Parents' Guide to Hook

Movie PG 1991 144 minutes
Hook movie poster: Character collage featuring Peter Pan and Captain Hook in old-timey map-style visuals

Common Sense Media Review

By Scott G. Mignola , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Clumsy mishmash of a comedy has violence, profanity.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Hook Trailer
  • Hook movie: Captain Hook holds a blade up to Peter Pan's neck
  • Hook movie: Hook and Peter Pan look at each other in an arena-like crowd
  • Hook movie: Hook and Peter Pan look fiercely at each other

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 24 parent reviews

Parents say this film has sparked a mix of feelings, particularly around its appropriateness for children, as some parents find elements of violence, suicide references, and mild language troubling, while others appreciate the nostalgic and heartfelt messages about family and childhood. Although some reviewers note its magical and fun aspects, they caution about its more intense scenes that may not suit younger audiences.

  • mixed appropriateness
  • strong family themes
  • nostalgic elements
  • varying opinions on violence
  • magical adventure
  • fantasy appeal
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 24 parent reviews
age 8+

Based on 33 kid reviews

 

 

See all 33 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In HOOK, Peter Pan (Robin Williams) is a workaholic lawyer in a troubled marriage, with no memory of his magical roots. He heads to London with his wife and two kids to visit Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith) and is thrown back to his past when his archnemesis, Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), kidnaps his children. With help from Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts), middle-aged Peter regains his memory of who he really is (and how to fly) and sets off to Neverland to rescue his kids and do battle with Hook.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 24 ):
Kids say ( 33 ):

This is a comedy that's not only spare on laughs but also drenched in Hollywood cheese. Hook explores the question, "What if Peter Pan had to grow up?" For those familiar with J.M. Barrie's 1911 tale, it's an intriguing question and a great movie premise. Unfortunately, the movie falls flat with its crude humor and over-the-top violence. While the score by John Williams is impressive, Neverland fails to look like anything more than what it is: an expensive studio set.

Kids may enjoy the mischievous Lost Boys who rally against the pirates; teens and adults are more likely to find their antics insufferable. Hoffman makes a good Hook but is given woefully little to do other than snarl and rant. Overall, Spielberg's adaptation is an overlong hodgepodge with some sparkly magic for kids but too much in the way of cruelty and vulgar jokes to truly impress.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Hook's take on Peter Pan. How is this version of the story different from others you've seen? Do you like the live action, or do you prefer the animated original or other versions?

  • Lots of characters use violence in the movie. How does this impact the story? What's the effect of media violence on kids?

  • How do Peter, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys help one another to defeat Captain Hook? What are times in your life that you used teamwork to achieve a bigger goal?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Hook movie poster: Character collage featuring Peter Pan and Captain Hook in old-timey map-style visuals

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