Hope-type character who is stranded in a psychedelic ROAD TO NEVERLAND picture and then rapidly switches gears to play one of Spielberg's awful 'emotional' scenes which feel like especially revolting tv...those even John Gielgud (or Kline) couldn't have saved and that's saying a lot.

[Score_Fan]

No way, Robin Williams was perfect!

+1

[Stefancos]

He was good, but I can see Kline really nailing it though.

[Wojo]

In an alternate universe, Kline did nail it, and we'd be doubting the ability of Williams to pull it off.

[Marian Schedenig]

Yeah, John Williams could never pull off a score like that.

[Wojo]

Robin Williams.

Who's this John Williams fellow?

[crx_brett]

While I won't pretend to say Hook is a great movie, it is definitely a fun movie and most certainly not Spielberg's worst (I would say Always or the Lost World are way worse, and most would also argue 1941 was equally bad). The score is in my personal Top 10 best Williams scores ever.

And baseball is the best sport ever!!! LOL

[crocodile]

It's not in my top 10 (if I ever had one) and I wouldn't say this is as great music as people say, but I admit this is one of the most entertaining scores Williams has ever written. Just the sheer amount of memorable themes and colourful sequences.

The reason I want this album is not so much for expansions, but for improved sound quality which was quite weak on the OST.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig]

The OST sounds stunning.

[Faleel]

When the Boot switched to OST material, you can barely tell!

[E.T. & Elliott]

Totally untrue.

The nursery cue is actually really badass in the film with the sound effects of the sea and pirate ship.

[BTR1701]

I LOVE the cover art!!!!!!!!!!!

Robin Williams looks like he's on meth. Other than it's nice.

[Stefancos]

And baseball is the best sport ever!!! LOL

Wrong!

[Maurizio]

I love it all. Wonderful escapist fantasy. Negative reaction to the movie by adults always sounds to jaded and cynical to me. But I'm biased because I've "believed" since I was 4.

This is exactly what I say about the Star Wars Prequels.

Everyone has his/her own truly all-time favourites and we all stand up to defend and protect them from what we think is unfair negative criticism, particularly when it comes to problematic pieces like Hook.

I saw the film when I was 13 and of course I liked it for what it was. But later on I began to see its own limits and I understood why this is a problematic movie. On the paper, it was the perfect Spielberg film, full of themes and motifs dear to the director. It could have been really a landmark for his career at that time, because the potential was to realize a painfully take on the loss of innocence and childhood. The problem of the film lies in a script that doesn't spend enough time to make us believe that Peter Banning/Pan can actually become a child again. I think the pivotal moment when Pan finally finds his "happy thought" (i.e. being a father) is absolutely wrong. Banning can become Pan again and fight Hook back only if becoming a true child again and rediscovering his true inner self, hence I would have had him transforming again into a real child (I agree it wouldn't have been easy in terms of suspension of disbelief, btw). The deep nature of James Barrie's original story was to stop the time and make childhood an endless state, so Spielberg should have had the guts to make us see a true Peter Pan without putting an adult into ridiculous tights and hairdo, but casting a real child for that segment of the film. Then, when he realizes that he can't be a child again forever and must return to his adult self because has a family and two kids, the moment would have been infinitely more painful.

However Spielberg already did a movie like that. It's called Empire of the Sun.

[publicist]

The problem of the film lies in a script that doesn't spend enough time to make us believe that Peter Banning/Pan can actually become a child again. I think the pivotal moment when Pan finally finds his "happy thought" (i.e. being a father) is absolutely wrong. Banning can become Pan again and fight Hook back only if becoming a true child again and rediscovering his true inner self, hence I would have had him transforming again into a real child (I agree it wouldn't have been easy in terms of suspension of disbelief, btw).

Or it would be necessary to see how the transformation into Pan affects Banning's real life. Spielberg only offers lame patronizing speeches.

[Wojo]

when [Pan] realizes that he can't be a child again forever and must return to his adult self because has a family and two kids, the moment would have been infinitely more painful.

The closest that the movie came to that is when Peter Pan celebrates the disappearance of Hook into the stuffed crocodile with as much glee and delight as any of the other [surviving] Lost Boys, and his two children stand by looking solemn, like "can we go now?"

[indy4]

Confirmation that John Williams was involved in this release from the FSM thread (there are three posts here, quoting is different on FSM):

This continuous track (but indexed) of pure film score glory:

5. The Ultimate War: To War** 9:45
6. The Ultimate War: The Death Of Rufio* 2:36
7. The Ultimate War: Sword Fight* 5:32

* Previously unreleased
** Contains previously unreleased material



Wonderful. Intrada probably would have put that as one long track.

Then they would have to change it to this because that is the way Mr. Williams wanted it.

MV