Aight so, I am not even all that far into Peter Pan & The Pirates, but I find the difference between portrayals of fear fueled by trauma/justified phobia, between this and Disney's version of Hook fascinating.
Now I have read that Disney threw a HUGE stink over the fact that there was another Peter Pan cartoon being produced, so people at Fox really went out of their way to alter the designs as much as possible, and make sure there was no way Disney could actually sue them. That extends to their personalities as well, so let's see the differences.
Disney
We are introduced to Hook in his element, trying to think of where Peter's hide out could be. We witness that he has a temper, dramatic flair, and is not above despicable and potentially deadly torture methods if it means getting the necessary information. In the same scene, we get to witness the weight of knowing the crocodile is pursuing him, as well as the first look at his reaction to the sound of the clock announcing the animal.
And it is blind panic. The two thoughts are, Flee and (find/get) Smee.
Because, as we see throughout the whole movie, Smee is the only one who reacts in a helpful and active way when it comes to the threat of the crocodile. So Hook runs to that guaranteed safety, like any sane person would in that situation. There are a total of three times Hook sees and/or hears the crocodile, and his reaction remains the same. And only one of these times was he in relative safety, aboard his own ship. His reaction is played as a reoccurring gag, a funny "ha ha, a grown man screams and shrieks, running away in funny ways to his bumbling minion".
This never landed as a good joke to me, even as a very young kid, but then again I was and am still weird compared to the majority of people when it comes to slapstick humor and pranks.
So we have a portrayal of blind panic and flight response, coupled with immense bouts of adrenaline fueled strength when escape fails. I know this is a cartoon, but holy shit sir, no wonder he can throw a grown man overboard like its nothing if almost every encounter requires prying open the jaws of a salt-water crocodile.
Fox
Living Pictures, the second episode of the show, is the first encounter we see between the two. The first time it's when Hook is bested by Peter in a story book told by Wendy, which was brought to life by Tinkerbell's magic. It isn't the ticking of the clock that alerts him, but a hiss, and the fear on his face is clear, growing when he looks down to what he knows is there. His hook breaks through the flimsy wooden plank he was hanging on and he plummets into the beast's maw. A tasteful cut from his death is followed by Wendy closing the story book and, as Tink said before bringing the story to life, everything returns back to normal.
Well, as normal as it is for a man who was whisked away from solid ground mid-search, to fall from the sky and land from a great height on top of one of his men. He doesn't seem pertrubed by the experience of being eaten by the crocodile, instead answering the question of "where had he been" with "Suffering indignities, insults and misfortune at the hands of the boy who got me this hand." He bounces back up fast from the experience, even coming up with a plan for revenge mid- insulting Smee.
The second, and longer encounter is thanks to Wendy, who changes the magic storytelling book Hook wrote, causing the crocodile to appear on the Jolly Roger and immediately go for Hook. The man shrieks and books it. Instead of crying out for help, he instead barks at his men to "get him the quill", the only tool capable of saving him in this situation. As it is, his men had done the smart thing of climbing up to higher ground, and are more useless to Hook than usual. The feather quill gets eaten by the crocodile mid chase, since someone doesn't have two hands to attempt to grab it as it fllutters by. I have to say, Wendy is a cruel badass, and it is very amusing to see her portrayed like this. But back to Hook.
Unlike the Disney version he is capable of both barking orders at his men, while prioritizing getting away. He is spouting his eloquent curses, yelling as he climbs up to relative safety. He looks down to see if the crocodile is still behind him, and when it pounces and begins climbing the ropes, proceeds to fight and keep it at bay with his sword, cursing at the thing, while hanging onto the net only by his hook and unstable footing.
Very good and impressive flight and fight response if you ask me, and while he is at a major disadvantage as well. He lacks the slap-stick humor immunity and he makes up for it with the sheer will for survival. He ends up closing the book by throwing it into the crocodiles mouth, which returns everyone to wherever they were before the story came to life. (and, by the way, him getting to the book involves him sliding down the wooden mast by his hook and tearing the book from where he nailed it down. Again, the crocodile is not far behind, but this man IS NOT GETTING EATEN AGAIN, NO SIR. Revenge can wait, getting swallowed twice in one day is not an option.)
So the three key differences between the two versions are:
Disney Hook deals with the real danger of death each time he encounters the crocodile. Fox's Hook (in this episode) is in a magical situation, where death is not permanent, but very much feels like it.
Disney's Hook flees from danger, and does everything in his power to escape when caught. Fox's Hook flees, but fights with what he has to keep the distance when there is no option for retreat, at all costs avoiding any chance to be caught.
Disney's Hook has a support figure and someone he runs to for safety. Fox's Hook relies on himself, and does not have that support.
Which, to be frank, is understandable from a danger standpoint and the loyalty of his crew. Disney Smee is a loyal badass, he deserves more appreciation.
Now me praising Fox's response when faced with the crocodile does completely ignore the fight response effects which Hook is exhibiting. Just because he isn't wailing or begging for help, doesn't mean he isn't terrified for his life. His facial features don't change nearly as drastically as Disney's do either. His resting-glare and scowl, coupled with more explosive and loud way of speaking and quick shooting insults conveniently camouflages the less often portrayal of dealing with terror.
And as someone who experiences both of these responses with my phobias, I can tell you that the aftermath of the fight response isn't exactly a triumphant celebration. Not being able to turn to someone for help when you actively feel like you are about to die, really leaves you with only one thing. Which is to deal with whatever it is on your own in any way you know, because fleeing isn't always an option and dying isn't tempting in the situation. My phobias can't actually result in immediate death, or even serious injury. But the times when situation calls for control, and the lead has to be taken by me? Oh, I get nasty. Pissed beyond belief, snarky, snappy, you name it, you got it. The situation will be dealt with, but to expense of mental well-being to those around me at that time. And I am not proud of my actions when that happens.
Hook has the added capabilities and temper of also causing physical violence that backs up any threats he makes. Coupled with being surrounded by the flying brat and imbeciles that comprise his crew, doesn't really make it easier to not fly off the handle. So to put it plainly, taking charge of the situation and seeming "fine" if perhaps irritated, does not actually mean that the person is fine. And the crocodile is one of the two things Hook fears. Nothing else puts fear in this man.
Since we don't see what happens after that vortex returns everyone to their rightful place, I chose to believe that there was a whole lot of rage and cursing and violence that was only partially because of the failed plan. To reiterate, two encounters with the thing he fears most in one day. Say what you want, but I stand by my belief that this man's nerves are fried, and someone better hide that whip. On top of that, his values as a Man likely mean that there will be no crying or other non-violent ways of releasing the stress. From what I've seen so far, the man does not smoke. Liquor? Possible, but would he really want to risk being intoxicated with the kind of crew he has? I have doubts. Disney's Hook has someone he can turn to. He is in no way traditionally masculine and we see him cry from frustration. From what I've read, Fox's has a portrait of his deceased mother and a harpsichord (that he can no longer play perfectly, on account of missing a hand). Disney says skill issue.
So, out of the two of them, despite the REAL near-death experiences, Disney Hook has it easier in the trauma-handling department.
Maybe I'm speaking too soon, given that there are 64 episodes of the show, and I only recently discovered the playlist I was watching had the episodes arranged all wrong. I do wonder if his reaction will be the same when he is faced with the crocodile in future episodes, and there is real chance of failure resulting in a final curtain call. I guess I'll find out soon.
