Hudson Hawk [DVD]

Good Action, Good Comedy and Good Story. One of Bruce Willis First Films outside of TVseries “MoonLighting”

Hudson Hawk is movie about Eddie Hawkins, famed cat-burglar the Hudson Hawk, who after serving 10 years in prison, finds himself blackmailed into stealing the works of Leonardo Da Vinci to recreate his gold transmuting machine. Sounds like a generic action movie, until you find that Eddie and his old and fattening partner Tommy are as unconventional as thieves can be. Singing songs to time their actions, using flair and creativity and mocking the use of gadgets, like a watch. Then we find that the blackmailers include inept mobsters, sardonic and insane CIA agents, and two Billionaires that are such over-the-top lunatics that the action and dialog begin to seem like a comic book. Despite, or because, all this the story holds together and still evokes a laugh. The last action sequence does come off as somewhat silly, and a second of censor editing left in for unknown reasons that chops a wity one-liner in half(half liner?) disrupts the movie slightly. But overall the movie is fun and enjoyable. And the last line of the movie made me go back and watch it again, to see the truth for myself. The REAL plot of the movie: Eddie is trying to get a cup of coffee.

Just as fun a movie today as I remembered watching it as a child. The blu-ray is a bit grainy, as you would expect, but still good quality even on 4k TVs.

I watched this movie as part of my pilgrimage through all of the terrible films covered by the How Did This Get Made? podcast, and it has to be one of the most memorable disasters Ive seen. What makes it really stand out to me is that it actually makes the full transition from tolerable to despicable to so-bad-its-good territory over the course of the runtime. I found the few opening scenes in Renaissance Italy and Willis release from prison tolerable, even charming. Then things become both very complex and confusing, yet incredibly stupid. The movie almost redeems itself in the third act, though, when Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard deliver such insane performances (even Nic Cage would be in awe) that they almost save the movie. At the end of the day, this movie doesnt have the charm of a sincerely made movie that is accidentally hilariously bad. Its a comedy that fails spectacularly at being funny or charming. It is somewhat funny, just not in the way the maker intended. I mean, a developmentally delayed man makes a rape joke in the middle of the movie. (I had to go back to make sure I didnt imagine it. Its there.) Bruce Willis is so smug its almost intolerable. I dont know who this movie is for. The humor is cartoonish and lame, but theres too much swearing and throat-slitting for this to be a kids show. Its almost a heist-movie musical, but they dont really commit to the singing and Danny Aiello is the only one who actually sings well. This is a movie that thinks its hilarious, and the only real pleasure to be had is in beholding how badly almost every joke falls flat. Anyway, here are some movie suggestions if you either liked this mess for some reason, or you want to see what it looks like when its done better. -Do you want a completely insane power couple driving the action in a fever dream of a movie? Check out Nic Cage and Laura Dern in David Lynchs Wild at Heart. (Just be aware, youll have nightmares about Willem Dafoe for months afterwards.) -Do you want a time-traveling crime caper, but with humor that actually works? See Time Bandits. You cant go wrong with Sean Connery, the Monty Python gang, and a gang of time-traveling criminal dwarfs. -Do you like globe-trotting, over the top action flicks featuring henchmen who like to slice and dice their enemies? Go watch The Kingsman. I hated the humor in that movie too, but Colin Firth is ridiculously charming and the action is innovative and exciting. -Do you want an action-comedy where the hero is an ex-con who is reluctantly roped back into a life of crime? Go see Ant-Man, or better yet, The Blues Brothers. In fact, just go watch the Blues Brothers. Youll be better off.

the actors looked like they were having fun. story is full of songs and cat burgler type stuff

Someone once asked me to compile a list of movies that Id want with me if I ended up stranded on a DVD/Television equipted deserted isle. This was first on the list, strange as it may seem. Ive seen many a cult classic; Ive only managed not to fall asleep during the midnight showings of Rocky Horror once or twice, and the Kentucky Fried Movie can usually manage a few chuckles out of me. But I sit rivetted to this movie every time I plop it into the DVD player. From the songs to the wacky plotline and over the top acting, this movie is a complete and utter parody of the secret agent/cat burglar movies of the 1980s and 1990s. Grand villians, ever present and mysterious CIA agents, it is a summation of a genre that was far overdone. No, this is not an Academy contestant, but it is a solid film that you can watch over and over again (which is why you buy a DVD) and not cringe if the kids walk in. And when it is over, hopefully youll be just like me and have a nice smile on your face for the rest of the day.

Just a funny feel good movie. Highly recommend it.

Great movie. I loved it when it first came out. Thus I thought it might be good for a family movie. My son laughed the entire time.

A hidden gem in his fantastic career.

One of those classic chessy movies that I always watched on cable in the 90s. Saw it again today and its still a fun film. Blu ray wise, its very bare bones. No commentary, special features, digital code or regular dvd. Plus amazon is very arrogant about the fact that dvds are collectables, so expect the slipcover to be damaged. Transfer is likely from the dvd source just upscaled. No restoring. Still lots of grain and dirt but a definite improvement over a standard dvd. Something I dont mind because it matches the look of the period without looking overly cleaned up and digital. The sound is crystal clear though. Despite how bare bones it is its nice to finally own an hd version of a classic flick.