Hook(1991) Movie Review & Retrospective

• published: 31 Dec 2013
• views: 106677

Here is my feature length movie review & retrospective on one of my all time favorite films, Hook(1991). Why is it so long? It's over an hour long in length because I go really ind depth on why I love the film so much. What works and what doesn't as well as explain and educate you all on the film's troubled backstory. How it was in production with a different director and studio years before it's 1991 release date. How it started out as an idea for a musical show starring the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. So it's safe to say the film has a really fascinating backstory behind it's conception. A interesting enough one for a full length documentary of it's own. If the review is too long for ya in one sitting, then feel free to stop at a time you feel is right, and watch the rest of it later. I had enough of my subscribers that wanted to see this in it's entirety so I kindly obliged. The film stars Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Caroline Goodall, Charlie Korsmo, Amber Scott, Laurel Cronin, Arthur Malet, Dante Basco, and Rashaun Hammond. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Music used for the intro video is two tracks from the film's original motion picture score, You Are the Pan and Remembering Childhood by John Williams. Footage and music are used for non profit use only. No copyright infringement is intended. Trivia When the Bannings fly to England, the pilot's voice is that of Dustin Hoffman (Captain Hook) - "This is your captain speaking..." The kissing couple who begin to float when some fairy dust lands on them are actually George Lucas and Carrie Fisher in a cameo. Bob Hoskins bought beer for 300+ extras after a lengthy and complicated scene was cut. While Peter is on his cellphone, the children are running around him. Jack stands in front of a light which makes his shadow grow large against the wall. The shadow is right next to Peter while he is on the phone. This is a reference to Peter Pan and his shadow. Dustin Hoffman's three children make appearances in the movie. His youngest son, Max Hoffman plays 5 year-old Peter Pan. His daughter, Rebecca Hoffman plays Jane in the play at the beginning of the movie, and his oldest son, Jake Hoffman plays a little league player in Jack's baseball game. In 1985, composer John Williams and lyricist Leslie Bricusse worked on "Hook", being a stage musical, but the project was scrapped after about ten songs were written. Only one song from the play, "When You're Alone," made it to the film. However, many of the play' themes can be heard in Williams' incidental music for the film. There were frequent good-natured "battle of wits" exchanges between Williams and Hoffman. In one incident, Hoffman was not happy with his performance and asked for the scene to be re-shot. Williams quipped "Try acting": a reference to the Hoffman / Laurence Olivier exchange on the set of Marathon Man (1976). Because Tinkerbell was often in the air, Julia Roberts had an assistant whose sole responsibility was cleaning her feet. Carrie Fisher was Steven Spielberg's original prototype for Tinkerbell. The word bangarang is actually Jamaican slang and is defined as a hubbub, uproar, disorder, or disturbance Captain Hook's actual hook was largely designed by Steven Spielberg, production designer Norman Garwood and Amblin's prop master Mark Wade. Burbank blacksmith Tony Swatton was then charged with physically crafting several versions. Some of them though were made of rubber for Dustin Hoffman's fight scenes. The teddy bear from Captain Hook's cabin was accidentally given to Julia Roberts by Steven Spielberg when she checked in to hospital for nervous exhaustion. Spielberg realized his mistake the night before he was due to shoot a scene in Hook's cabin, and the prop department had to rustle up a look-alike in a matter of hours. Steven Spielberg admitted to being disappointed with final result of the movie. He had such a hard time working with the rebellious crew of young actors that he later said, only somewhat kiddingly, that the experience made him wonder if he wanted to have any more kids. He also felt guilty that he wasn't able to find an economical method to filming the many complex human-flight sequences in the film. Both Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams's stunt doubles were named Keith. When Steven Spielberg called for Keith to come to the set, both Keith's showed up. Eventually, Hoffman's stunt double changed his name from Keith to Keifo. Originally slated to be the premier movie for Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) in theatres, but development was delayed. SDDS premiered with The Last Action Hero instead. The shot in which the Captain's hook is fitted to his arm for the first time had to be done in one take as the flicker effect was achieved using rare, single use flash bulbs.