There’s a certain shared language to being a child of the ‘90s, especially when it comes to family movies. If you were growing up in the decade of rubber chokers and the Spice Girls, you probably saw and lived for Hook , the Peter Pan sequel that starred Robin Williams as a grown-up Pan who’d lived a boring, real life for so long that he’d forgotten Neverland. While all ‘90s kids better agree by now that Dustin Hoffman made a marvelous Captain Hook and the sexual tension between Peter and life-size Tinkerbell was really uncomfortable, there’s a Hook war that rages on still. The movie came out in 1991, and almost 25 years later, a consensus still hasn’t been reached about the appeal of one particular Lost Boy. Is Hook's Rufio hot or not?
Tired of this push and pull over the outrageously coiffed leader of the gang, Bustle decided to poll Hook fans to settle this thing once and for all. Readers submitted their true feelings for Rufio (played by Dante Basco) in all his Bangarang glory. Did his crop top and feather earring do it for these guys, or nah? These responses run the gamut from surface-level objectification to armchair diagnosis of Rufio’s fatal flaws. This is going to get interesting. And you know Rufio never backs down from a fight.
First Up: Team Rufio-Is-The-Hotness
1. "RUFIO RUFIO RU-FI-OOOOOOO If you didn't think Rufio was a babe as a kid, you were watching the wrong movie." — Kelsea
2. "Yes, and I don't even know how to explain it, it's so obvious to me. Bangarang!" — Hilary
3. "Yes! I absolutely had an elementary school-aged crush on him." — Taylor
4. "I thought he was hot, because he was TROUBLE" — Gaby
5. "He was a fearless leader with a good heart. He was a good guy who looked like a bad boy: The hair, the black clothes. And holy crap, could he rock a crop-top." — Julieta
6. "Totally. Plus this [soccer player] who used to play for Real Salt Lake's nickname was Rufio and I adored him." — Rachel
7. "I mean, the boy knew how to pull off a dramatic eye and a good statement piece. Not to mention the bold hair decisions. I say yes." — Whitney
8. "Yes! Great hair, great smile, confidence, attitude..." — Christina
9. "For sure. His attitude mixed with that eye makeup? I love a guy that can pull off eye makeup and feathers." — Edie
10. "Of course, he was hot. I think he was supposed to be some sort of sexy thang there to awaken a little bit of arousal in the youngins'. It's the hair; it's the bad boy attitude. I mean was he the most amazing looking fella I've ever seen? No. But I'd Bangarang him. — Robyn
11. "The haaaaaaaaaaaair. And there appears to have been eyeliner, which, I'm still a sucker for a man in eyeliner." — Shannon
12. "He was a little bad ass and exotic." — Lauren
13. "I remembered that he rocked that s*** out of that black crop top so yes, I vote hot. You have to have a certain amount of attitude to pull off that look, and he had the attitude." — Caitlin
14. "It's his badassery that is hot. And the hair. And his respect for Pan once he proves himself." — Maggie
15. "Oh, hell yes. Though it took him a bit to warm up with Peter, he accepted him in the end, believed in him, and fought with Peter against Hook ultimately giving his life. He was a great leader. He cared about the lost boys. And really who doesn't love that slightly cocky, "has his own personal call sound, bad boy? For me, he was the first guy to make eyeliner look really good. Way before Captain Jack Sparrow." — Somie
16. "Rufio was equal parts bad boy and responsible leader. Such a hottie." — Meghan
17. "Had a crush on him as a kid. Sexy bad boy with great hair." — Jennie
18. "I thought he could get it but I don't know how to explain the appeal? He was just a really attractive, fancy bad boy which is apparently a thing I'm into." — Maggie
19. "YES. DIMPLE." — Kim
20. "Yes. Skunk Hair? - check, Feather earring? - check, Leather pants?- yes. Slangs shade without cursing? - Bangarang!" — Lacroix
21. "Yes, because he was the rebel without a (real) cause." — Brittany
22. "Yes, obviously he's hot. Why? Why is the sky blue? I don't make the rules. I just recognize beauty where it appears." — Gillian
23. "I'm ride or die with Dante Basco. When he does good, folks like me do good." — Paolo
24. "He definitely has that teen rebel crush thing down. I think his hotness stems from his devil-may-care-and-he-does-care attitude. Like, he is all quasi-annoying machismo, but, underneath it all, he cares so much about the Lost Boys. The machismo is all an act (like most uber-masculinity). He is kind of a reluctant leader who hands power back to Peter once he's proven himself. Ultimately, he is brought down by his arrogance, which is pretty tragic. Also, the hair." — Kayti
25. "Universally speaking in the movie/teen world? Yes. The attitude, the bad boy with the heart of gold, the eye makeup, the rebelliousness, his loyalty to the Boys and to Peter — it's the perfect formula and he pulls it off with aplomb. I was at a Halloween party in a bar last year and someone came dressed as Rufio. When he walked in, the roof flew off the place — everyone went NUTS. He was the star of the night, which shows how ADORED the character is, and he was getting phone numbers left and right (and eventually left with a guy and a girl, so clearly the appeal transcends gender). He's not my hot (I think I was a little past the right age when I first saw him), but the hotness factor cannot be denied." — Dawn
Next: The Undecideds
26. "His hair and fashion choices are too much for me to overlook, but he has a nice smile?" — Kelly
27. "I'm just going to second [Kelly's] sentiment..." — Lindsay
28. "Ummmm...teen me says yes in a Mike Vitar kinda way? Adult me doesn't understand the GTL lifestyle that was apparently his character's background story." — Jennifer
29. "He could be if he was an adult. He also annoys the crap out of me despite being cool. He's like Bender from The Breakfast Club." — KatyBeth
30. "When you're 10, yes. When you're an adult it becomes more of a concern." — Kirsty
And Finally: The Not-Hot Brigade
31. "The trouble was attractive, not the actual Rufio" — Jenna
32. "Like, I felt like he thought he was hot, and maybe he awakened some feelings in some Lost Boys, but he never did it for me. I think something about the exposed midriff turned 8 year old me off. I wasn't ready for that." — Mary
33. "I was a little too old for this movie at the time, but I didn't really "get" Rufio. I figure gals like charismatic leaders & protective bad boys with a heart of gold. The most bad boy I ever liked was Mike Seaver on Growing Pains." — Angel
The Final Verdict: Is Rufio Hot Or Not?
The people have spoken, and Rufio is certified hot. The pro-hotness replies credit the Lost Boy's swagger, Lord Of The Flies gone punk style, and the nurturer lying under all that over-confidence, among other traits. He did keep the Lost Boys together and alive after Peter left, didn't he? The naysayers argue that Rufio is just serving up too much look, and that the "bad boy" persona isn't always so charming. Crush object to some, annoying antagonist to others, Rufio and his personal chant set Hook apart from every other Peter Pan tale.
Images: Walt Disney Pictures; Giphy (5) newchapterat30, diipshetriot/Tumblr
