Steven Spielberg
Hook

LA RECENSIONE

Captain Hook versus Peter Pan: the historic, epic, endless struggle. But Peter Pan is more than that. Peter always represents the youth within us, that doesn't want to grow up or later regrets having grown up. Of course, life is an endless paradox; maybe when you're young your age feels too tight, but when you grow up, obviously, the opposite occurs.

Hook-Captain Hook is something special, at least for the one writing this. This film represents precisely the second point previously mentioned: the great melancholy of a man who is now adult and grown. The man living a schematized life, as in the perfect Western model: home, children, hated and exhausting job. However, at a certain point, the unexpected happens: your son is kidnapped by the old Hook. Then, little by little, the past returns, everything returns. When you were the young leader of the lost boys in Neverland, and the last thing you wanted was to grow up.

As an ultra-forties square, through memories, you rediscover what might be the true essence of life. You go back to old battles, until you become the leader of the little carefree rebels again. And suddenly, your mind frees itself from all those oppressive schemes and obligations imposed by society. However, when the matter is resolved, when your son is back and you managed to bring him back into your arms after yet another battle with Hook, everything returns to the routine life: home-work-family.

But something inside changes, and changes forever. You had forgotten the past, how important you were to a lot of people who without you were no longer the same; without you, on that island, nothing was the same. You returned as Peter Banning, leaving the role of Pan to another, another story, this one. But the Pan within you has returned, and this time it will never leave again. Rest assured.