One of my all time favorites.

From my favorite movies..

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Hook is another childhood favorite that still holds up well today. It runs a little long and there are some missteps (e.g. Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell), but it really does appeal to the child in me. And watching it as an adult has given me a whole new perspective on Peter Banning - including his shortcomings, fears and joys as a father. Plus, who doesn't love the imaginary banquet scene? This is a fun movie.

Every time I see this movie I feel like a kid again, it has this magical sense of wonder about it. It's adventurous, warm, magical and funny. Maybe it's cause I saw it first at a young age, but I have seen many movies at a young age, only a few still hold up like this. A Neverland that is a button press away!

I fondly remember watching and loving Hook as a kid, maybe 10 years old. But re-watching it was a more vivid experience than I expected. I FELT things I hadn't felt since seeing it so long ago. We get excited at that age, we fill in the gaps. We believe flying is possible, why not? As adults, I think we sometimes become more cynical, much like Peter Banning in the movie. That was the irony: this movie is nostalgic for me, but the way Spielberg directs it, the movie itself is clearly about those feelings of nostalgia.Peter Banning (Robin Williams) has forgotten who he is. As he discovers himself, I was realising how much this movie captured my imagination as a kid. I can now relate to Peter, perhaps more than to his children. Spielberg uses swelling music and close-ups to suggest profound things, as if we should be familiar with something - it creates this feeling of deja vu. For example, when the crazy old man says a riddle ending with "got to save Maggie, got to save Jack, Hook is back..." We feel like we should know what this means. It draws you in. The same for when Peter gets back to Neverland and everyone has sudden moments of realization when they recognize him. The filming exaggerates those emotions, paralleling my own memories coming back as I watch.I find Dustin Hoffman very funny as Hook. He openly hates the pirates who surround him, but they remain oblivious, taking his insults as merely playful. He is facing a midlife crisis. A proud, successful pirate but with no great enemy to battle. Where's the fun in that? He enjoys the sport in a good fight, which is why he seeks his old nemesis, Peter.The music by John Williams is among his best which is no small feat. It captures the feelings of loss and sadness that surround Peter's mysterious and forgotten childhood, the pure adventure of flying, fighting and crowing and other things.The child performances are of a high standard. Both Maggie and Jack come across as real, with mixed emotions. The daughter is more pure, loving her parents, wanting to be saved, being full of hope and strongly disliking Hook. Jack is more conflicted, being somewhat let down by his father being too busy for him at times. He goes through several changes of heart, many of which are quite moving. Hook can't corrupt the girl, but he comes close with the boy.Hook is more about emotions than the specifics of what happens and why. It's about rediscovering yourself and that place between dreams and reality which Tinkerbell mentions. It's about jubilation, finding your happy thoughts, reconnecting with loved ones, reassessing one's life. There are many moments of humour which I don't want to spoil. There are plenty of aspects of the plot which are silly and may not hold up to scrutiny but it doesn't matter. Hook isn't for everyone, but kids of all ages may well love it if the story suits their taste.

Such a lesser-known work from Steven Spielberg that many aren't even aware of its existence, Hook is an excessively cloying, juvenile & cartoonish misfire, and is possibly the worst entry in what's undeniably amongst the most celebrated film careers of all time.The story of Hook follows Peter Pan who has grown up to be a successful lawyer but his workaholic nature has strained his relationship with his family. Things are set in motion when his kids are abducted by an old foe but in order to save them, he must return to Neverland once again.Directed by Steven Spielberg, the first act is actually interesting and showcases numerous themes & trademarks that define his works. But once the setting moves to Neverland, it becomes an unbearable mess that gets lost in its poorly designed set pieces, childish antics & muddled storyline.Robin Williams certainly isn't a bad choice to play the adult Peter Pan but he isn't given much to work with and his character fails to resonate with the viewers. The visual effects are awful, a rarity in a Spielberg film, and those colourful sets fail to bring the magical vibe of Neverland to life.On an overall scale, Hook is a dull, unimaginative & monotonously crafted fantasy adventure that neither dazzles as a fantasy nor interests as an adventure. Scoring low marks in both storytelling & technical aspects, jam-packed with cringeworthy moments & annoying characters, and failing to do justice to Peter Pan's lure, Hook is forgettable in every sense of the word. Don't even bother checking it out.