Hot Shots!

Hot Shots is one of my favorite movies when it comes to comedy. It was made in a time that farting and burping weren't yet considered as the very best humor has to offer.

This film is very enjoyable when you don't know any of the movies this parody has been based on (very hard to believe), but when you do know the movies, Hot Shots is really hilarious from time to time. Most of the time they make fun of Top Gun, but movies like Superman, Dances with Wolves, Gone with the Wind... can be recognized in it as well.

Topper Harley is an excellent pilot who left the navy because he couldn't cope with the feelings of guilt over his father. His father didn't do enough to help his co-pilot during a mission and the poor man got killed in an awful way. When he found out, Topper decided never to fly again. He now lives on his own with an Indian and a wolf, inhaling helium. However, when Lt Commander Block offers a second chance, to take part in secret mission Sleepy Weasel, Topper decides to fly again, although this means that he'll have to deal with a difficult love interest and his old fears.

This movie certainly scores above average when you ask me. Therefor I reward it with a 7.5/10.

Here's the basic formula for dissecting this film: If "Airplane" spoofed a single film (in this case "Top Gun") instead of an entire genre (disaster films), you'd get "Hot Shots".

For a basic plot summary, "Hot Shots" basically spoofs the movie "Top Gun" with any and all types of sight gags included. Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golino, Cary Elwes, and Lloyd Bridges provide the starring roles, and are all hilarious in every scene they carry.

For some people, this type of humor is childish and won't elicit much more than a simple chuckle. For others (myself included), though, the sight gags and hilarious physical comedy will have you in tears of laughter. The chemistry between Sheen and Golino is incredible, Elwes is at his maniacal best, while Bridges basically steals the show as the hilarious old general who always seems to save the day in the end.

This is a film that is kind of hard to explain in print. You really just need to sit down and watch it to determine if it is the right kind of comedy for you. You'll know within the first few minutes.

I'm not sure why, but I guess I was interested in seeing the first Hot Shots since my mom only has the sequel and I noticed the movie in Blockbuster, I also love Charlie Sheen in comedies, he works so well in spoofs. Not to mention all in all, I do love spoofs, most work for me. It's just the kind comedy that I like. Hot Shots! proved itself to be a worthy spoof that is more than worth watching. It spoofs Top Gun, An Officer and a Gentleman, 9 1/2 Weeks, Gone with the Wind, Rocky, among many other movies.

Topper is a pilot who is wanted back in the navy and falls for a woman, but he has an edge is considered a rebel. Cary Elwes gives him a hard time constantly, especially since his father caused Cary's father to have a freak plane accident. Cary is also in love with Topper's woman and wants revenge.

Hot Shots is a great comedy that I have to admit is a guilty pleasure, but it has so much that most comedies lack now a days. It's just a fun innocent movie that deserves a little bit of a higher rating. Charlie Sheen rocks in comedies, although they have destroyed my new favorite guilty pleasure, 9 1/2 Weeks, it's all good.

7/10

I should have rewatched Top Gun before seeing this ... I did hold back on that to make it a "double feature" when the second Top Gun movie finally gets its theatrical release .. you know when Cinemas reopen and all that. You can still see that it spoofs that Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer (gay?) bromance . Now don't get overexcited or offended - the undertones are there and they get spoofed here. If you are easily offended maybe do not watch this movie. Though you'd be missing out on many good jokes - from one third of the Zaz team ... he knows his stuff for sure! And the cast is amazing too.

Bridges is on a roll here, as is Sheen and the others. The erotic scene of the movie is exactly that by the way ... hot and steamy, but also super funny. I sort of miss those cool spoof movies ... you could tell they loved movies and didn't just make fun of anything they saw ... there was much love ... and ridiculous insanity included.

I watched this movie after watching a really poorly made one, so this film came off like Citizen Kane in many respects. After not watching this film for such a long time, I came into this viewing wit ha more trained eye, and to say the least, it was as good then as it is now. This is easily one of those parody movies that will live forever, especially due to all of the great scenes on the aircraft carriers (dogs chasing the plane, the dancing, etc.). While the film did have its dull moments, there were too many funny moments. Charlie Sheen seemed perfect for this role, simply because it looked like he tackled this movie with a serious purpose. Cary Elwes was also good, considering the stuffy Brit took on the whole comedy role quite well. Kudos to all who had a hand in this film.