Hook Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
An update of "Peter Pan" from the original stage play and books of James M. Barrie, finds an adult Peter Pan returning to Neverland to rescue his own children from the vengeful Captain Hook.
For more about Hook and the Hook Blu-ray release, see the Hook Blu-ray Review
Steven Spielberg on a bad day is still better than the vast majority of filmmakers past, present, and probably future. Hook, his 1991 picture of
an elder Peter Pan rediscovering his roots, is arguably the director's weakest film, which means it's still a pretty good all-around performer, an enjoyable
and daresay even, at times, magical excursion off to Neverland for fun and adventure that proves that the kid at heart never really disappears. He or
she instead
just becomes lost beneath life's other burdens that materialize as nature takes its course and adult society dictates that fun, play, make-believe, and a
vivid imagination can't possibly co-exist with the demands of adulthood. The film exudes the typical Spielberg magic. It's wonderfully assembled, looks
great, and plays quickly. There's a good deal of heart that's complimented by high adventure and expertly-staged action choreography. The characters
are very well realized and nicely performed, but still the movie never quite feels complete, but certainly not for lack of effort. On the contrary, it
might be a little too bouncy, buoyant, even perfect, for its own good. While the story certainly dictates a fair bit of magical whimsy
and childlike eagerness and excitement, the surreal and flamboyant characters, production values, and dialogue all seem to take away from the core of
the story, a core message on the importance of family and youthful exuberance that seems to get lost underneath all of the supporting elements,
making
Hook something that's more about style than it is substance.
Hey, watch where you put that thing!
Peter Banning (Robin Williams) desperately wants to be a good father to his children Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott), and a good
husband to his loving wife Moira (Caroline Goodall). Unfortunately, he's a broken record of broken promises, skipping out time and again on
important family events at the drop of a hat or, perhaps better said, the ringing of his cell phone. Work even follows Jack to the family's
London getaway, where they're to stay with Moira's grandmother Wendy (Maggie Smith), who was also a very special figure in Peter's
early life. Unfortunately, while Peter and Moira are attending a ceremony dedicating a new hospital wing in Wendy's name, their children are
kidnapped. The only clue: a letter pinned to the wall, signed by the villainous Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman). Wendy shocks Peter with news that
he is -- or was once -- the legendary Peter Pan, and that only he can rescue his children by re-discovering his roots. Later that night, he meets the
pint-sized fairy Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) who transports him to Neverland. There, he discovers that Hook has indeed kidnapped his children, an act
meant
to draw the Captain's old nemesis back into the game and vanquish him once and for all. Hook is dismayed to find that Peter is no longer the rival
he once
knew. Before Hook can simply do away with the entire kidnapped Banning family, Tinker Bell convinces the Captain to give her three days to whip
Peter back into
shape so that Hook might defeat the man who once cost him his right hand. With the help of the Lost Boys -- some of whom are enthusiastic about
Peter's return, and some of whom doubt his abilities --
can Peter rediscover the magic, save his family, and become the man and father he needs to be?
Though heart and message seem somewhat drowned out by the movie's flamboyance, Hook is still a fine performer, a movie that, as it
should
be, is a wonderful example of pure, fantastic escapist entertainment. Forgive the pun, but Spielberg manages to nab his audience hook, line, and
sinker with the reworked story of Peter Pan, told more from an adult perspective this go-round but still retaining its childlike sense of awe and
wonder. It's a brilliant concept and, superficially, it couldn't
have been any better executed. It's perfectly polished in typical Spielberg fashion. It's excessive without often feeling
excessive
because the plot dictates a certain excessiveness in the throwback pirate-infested, kid-centric world of Neverland. It's garish but not annoyingly so,
because it has to be. The movie almost has something of a Terry Gilliam flamboyance about it, but it all fits in so well to the overall vision that every
ornate costume, ridiculously bright color, and other over-the-top excesses simply and contextually melt into the greater whole. Still, the narrative
does
feel a little overburdened by the rest of the movie. The simple themes of treasuring one's youth, never forgetting roots, and the importance of
family -- blood or otherwise -- never seem to be given the same weight as the rest of the film's elements, as critical to its overall arc as they may be.
