DVD Movie Rating for: Hot Shots Part Deux

4 out of 5

Movie Plot of: Hot Shots Part Deux

Topper Harley has retired again, now living in a budhist monastery, and again he's asked to lead a special operation into Iraq, to rescue the guys who were sent to rescue the guys who were sent to rescue some prisoners left behind after the Persian Gulf War, where he will meet again with his beloved Ramada while he tries to uncover who the traitor is and kill as many Iraqis as he can.

DVD Production Details of: Hot Shots Part Deux

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges

Director: Jim Abrahams

Format: Color, Closed-captioned

Studio: Fox Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: August 6, 2002
DVD Features:
Theatrical trailer(s)

"An Adventure in Filmmaking" Featurette

"Early Awareness" Featurette

Widescreen anamorphic format

Cast of the movie: Hot Shots Part Deux

• Charlie Sheen .... Topper Harley
• Lloyd Bridges .... President Thomas 'Tug' Benson
• Valeria Golino .... Ramada Rodham Hayman
• Richard Crenna .... Col. Denton Walters
• Brenda Bakke .... Michelle Rodham Huddleston
• Miguel Ferrer .... Commander Arvid Harbinger
• Rowan Atkinson .... Dexter Hayman
• Jerry Haleva .... Saddam Hussein
• David Wohl .... Gerou
• Mitch Ryan .... Senator Gray Edwards
• Michael Colyar .... Williams
• Ryan Stiles .... Rabinowitz
• Rosemary Johnston .... Lavinia Rodham Benson
• Ben Lemon .... Team 2 Leader
• Buck McDancer .... Richard Nixon

Photo Gallery of the movie: Hot Shots Part Deux

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution photographs

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Reviews of the movie: Hot Shots Part Deux

The sequel to the wonderfully wacky Hot Shots! uses Rambo as its model for nonstop send-ups (though director Jim Abrahams can't resist inserting a Saddam Hussein lookalike, given the film's post-Gulf War release). This time, Lloyd Bridges, who was an admiral in the first movie, has become president (take that, Colin Powell!) and needs someone to take care of the threat posed by a certain mustached Middle Eastern dictator. Who better than ever-reliable Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen)? In addition to trying to take out Saddam commando-style, Topper must juggle two women: Valerie Golino, from the original, and CIA babe Brenda Bakke, who knows a thing or two about close-quarters combat. If anything, this may be funnier than the first.

Nutty sequel to the highly surprising original which was a box office smash in 1991. This time "Rambo" is the primary film that cannot escape the dubious distinction of being parodied. Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges and Valeria Golino return from the original and Richard Crenna of "Rambo" fame also has a large part.

Hot Shots! Part Deux', or 'Hot Shots! Part Ducks' as I fondly remember everyone calling it at school (British education, best in the world!), attempts to give the 'Rambo' movies the same treatment given to 'Top Gun' in the original. So, where last time we had the gleefully deadpan hero of the piece Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) darting around in fighter plane, this time he sports an over-sized mullet, has bullets strapped to every visible body part, and racks up a death count consciously putting anything in 'Robocop' or 'Total Recall' to shame.

Other than the new setting and the slightly different choice of target (Saddam Hussein's the villain, though I could've sworn he got bumped off in the first film) it's basically the same routine as last time - which means another gag marathon, some working, most not.

Lloyd Bridges, on red hot form last time round as a senile naval Admiral, returns as the President (a dotty old nutcase for Pressie? That'd never happen in real life!), and again gets to deliver a hefty chunk of the flick's best moments. Also back on board is Valeria Golino as Topper's irksomely non-committal love interest - she seems to have improved on her comic timing in the two years between this and the first one, and bloke viewers will also be chuffed to hear that this film represents probably the best she's ever looked on the screen.

Essentially though, this is a fairly dull follow-up to what really wasn't that great an original in the first place. There's a good opening, and a marvellous 'Apocalypse Now'-referencing cameo from Charlie's dad Martin, but on the whole it just isn't funny enough to gain this reviewer's recommendation. We've just seen it all done before - and better