Hook Review (1991) – A fun filled redemption adventure that allows us grown-ups to rediscover the magic of Neverland and childhood with tons of laughter along the way!

Ahoy, mateys! Today we are flying into a nostalgic and classic fantasy film! 1991’s “Hook”! We love this whimsical take on J.M. Barrie's timeless tale! It offers so much laughter and adventure. We watched this film as children, and while it may not be perfect, the amazing Robin Williams always brings it home! We miss you Robin…the world misses you.

A few trigger warnings before we dive in. There is some violence, mild torture, neglectful parenting, absentee parenting, verbal abuse and death. If you grew up in an abusive household there may be some triggering language and aspects to this film for you. So please be aware and watch with caution.

We will do everything we can to not give too many spoilers in this review but there are likely to be some, so please take that into consideration and read cautiously. Also, a heads up that we will be abbreviating more in this review because it is a longer movie.

On to the film!

The movie begins with Peter Banning (Robin Williams), his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall), and their son Jack (Charlie Korsmo) attending a Peter Pan school play featuring their daughter Maggie (Amber Scott) as Wendy. Peter receives a phone call and instead of allowing it to go to voicemail…he answers.

He discusses how he and his family are going to be traveling to London to see Grandma Wendy (Maggie Smith) and to celebrate the opening of a children’s hospital that is dedicating an entire wing to Grandma Wendy!

Moira is beside herself with Peter’s behavior. She whispers to him, “Peter, you’re missing it.” Peter does not hear her and proceeds to plan a meeting for the next morning, conflicting with his son’s big baseball game. It is the last one of the season!

Jack overhears the conversation but Peter whispers to Jack, “I’ll be there. My word is my bond.” Sure you will Peter. We all believe that…

We potatoes love Robin…but his character Peter Banning definitely makes us roll our eyes. His priorities are misplaced, and it is clear already that he is a neglectful and absentee parent. But we digress!

 Cut to the next day at Jack’s baseball game! Guess who is not there?! We are sure you would be shocked to hear that Peter is not at the game. In fact Peter sent someone from his office to video tape the game for him! Disappointed and upset does not begin to describe how Jack feels about this.

What is even more impressive is the fact that not only did Peter manage to miss the game…when he finally does show up, it had to have been at least an hour or so after the game ended because the field and bleachers are completely empty!

Cut to an airplane whisking the family away to London for Moira's grandmother, Wendy Darling (Maggie Smith). On the plane trip, Peter tries to talk to Jack about missing his baseball game but Jack is really not receptive to it. He is weary of his dad making promises that he does not keep as well as his overall neglectful parenting.

Peter ONCE AGAIN promises Jack that next season he is going to be at all the games to which Jack replies, “Yeah, be sure to buy enough video tape.” This gave us a good chuckle, nice burn Jack.

Jack makes a mistake with his baseball while playing with it, which triggers Peter who then lashes out at his son, “When are you going to stop acting like a child?!” Uuummm…news flash Peter…Jack is a child.

The way that Peter speaks to Jack leaves a lot to be desired. He is dismissive, controlling, dehumanizing and micromanaging. With his daughter Maggie, he seems to be a bit softer, but we think this is because she is not only his daughter, but younger than Jack.

This is a good example of how deep seeded patriarchal nonsense can truly be and how it actually hurts us all. Peter is more fixated and controlling around Jack (at least he is now…but wait until Maggie reaches puberty) because Jack is his son. This gave us the ICK but we digress!

We cut from the interaction between Jack and Peter to the whole family in London and in front of Wendy’s house! It is snowing, and everyone except for Peter is excited to be there. They walk into Wendy’s home after being welcomed in by Tootles (Arthur Malet) Grandma Wendy’s first adopted son, and Liza (Laurel Cronin) their housekeeper.

Maggie asks Moira if Grandma Wendy is the real Wendy from Peter Pan. Moira responds that she is, but Peter says “No”… so is she? We love a little bit of foreshadowing.

