The loosely woven plot centres around a cat burglar, Hudson Hawk (Bruce Willis), who is released from prison after ten years. Looking to finally go straight, Hawk only wants to drink his fancy coffees and spend time with his good pal Tommy Five-Tone (Danny Aiello). Yet, as with many films about characters trying to start a new life, Hudson Hawk is blackmailed by an eccentric couple (Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard) to pull off one last job involving works created by Leonardo Da Vinci.
After 20 years, I must admit that my view on Hudson Hawk has softened a bit. Though the film is nowhere near The Last Action Hero, a film I hated when I first saw it but ended up loving on repeat viewings, I found myself engaged. It is a film that is sold as an action/adventure film but is really a screwball comedy. At times it feels like a cross between The Naked Gun films and The Da Vinci Code. Also, I never realized how funny some of Willis’ one-liners were in the film. Hudson Hawk works far better when you ignore all the plot holes and just focus on how zany everything is.
The major problem with the film is that it is hard to get past the ridiculous plot. Bruce Willis is credited with coming up with the story and it seems like he threw every idea crossed his mind into the film. Needless to say the story is a mess, there is so much nonsense going on that it is tough to keep straight what the actual pitch of the film is suppose to be. For example, the film features characters singing the insanely catchy “Swinging on a Star” song, eccentric CIA and Vatican agents, paralyzing blow-darts, bombs stuck in characters heads, jokes about the Pope’s television reception etc. This is the reason why I cannot fully change my stance on Hudson Hawk. The film is by no means good, but it is far more humorous now than it was 20 years ago.
Original Reaction: I would rather be a fish! (Grade: F)
On Second Thought: Still very flawed but funnier this time around. (Grade: C -)
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