Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

"Rambo" parody in which Topper Harley leads a rescue team into Iraq to save Iraqi war prisoners and all of their previous rescue teams.

Director:

Jim Abrahams

Writers:

Jim Abrahams (characters), Pat Proft (characters)

Stars:

Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges, Valeria Golino

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlie Sheen	...	Topper Harley
Lloyd Bridges	...	Tug Benson
Valeria Golino	...	Ramada Rodham Hayman
Richard Crenna	...	Col. Denton Walters
Brenda Bakke	...	Michelle Rodham Huddleston
Miguel Ferrer	...	Harbinger
Rowan Atkinson	...	Dexter Hayman
Jerry Haleva	...	Saddam Hussein
David Wohl	...	Gerou
Mitchell Ryan	...	Gray Edwards
Michael Colyar	...	Williams
Ryan Stiles	...	Rabinowitz
Rosemary Johnston	...	Lavinia Rodham Benson
Ben Lemon	...	Team 2 Leader
Buck McDancer	...	Richard Nixon

Storyline

Topper Harley is found working as an odd-job-man in a monastery. The CIA wants him to lead a rescue mission into Iraq, to rescue the last rescue team, who went in to rescue the last rescue team who... who went in to rescue hostages left behind after Desert Storm. The President is Tug Benson, who also likes to be in on the action. Basically, it's a send-up of all the big shoot-em-up Rambo/Robocop/T2/Commando-type movies.

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | parody | bare midriff | limousine driver | rambo | 

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Taglines:

Grab your guns! It's Hot Shots Part Deux!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Certificate:

14+

Did You Know?

Trivia

The interior of Saddam's palace is the set of Tony Montana's palace from the 1983 version of Scarface.

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Goofs

Just after Rabinowitz meets Topper, a shot of Rabinowitz is flipped. "US ARMY" is backwards on the right-hand side of his uniform.

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Quotes

[Ramada is tearing off her clothes piece by piece to make bandages for wounds]
Rabinowitz: [Points at a small cut] Oh look... I'm hurt too.

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Crazy Credits

Nuns Not In This Movie: PAMELA THOMPSON KAREN "BOOM BOOM" PROFT NANCY STEEN

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Alternate Versions

The film has had a checkered UK censorship history. For its original cinema release, 54 secs were cut for a 12 certificate, removing all footage of nunchakus during the Rambo scene and editing the spoof Basic Instinct sex scene in the apartment. The video was rated PG and the cuts were expanded with a further 1 min 7 secs of additional edits to remove a single use of 'fuck' and the complete removal of the bedroom scene. The same print was used as a basis for the PG-rated DVD, although the distributors made a further two minutes of edits including the removal of Ramada's line "Wild, free, passionate, unbridled sex. I'd fondle you in ways you can't imagine" and even the already PG approved scene in the limousine. The UK Blu-ray version reinstates the previously cut footage and was passed 12 uncut in 2013.

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Connections

Spoofs The Hunt for Red October (1990)

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Soundtracks

Theme
from Father Knows Best (1954)
Written by Irving Friedman and Don A. Ferris (as Don Ferris)

User Reviews

The under-appreciated masterpiece of the 1990s.

Let it be etched on stone: Since HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX was released American comedy cinema has been in a steep decline. Part of the reason for this is that HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX is an Everest of film-making that has yet to been scaled since. And once you reach the peak the only way is down. HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX has everything. It is the most consistently side-splittingly funny film since Chaplin and Keaton at their peak. It is the most devastating and uplifting story of love, war and sacrifice since CASABLANCA and it has rip-roaring action scenes (Die! Energizer! Bunny! Die!) on par with the mighty movies it is (lovingly) parodying. Charlie Sheen, despite his off-screen propensities, has always been an agreeable screen presence and here he delivers his performances for the ages. Valeria Golino is a goddess for all the ages and also displays impeccable comedic skills. She also kicks a considerable amount of butt without ever losing her grace and femininity. This is quite possibly the last great American female role with substance to it and sadly none have close since.

When people consider the great sequels of all time, usually they pick THE GODFATHER PART II. Then I think to myself - Why pick the three-hour plus GODFATHER PART II when a hundred times more out of the 90 minute HOT SHOTS PART DEUX? Does THE GODFATHER PART II have Al Pacino using a chicken as an arrow? No! So when you are looking at your shiny DVD collection and thinking "I think I'll watch a GODFATHER movie" my advise is to pick up HOT SHOTS PART DEUX and watch it... twice. The only way this film could be any better is if Miguel Ferrer had more screen time. That guy is a Plato of modern times. "War. It's fantastic!" Even Rowan Atkinson is funny in this film. Let's see Ingmar Bergman pull that feat off!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Des pilotes en l'air 2

Filming Locations:

Stockton, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,250,661, 23 May 1993

Gross USA:

$38,922,972

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$133,752,825

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1