Hook (1991)


Rated: PG
Length: 144  min.
Age: 8 and up.                    commonsense media sez: 8+

Scary Factor: children are captured and threatened with death, realistic violence in fight scenes, a Lost Boy main character is stabbed and killed by Hook, several people are shot and killed, someone is stuffed into a chest with scorpions

Intense/Questionable: Hook talks frequently about committing suicide, and the kidnapped children’s terror is intense at times

Bad behavior: the usual, for pirates… drinking, smoking, and there seems to be a brothel now in Neverland

(not very good – don’t bother with this one)

More

Advertisement

Peter Pan (1953)


Rated: G
Length:  76 min.
Age: 4 and up.        commonsense media sez:  5+

Scary Factor: Nothing too bad at all – everything handled with great humour, especially Hook and pursuing crocodile.

Cringe Factor: “What Makes the Red Man Red” song, and stereotypical depiction of ‘redskins’; also not very enlightened re. female role models

Violence: much ‘play’ violence, violent language on part of kids, bloodless swordfights, at some point in past Peter cut off Hook’s hand, but this is not seen

Interests: fairies, pirates, magic, mermaids

Next: see it on the stage! (an excellent first play), read the book, older children (8+) could watch the 2003 live action Peter Pan

More

All writings posted here are © Kim Thompson, unless otherwise indicated. For all artwork on this site, copyright is retained by the artist.