Grandma Wendy walks down the steps from the second floor of the house to greet her guests. She’s super sweet and incredibly warm. She tells them that there is only one rule that must be obeyed in her home, “No growing up.”

She aims this particularly at Peter to which he tells her that it is too late for him. Jack eagerly starts telling Wendy about Peter’s job in acquisitions to which Wendy looks at Peter and says, “Peter, you’ve become a pirate.”

Cut to Peter exploring Wendy’s house a bit, going to a large children’s room. He walks in and we get some truly epic music from John William’s to remind us that there is more to Peter than meets the eye.

Moira calls for Peter because Brad, Peter’s work colleague, is on the line to talk to him. Peter being…well Peter, rushes to Moira and takes the phone. Jack and Maggie come in only moments after, being rambunctious and wanting to play with their father.

Jack and Maggie are being loud and silly as children often are, and Peter cannot take it. He stands abruptly and screams at his children. He tells them to shut up and go away. It is an upsetting scene and a completely uncalled for and inappropriate way for him to speak to his children.

Wendy overhears this and takes the kids into her arms as Moira rushes them out of the room. Moira is embarrassed, angry and completely fed up with Peter’s behavior. While she is trying to talk to him, his phone rings…yet again.

Moira has had it, but she is oddly calm. She snatches the phone from his hand and tosses it out the second story window. Peter is flabbergasted. Moira apologizes that his work is stressful, but this is no excuse to not be there for your children. She urges him to spend time with his children while they are still young enough to want and need his attention.

We do not think that Moira has a single damn thing to apologize for…but she is a kind and compassionate person so we understand why she does so. Peter appears to be listening to Moira, but we shall see! Changed behavior is what is needed and that is complicated and difficult to do.

We cut to Grandma Wendy playing with the kids in the children’s room. Wendy is telling them bits of the story of Peter Pan with help from an old book. Peter walks in and of course…is gruff with Jack and gets the kids to bed so that the adults can go to the event.

The event is beautiful! Peter gives a lovely speech in honor of Wendy who is a lovely person through and through. It is a sweet scene.

We are going to speed things up a bit to try to keep this from becoming a dissertation!

We cut back to the house and it's here that Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps Peter's children, leaving behind a ransom note. Peter, Moira and Wendy return to the house to discover the children missing!

They contact the police but there is not much they can do. Later that night, Wendy reveals that Peter is, in fact, the Peter Pan from the stories. Peter thinks that she is unstable and does not believe her at all. We are going to wrap it up from here!

Peter returns to the empty children’s room distraught. But! Peter begins to unravel the mystery of his past once he meets Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts)! Tinkerbell has come from Neverland to retrieve Peter so that he may return to Neverland, become Peter Pan again, and rescue his children. She knocks Peter out, and essentially abducts him. She carries him all the way to Neverland where Peter’s real adventure and journey of self-discovery begins!

We would like to note that Dustin Hoffman's Captain Hook is so delightful! It is the perfect blend of sophistication and villainy. We potatoes love his performance in this film! It is phenomenal! We are also deeply obsessed with Smee (Bob Hoskins)! Hook’s bumbling, yet endearing pirate sidekick who is hilarious and incredibly entertaining!

We also MUST give a round of applause to the late, great Robin Williams, who shines as the adult Peter Banning (a.k.a. Peter Pan). Williams’s performance takes you on a wild ride from stuffy businessman, and bad parent to the Pan we know and love! His comedic timing, as we all know, is legendary and his boundless energy keeps this movie soaring.

We love the world of Neverland and what it stands for! It's a place where imagination reigns supreme, and anything is possible! The film encourages us to embrace our inner child and never lose touch with our capacity for wonder and imagination.

