Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Hook 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 11, 2018

Peter Pan’s influence may have started quietly when James Matthew Barrie first featured him as part of a novel called The Little White Bird. But once Barrie debuted the theatrical spectacular Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up in 1904, the character really entered the annals of all time immortal creations (in more ways than one, since as evidenced by Barrie’s own title, he refused to grow up). Peter Pan has of course inspired countless adaptations, including Walt Disney’s well remembered 1953 animated version, the somewhat later television musical with Mary Martin (based on a stage musical) that many Baby Boomers grew up with, and a relatively recent live action version. A number of “Peter Pan related” offerings have also appeared through the years, including Finding Neverland and a number of Disney knockoffs meant to capitalize on the enduring popularity of their animated versions. But Hook is really one of the more whimsical outings to have a link to Barrie’s creation, and it has tended to split both critics and audiences. Some find it one of Steven Spielberg’s most appealing odes to lost innocence and the wonders of childhood, while others find it a near camptastic case of overkill.

For those who may have forgotten the film's plot, if not that they were once Peter Pan, my colleague Martin Liebman provides a good summary in his Hook Blu-ray review of the original 1080p Blu-ray version. Note that Marty gave the film a 3.0 while I'm scoring it a 3.5 since I'm slightly more swayed by the whimsy than disturbed by the bloat.

Hook 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hook is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with a 2160p transfer in 2.40:1. Take a deep breath when the Tri Star logo appears, because it looks pretty rough, with a kind of swarm like, yellowish grainfield, but once the film starts things improve materially. There are still some fairly wide variances in grain resolution, not necessarily linked to the film's many opticals, but overall things resolve really beautifully, with a natural, organic appearance that provides a nice texture and depth. A few kind of odd looking moments crop up every now and again, as in the brief shot of the Pan Am jet circa 6:10, where grain suddenly spikes pretty dramatically. Detail levels are noticeably improved throughout the presentation, especially in close-ups. Two in particular are almost astounding in the new levels of detail, and they both feature faces — the first is when Peter awakens in the pirate hideaway and his eye is seen through a tear in some fabric, and later in the film there's a kind of "mirroring" sequence featuring an immense close-up of Hook's face (and mustache), with both of these moments offering really impressive levels of fine detail. Considering the glut of process shots in the film, the effects look surprisingly good considering the increased resolution of this presentation. These shots understandably can also show increased grain, which can occasionally tip over into a slightly splotchy, yellow look. The improved resolution does occasionally point out some kind of odd anomalies, as in the big pull back from Peter during his "awakening" in the pirate lair, where the mid-right side of the frame almost looks out of focus. Some of the most appealing differences are courtesy of HDR, and the range of tones in this presentation is frequently awesome. Reds are especially rich and diverse, from the seats on the plane Peter and his family are on to, later, the plush pillow that Hook's, well, hook is placed upon (the velvety texture of the pillow is also almost palpable in this version). There are some really interesting new pinkish highlights in the sequences earlier in the film with Maggie Smith's Wendy at the Darling home. The colors of the mermaids in the underwater scene are also noticeably more vivid in this presentation. Kind of amusingly, Hook was shot by Dean Cundey, whom horror fans will know loves to play with shadowy environments, but who here essays what is almost Maxfield Parrish territory in terms of deeply suffused blues and purples, all of which pop extremely impressively in this 4K version. All in all, fans of Hook should be very well pleased with the 4K presentation of the film.

Hook 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While the 4K disc includes the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix Marty assessed in his Hook Blu-ray review, the new Dolby Atmos track offered ups the sonic ante considerably, if rather subtly at times. The entire mix sounded a bit reprioritized to my ears in the Atmos version, and while John Williams' lovely score is granted consistent surround placement, amplitude seemed a little anemic to me at times. While the Atmos channels are not engaged in any really "showy" way, there are noticeable overhead effects, including in the long sequence late in the film where Peter begins flying again. Several set pieces involving hordes of characters on screen simultaneously also benefit from very smart directionality and a lot of breathing space surrounding at times rather noisy sequences. Dialogue, effects and score are all mixed well, even if I would have like Williams' score brought up a tad now and again.

Hook 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony has kind of interestingly provided at least a couple of supplements for this new 4K release, while the original 1080p Blu-ray release sported no bonus content related to the film at all.

• Deleted Scenes (HD; 8:20)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:58)

Hook 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hook has an unabashedly sweet if also completely contrived premise, and whether or not you're able to just "go with the flow" of it all may determine how much you respond to a typically Spielbergian ode to the wonders of childhood and the traumas of growing old. One way or the other, Hook looks and sounds great in this 4K UHD presentation, and it's also nice that Sony was able to dig up at least a couple of supplements. Recommended.