Hook

Steven Spielberg continued J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in 1991. Starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Caroline Goodall, and Charlie Korsmo, Hook was released December 11. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, Hoffman was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, but lost to Williams in The Fisher King, and John Williams was given a Grammy for his score. The film grossed $300 million.

Despite saying he never would, Peter Pan has grown up into Peter Banning (Williams), a successful corporate lawyer. But Captain Hook (Hoffman) returns and kidnaps his two children (Korsmo and Amber Scott), causing Peter to return to Neverland, reclaim is youthful spirit and challenge his old enemy.

On one hand, Hook is fun to watch and greatly entertaining. It really doesn’t do anything new with the Peter Pan story, in some places it changing elements and too much time was spent on production design, which made the story suffer.

The only new idea the film presents audiences is that Peter Pan has grown up, even though he always said he didn’t want to. Beyond that, it’s really just the same story of Peter having to save someone from Captain Hook. It also makes a massive characterization change with Tinkerbell. Roberts acted her like she was the everygirl, happy, smiling and always optimistic. While she was smiling and happy in the original story, she was also incredibly vindictive and jealous, going so far as to have Wendy killed. Maybe she had a change of heart in the many years since she saw Peter, but it’s still quite jarring.

 Spielberg also spent too much time on production design and sets and not enough time with the story. The costumes are quite elaborate and the Lost Boys’ weapons are very interestingly designed. Couple that with how good the Pirate town area of Neverland looks for the time and the design of the hideout and it’s a very good looking film. Unfortunately, more time could have been spent trying to give the story a fresh take.

As said above, Hook is fun. It’s definitely not one of Williams’ best films and the story may not exactly be a new idea in regards to the source material. But that doesn’t stop it from being entertaining and a good way to pass the time. 

Return to Neverland

Early 2002 saw one of Disney’s few theatrical sequels. Return to Neverland continued the Peter Pan story with voice acting by Harriet Owen, Blayne Weaver, Corey Burton and Jeff Bennett. The film cost $20 million and garnered almost $90 million worldwide. And while it was a theatrical release, it’s still not part of the main Disney canon. There’s also two songs sung by They Might Be Giants.

Wendy (Kath Soucie) is all grown up with two children and a husband, who is off fighting in WWII. However, her daughter, Jane (Owen), has become cynical. She ignores her mother’s stories and ridicules her brother’s (Andrew McDonough) faith in them.

But one night, Captain Hook (Burton) kidnaps her, thinking she’s Wendy, for revenge against Peter Pan. Now, she must find a way home and the Lost Boys (Spencer Breslin, Bradley Pierce, Quinn Beswick, Arron Spann) and Peter (Weaver)have to find a way for her to believe in fairies to keep Tinker Bell from dying.

This one surprised me.

Where the original Peter Pan spoke of how growing up is a fact of life that everyone must face, Return to Neverland speaks to the inverse. Growing up may be a fact of life, you may have to face it, but don’t be too quick to do so. Under the pressures of war, Jane forgets what it means to be young and full of childlike wonder and faith and chastises her younger brother for having it. It’s not until she spends time in Neverland with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys does she understand the necessity of being a kid. That’s also where the song, “I’ll Try” comes in, which in her perspective, goes from her believing herself to have no need for stories and trust to seeing how faith, trust and pixie dust pretty much make up the world.

And I know the criticisms, wartime is harsh and needs to be taken seriously, even by children. But there needs to be a balance. Going completely cynical doesn’t do any good and is in no way beneficial. The need for hope, trust and faith is still prevalent during war. In fact, it’s completely necessary.

The animation is wildly different from the original, but that can be attributed to how the animation department went through massive changes in the 50 years between films.

There’s one really odd thing though. Hook apparently bested the crocodile. And now there’s an octopus that pops. It doesn’t make sense and should have been left out. That or the crocodile should have stayed.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to this, considering how many of the sequels have just not been that great. But Return to Neverland wasn’t. It actually makes me slightly hopeful for the Pixie Hollow line of films.

#30.

Peter Pan

In the 1940s, Disney decided to make a fantasy-adventure film based off the play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, by J. M. Barrie. Peter Pan was released February 5, 1953, with Kathryn Beaumont returning to voice Wendy and would again reprise the role in Kingdom Hearts. The film was also entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.

 

The film opens as Tom Conway narrates that the actions taking place have happened before and will all happen again. George and Mary Darling (Hans Conried and  Heather Angel) are preparing to attend a party, when they are disrupted by the antics of John and Michael (Paul Collins and Tommy Luske) acting out a story from Peter Pan as told to them by their sister Wendy. Their father is fed up with the stories and declares that Wendy is too old to stay in the nursery with them and she is to have a room of her own. That night the children are visited by Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) who teaches them to fly with the help of Tinker Bell (Margaret Kerry). They head to Never Land.

A ship of pirates is anchored off of Never Land, commanded by Captain Hook (Conried) and his first mate, Mr. Smee (Bill Thompson). Hook wants revenge for Peter cutting off his hand, but is constantly scared of the crocodile that stalks him Hook forms a plan to find Peter’s hideout by using the knowledge of Indian princess, Tiger Lily (Corinne Orr).

 Despite Tinker Bell trying to have Wendy killed, they meet up with the Lost Boys who look to Peter as their leader. Tinker Bell’s scheme is found out and Peter banishes her for a week. John and Michael set off with the Lost Boys to find the Indians, but they are captured. The Indians believe them to be responsible for kidnapping Tiger Lilly. Big Chief (Candy Candido) warns that if she is not returned, they will be burnt at the stake.

Peter takes Wendy to see the mermaids, who try to drown her, but Hook arrives and they see that he and Smee have captured Tiger Lily. Peter and Wendy free her and Peter is honored by the tribe. Hook now tries to take advantage of Tinker Bell’s jealousy and tricks her to reveal the location, but Hook promises not to lay a finger or a hook on Peter. He locks her in a lantern.

Wendy and her brothers grow homesick and plan to return home. They invite the others to come and be adopted. The Lost Boys agree, but Peter is against growing up and refuses. They leave, but are captured by the pirates. They leave behind a Bomb to kill Peter and Tinker Bell learns of the trap in time to get away from him.

Peter rescues Tinker Bell from the rubble and they confront the pirates. They arrive just as the pirates are forcing everyone to walk the plank. Peter engages Hook in combat and humiliates him. Hook and the crew flee with the crocodile in pursuit. Peter commandeers the ship and flies it to London. The Lost Boys decide to return to Never Land after all.

Mr. and Mrs. Darling return to find Wendy sleeping at the open window, having no idea that they have been anywhere. Mr. Darling, who has relented about his earlier stance out the window and recognizes the ship from his own childhood.

Disney originally wanted to release Peter Pan after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but couldn’t get the rights until 1940. And when the US entered the war, the studio was commissioned for propaganda and was in debt until 1947, when production once again commenced.

The reason I include all that is Peter Pan is a film that comes off as well thought out and produced. Waiting almost 15 years to produce the film certainly helped. It’s a very tight story with realistic characters and wonderful animation. A lot of the film’s charm also comes from its timing. Hook and Smee are a hilarious unintentional comedic duo. And yet, Hook still has a way to be very menacing.

And while the portrayal of the Indians in the film can be interpreted as racist, it’s harmless and endearing racism at worst. At best, they provide three great points in the film. Big Chief threatening to burn the Lost Boys at the stake is terrifying, Tiger Lily is an amazing dancer and “What Makes the Red Man Red” is arguably the best song in the movie.

Final Call: A tight film all around. Alice in Wonderland didn't spend much time as #3.