A lot of kids who grew up in the nineties have fond memories of Hook, the alternative take on Peter Pan led by Robin Williams, and filled out by an excellent cast including Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith and more. Among the most memorable characters was a teenaged Lost Boy boy named Rufio, notable for his signature look and catchphrase "bangarang." And if you ever wondered where Rufio's look comes from, his backstory has been filmed in a new prequel adventure, aptly titled Bangarang. Take a look.
A few months ago we learned that Dante Basco, who played Rufio in Hook, was trying to put together a prequel movie about his character. He teamed up with Jonah Feingold, who directed, and a slew of producers, including Feingold, but also JJ Rubin, Luke Lenza and Jeremy Mittleman. The new film Bangarang takes a look at Roofus, a young man who is put in the foster care system after his mom has to return to the Philippines. Basco puts in an appearance in the prequel, as a buttoned up mentor who is trying to help Roofus to find his path.
if you've wondered what the other Lost Boys look like these days, we have you covered.
There are other little nods to Hook, too, as Roofus' mom is given a business card for Attorney Peter Banning, who can potentially help her with her immigration woes. (Banning was the name of Robin Williams' adult version of Peter Pan in Hook.) At another point, Roofus' shadow grows longer hair and a crow begins sounding. Eventually, young Roofus is able to follow his dreams and learn to fly, facing his bully and living up to the expectations he gave his mother in an earlier monologue, which included lines like this:
I feel like I'm meant to be somebody. Like, I'm special.
As far as imagination goes, Bangarang doesn't quite hit all the sentiment or the fun we got in the original Hook, especially with stuff like the imaginary dinner scene. However, by the end we learn exactly where Rufio went and why he ended up with the Lost Boys, flying into the night and into Neverland just when his mother is about to give him up to Child Services. For a movie that was put together thanks to a Kickstarter, it certainly ties up quite a few loose ends.
Hook originally came out in 1991 and starred Robin Williams as the adult Peter Pan who returns to Neverland to regain his imagination. If you haven't seen it yet, it's honestly kind of weird that you watched the Bangarang prequel first. Nonetheless you should give the movie a watch--and it's old enough that you can order it cheaply.