Peter Banning at the start of this film has definitely lost touch with his inner child. He is consumed with his career, and is incredibly self-absorbed. He lacks work life balance which as we all know is essential for Peter’s mental health as well as his children’s. He has forgotten the importance of being present in his children's lives. He neglects his responsibilities as a parent to Jack and Maggie, which can have far more severe consequences on his children’s development and mental health than Peter may be aware of!

While the film maintains a lighthearted tone, it does give us a look into absentee and neglectful parenting. When parents are emotionally or physically unavailable, it can affect various aspects of a child's development and well-being.

Children can experience feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, and emotional distress when they lack the emotional support, affection, and security that parents should provide. We potatoes can attest to this first hand ourselves. Often when we think of neglect in childhood we think of children who are not having their physical needs met. They are not being bathed, they do not have proper clothing, they are not being fed properly…etc. All of these things are truly awful and definitely fall under severe abuse and neglect. We would not wish it on anyone and we hope that all children are getting their physical needs met. However, abuse and neglect can be done in a wide variety of ways unfortunately.

Emotional, and psychological neglect is incredibly difficult and deeply harmful to children as well. This is the category that Peter’s behavior falls in. He provides for his family monetarily and Moira does all of the actual work of parenting the children. Moira is warm, kind, and compassionate towards her children while Peter is emotionally distant, psychologically controlling, absent, and becomes highly reactive when under stress. In fact at the beginning of the film he comes across as someone whose abuse would likely escalate as his children aged, the stress of life increases, and as he felt his control over them slipping even further.

It's important to recognize that not all absentee parents intend to neglect their children, and some may be facing challenges that make it difficult to provide the necessary care. However, it is also important to note that neglect can have long term ramifications on your children and persist well into adulthood, affecting adult relationships, career goals, mental health and overall life satisfaction. It is crucial that it be taken seriously and that early intervention and support is sought out.

If we could embark on a Neverland adventure like Peter, we'd gladly take that journey, all while holding onto our amazing therapists and our own insights! We understand that not everyone has access to therapy, and we strongly encourage those who can to seek it out. For those unable to access therapy, we recommend exploring therapeutic content available online as an alternative path to personal growth and well-being.

We could not be happier that Peter finds himself and reconnects with his true self back in Neverland! Peter realizes through his adventures in Neverland that being a parent is about more than just providing material things; it's about being emotionally present and nurturing a loving relationship. He makes some real behavioral changes that will make him a far better parent and just a better person generally! We love to see people learn, grow, heal and ultimately becoming a happier and healthier version of themselves!

Overall! "Hook" is a wonderful story of redemption and reconnection. The writing is great, and the acting is superb, hilarious and endearing. Ultimately, the film encourages us all to find a balance between our adult responsibilities and our capacity for childlike wonder and connection with our loved ones!

So, hop on your pirate ship, dodge imaginary crocs, and check out “Hook!” It's a swashbuckling adventure that will make you believe in magic all over again! If you're someone who appreciates silliness, humor, fun characters, and whimsy, then you'll absolutely love this film!

We love it and wholeheartedly recommend it! You will need to leave your cell phone at home; you won't be needing it where we're going, and get ready to fly with us to Neverland, the land of personal growth, healing and pirates! Cheers to Peter’s journey and cheers to you!

We give this movie 4 out of 5 Neverland cocktails!

The Hook Drinking Game

Take a sip anytime:

1.     Peter's phone rings or 2 sips if he answers it

2.     Peter is a neglectful or reactive dad (e.g. making promises he can't keep, screaming at his kids, etc.)

3.     Jack is a smartass

4.     Maggie is adorable

5.     Anyone says Peter Pan or Pan

6.     Anyone says Hook

7.     Tinkerbell is on screen

8.     Hook laughs

9.     There's a hook on screen

10.  Smee is goofy or makes you laugh

11.  Peter Pan flies

12.  Anyone says Rufio

13.  Anyone crows like a rooster

14.  Anyone says "Bangerang"

15.  Clock or watch on screen

16. You hear ticking

What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!