My Favorite Campy Movie: "Hudson Hawk"

If you watch Bruce Willis' 1991 film "Hudson Hawk" expecting a gritty action film akin to his hit gritty action films "Die Hard" and Die Hard 2," you are going to be seriously disappointed. Film critics of 1991 hated this film and "Hudson Hawk" bombed in theaters. This failure of the film would have killed most Hollywood stars, but Bruce Willis recovered. Upon home video release, the marketing department finally removed the inaccurate gritty action film label and reclassified it as an absurd comedy.

As an absurd comedy, "Hudson Hawk" is a campy roller coaster ride full of off the wall situations with a thread of a plot holding it together. The plot centers around the titular cat burglar Hudson Hawk getting released from prison and immediately forced into another job of stealing three of Leonardo Da Vinci's artworks for an economical doomsday device. It is a simple plot that plays like a comic book, specifically Monkey Punch's classic series "Lupin the 3rd" manga (Japanese comic). This probably explains the film's popularity in Japan.

If the viewer is willing to simply enjoy "Hudson Hawk" as a comedy without comparing it to Bruce Willis' usual action movie roles, the absurd comedy is simply a sight to believe. During the film, the following characters and events occur:
-Bruce Willis proving himself to be a pretty good singer.
-Italian mobsters known as the Mario Brothers.
-Cat burglars using household objects like skateboards and postage stamps to break into high-security facilities.
-The same cat burglars who time and sync the tasks of their heists by singing duets such as "Swinging on a Star."
-The senseless and gratuitous destruction of cappuccinos. And this was a time before Starbucks made those European coffee drinks popular.
-Rogue CIA agents named and designed after candy bars.
-David Caruso's best speaking role to date.

A film featuring all of these things cannot be mistaken as a serious action film. I think it is against the law. Since it is now somewhat obscure, Half.com is a reliable place to find a copy. Amazon.com is also a good source. And for those wanting to check it out, Netflix stocks it to rent.