This Robin Williams Movie Has a Shockingly Low Rotten Tomatoes Score and I Simply Cannot Let That Stand

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It recently came to my attention that one of my favorite childhood movies is not quite so beloved as I thought and, frankly, I’m not having it. I cannot sit by and allow the likes of Robin Williams, Steven Spielberg, Julia Roberts and Maggie Smith to be badmouthed in any way, shape or form. Because while there are apparently some folks who don’t appreciate the genius of the 1991 classic Hook, I most certainly do.

I was recently scrolling through a ranked list of all 34 of Steven Spielberg’s films and was shocked to my very core to see Hook ranked at number 33. I was further dismayed when I popped over to Rotten Tomatoes and discovered it scores only 29 percent on the Tomatometer, which is based on professional critic reviews. It was slightly encouraging to see that the Popcornmeter, aka user reviews, currently sits at 76 percent, but that is still far too low, in my opinion.

This movie is iconic! It’s timeless! It’s a perfect sick day movie, a charming callback to my childhood, a visual feast. And I am not the only PureWow editor who thinks so. As VP of News and Entertainment Phil Mutz put it, “That [score] is INCORRECT.”

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Hook was truly ahead of its time in daring to reimagine a beloved tale, Peter Pan, and pose the question, “What if the boy who wouldn’t grow up did grow up, after all?” Robin Williams stars as adult Peter who’s strayed far from his days as the leader of the Lost Boys and is now a hardened lawyer who barely makes time for his children or family. After his children are kidnapped by his old nemesis, Captain Hook, he must return to Neverland to save them and potentially reignite some of that optimism and innocence of his youth.

The character of grown-up Peter plays right into Williams’s strengths (I truly cannot imagine anyone else succeeding in the role), allowing him to slowly transform from a serious adult into the joyous clown we know him to be, all while tugging on your heart strings. But he’s not the only noteworthy member of the cast.

A 24-year-old Julia Roberts shines (literally) as the petulant fairy Tinker Bell, giving her far more depth than most other depictions. Maggie Smith grounds the story as an elderly Wendy Darling with Gwyneth Paltrow playing the teenage version from Peter’s memories. And Dustin Hoffman surrenders to the fun giving us pure camp as the dastardly Captain Hook. There are even blink-or-you’ll-miss-it cameos from Glenn Close, Jimmy Buffett, David Crosby, Tony Burton, Carrie Fisher and George Lucas.

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Hook was one of my favorite movies as a kid, but I’ve also rewatched it numerous times as an adult. The practical effects make the world of Neverland feel impossibly real, and despite at least one scene with an absolute brick of a cell phone, there’s not a whole lot that dates the movie, giving it a timeless appeal even my Gen Alpha niece and nephew can connect with.

“I was obsessed,” admits Senior Commerce Editor Stephanie Maida. “Especially with Rufio.” Indeed, multiple editors noted the hunky leader of the Lost Boys as reason to be fond of the film. And who could ever forget their imaginary feast? It makes me hungry just to think about it.

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Between the all-star cast, the whimsical sets and incredible costumes, there is so much to love about Spielberg’s Hook. But more than anything, I appreciate that it’s a story aimed at children that doesn’t talk down or pander to them. It never shies away from the frightening realities of Neverland—that this band of boys is left without adult guidance or care, and the adults are all positioned as untrustworthy and violent pirates. The pains of growing up, experienced at all ages, are ever present and death is a very real part of the plot.

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You may criticize Hook for being too long, too sentimental or too campy. But for me, I will happily go on believing in Peter, Tinker Bell and all the Lost Boys.

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