HOOK (1991): Mermaid 3-way, Michael Jackson's musical and a gay Captain?

We’re heading back to Neverland for Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991) - a film we both loved as kids, but which hits very differently when you watch it as an adult.

Dustin Hoffman gives us one of the great pantomime villains as Captain Hook.

But beneath the flying, pirates and imaginary food fights, Hook is surprisingly packed with darker ideas about growing up, parenthood, work, ageing and losing touch with your imagination.

And then there’s the weird stuff.

We uncover the Michael Jackson Hook musical that almost happened; discover a Star Wars re-write of some dialogue; discuss why Dustin Hoffman and Bob Hoskins apparently played Hook and Smee as a gay couple; and reveal that the original Hook trailer used music from an entirely different movie.

We also get into the Lost Boys, Rufio’s surprisingly dark fate, the film’s bizarre mermaid scene, Robin Williams’ improvisation, the cameos you probably missed, the incredible John Williams soundtrack, and the question we couldn’t quite answer: was it all actually a dream?

Plus: why did Spielberg later say he was disappointed with Hook, why did critics hate a film audiences still love, and does Hook deserve the reputation it has?

So grab your marbles, shout “Bangarang!”, and join us as we return to Neverland.

Next week: We Fast Forward to look at the Top 10 Biggest Movies of 1991 and count down the box office smashes from ten to one. But what number is Hook at?

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