The
movie
doesn't necessarily feel unbalanced, just sort of incomplete. It's certainly not a devastating flaw; this is still wonderfully fun entertainment, but it
just
seems that not every priority is in perfect order.
Indeed, the entirety of Hook just seems to come down on the side of extravagance with its brilliantly assembled sets and costumes where, it
seems, no small detail was left incomplete, no garment left anything but perfectly stitched, no shot anything but expertly framed. Despite its rather
support-heavy structure, Spielberg still milks the material for all it's worth, creating an enjoyable, but not exactly memorable, amusement park ride
disguised as a motion picture. But Spielberg's performers play a rather large role in energizing the movie, too. Robin Williams is the perfect
actor for the film's lead (though not title) role. His uncanny ability to play an adult with a wide-eyed and convincing child-like exuberance, offset by a
more serious business-first, never-there dad, is easily the film's best asset outside of its art direction and Spielberg's magical touch. Dustin Hoffman's
performance as the wicked Captain Hook never seems quite as devilishly fun as it ought to be (though not for lack of look and effort), but he's helped
along by an immeasurably delightful supporting
performance by Bob Hoskins as Hook's first mate, right-hand man, and ship's humorist. The special effects are adequate, but even flying humans
and
shrunken movie stars can't hold a candle to the brilliance and thoroughness of the film's sets and costumes.
Hook's Blu-ray debut is strong and in typical Sony fashion. The studio's 1080p transfer captures the film's lively, extravagant visual core
brilliantly. Colors are fantastic, balanced, and brilliant throughout. Whether Jack's Blue Jay's baseball cap, Hook's red jacket, the warm stained wood on
the pirate ship, or the bright silver hook itself, the transfer yields superbly realized colors that greatly enhance the film and embody its visual structure.
Flesh tones go with the flow and pick up various warm lighting accents along the way, and black levels are sturdy and deep. Fine detail is also rather
strong. The image is crisp and rarely goes soft, and the result is an unending parade of nicely detailed objects and surfaces. Pristine and frayed and dirty
clothing both look marvelous. Facial textures are strong, and even the little details all over the ship -- heavy rope, wooden planks -- look marvelous.
The movie is truly a visual wonder, and Sony's Blu-ray does well to capture its very essence. The image is largely absent any debilitating compression
issues. Light grain is occasionally evident, reinforcing a quality image and making for another nice looking catalogue transfer from Sony.
Hook's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is energized and fun. The track's early cues are satisfying, particularly evident at the schoolhouse
play and later baseball game where crowd ambience and vocal presentations nicely engulf the soundstage. Music ranges from airy and light to lively and
potent. It's very well spaced, clean, and supported by a quality low end element. It often plays very big, as it should, supporting the movie's necessary
over-the-top visuals. It's also helped along by some evident surround support. Likewise, various sound effects spill into the rears, creating a nicely
immersive soundstage that easily places the audience in the middle of the action. It doesn't boast the same seamless clarity as the best of the most
recent movies and soundtracks, but it's certainly effective and a whole lot of fun. Dialogue reproduction is clear, focused, and never hindered by even
the loudest action scenes or musical cues. Fans are sure to love what Sony's accomplished with the energetic, well-balanced, and highly satisfying
lossless audio presentation.
Hook is a pretty simple movie to analyze. It's incredibly fun, it looks fantastic, its actors are solid, the direction is first-rate, but the themes
seem a little lost under the avalanche of what is a necessary visual flamoyance. It's hard, really, to find fault here, because the story dictates this level
of excess, but for it to all really work, the movie needs something that's a bit more elevated in importance and execution than what amounts to
a Hallmark movie of the week opening act and closing sequence. Indeed, the themes are left to generic situations, dialogue, and performances, but if
audiences can overlook these faults and just sit back and enjoy the ride, then Hook may be labeled a success, even if it brings up the rear of
Steven Spielberg's brilliant body of work. Sony's Blu-ray release of Hook features fine video and audio, but it comes with absolutely no
film-related extras. It's worth a purchase at a bargain-basement price, but most will be best served by what should prove to be an enjoyable rental.
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This November, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Hook on Blu-ray. Director Steven Spielberg's continuation of the Peter Pan legend, the film stars Robin Williams (Insomnia) as Peter - now grown up and a successful lawyer - who must travel back to Neverland ...
