Hello, all!
The problematic thing about films of the parody ilk is that the jokes rooted in one pop culture reference or another are likely to be missed if someone hasn’t seen the film being alluded to in whatever scene you’re watching. Even classics like AIRPLANE! Suffer from this sort of thing on occasion. Still, despite the fact that such jokes occasionally misfire, HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX is today’s pick because the jokes tend to land right in the sweet spot.
Back when Charlie Sheen was *winning* on the big screen, Saddam Hussein was public enemy numero uno, and he makes for an amusing [albeit dated] foil in this film. It could be the fact that it was so contemporary and palpable a baddie that this sequel succeeds where HOT SHOTS! fell a bit short. Or, it could be that it’s simply a funnier movie, using more clever send-ups of movies like NO WAY OUT or RAMBO III [both of which I think are very entertaining (though quite different) films]. The shootout sequence where the movie tracks its kill count on screen on its way to being the bloodiest movie ever is maybe the best representation of the kind of goofy, tongue-in-cheek hijinks shown throughout.
And who could forget perhaps one of the best crossover events in motion picture cinema… before crossover events were even really a thing?
Maybe one of the best cameos on motion picture history.
A movie that manages to reference LADY AND THE TRAMP, old vaudeville dance numbers, BASIC INSTINCT, and the Rambo franchise [among others] is quite clever, indeed. And while it is admittedly a bit dumb, too, it’s the best kind of dumb. Admittedly, parodies are kind of a hit-or-miss genre, but in my opinion, this one hits an awful lot more often than it misses. Despite the fact that it’s better, even sometimes necessary, to have seen the films or other pop culture references alluded to throughout the film to get the full comedic effect, it still manages to amuse. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2]
The problematic thing about films of the parody ilk is that the jokes rooted in one pop culture reference or another are likely to be missed if someone hasn’t seen the film being alluded to in whatever scene you’re watching. Even classics like AIRPLANE! Suffer from this sort of thing on occasion. Still, despite the fact that such jokes occasionally misfire, HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX is today’s pick because the jokes tend to land right in the sweet spot.
Back when Charlie Sheen was *winning* on the big screen, Saddam Hussein was public enemy numero uno, and he makes for an amusing [albeit dated] foil in this film. It could be the fact that it was so contemporary and palpable a baddie that this sequel succeeds where HOT SHOTS! fell a bit short. Or, it could be that it’s simply a funnier movie, using more clever send-ups of movies like NO WAY OUT or RAMBO III [both of which I think are very entertaining (though quite different) films]. The shootout sequence where the movie tracks its kill count on screen on its way to being the bloodiest movie ever is maybe the best representation of the kind of goofy, tongue-in-cheek hijinks shown throughout.
And who could forget perhaps one of the best crossover events in motion picture cinema… before crossover events were even really a thing?
Maybe one of the best cameos on motion picture history.
A movie that manages to reference LADY AND THE TRAMP, old vaudeville dance numbers, BASIC INSTINCT, and the Rambo franchise [among others] is quite clever, indeed. And while it is admittedly a bit dumb, too, it’s the best kind of dumb. Admittedly, parodies are kind of a hit-or-miss genre, but in my opinion, this one hits an awful lot more often than it misses. Despite the fact that it’s better, even sometimes necessary, to have seen the films or other pop culture references alluded to throughout the film to get the full comedic effect, it still manages to amuse. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2]
