Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘HUDSON HAWK’

Scat Burglar

Hudson Hawk is as bold a movie as an A-list star could possibly choose to make. And that’s a compliment.

Bruce Willis, most famous for playing gruff cop John McClane, stars as cat burglar Eddie Hawkins—the titular Hudson Hawk. He’s tasked with stealing artifacts crafted by Leonardo da Vinci that are capable of turning lead into gold.

On the surface, that sounds like a fairly standard action-centric plot. What it actually entails is anything but.

Hudson Hawk boasts a deluge of slapstick tomfoolery; dynamic duets between Willis and Danny Aielo, who plays his partner Tommy Five-Tone; a secret com device crafted out of a crucifix; and a gaggle of candy-themed thugs—one of which is played by the generally self-serious David Caruso.

Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk Faces Off Against the Candy Bar-Themed CIA Goons

Unfortunately, its charms weren’t embraced upon its release. It grossed a shade under $100 million on a budget of $65 million; and it was scorched by critics. Its 33% on Rotten Tomatoes is unkind, but it’s not nearly as mean as all the Razzie nominations Hudson Hawk received.

This isn’t high art, folks, but Willis is having an absolute blast. Provided you don’t take it too seriously, you will, too.

Now Sit back, harmonize your way through an Atomic Pumpkin from New Belgium Brewing, and catch some air in the ornithopter! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, and Capt. Cash are swinging on a star!

This Week’s Segments:

Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Hudson Hawk is a bizarre delight, but it’s certainly not for everybody. (00:00)
Lingering Questions – In the pantheon of actors’ passion projects, where does this rank? (1:07:30)
The “Side by Side” Trivia Challenge – Capt. Cash challenges the field to a series of questions about the movie. (1:13:25)
Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We finish off “Hops and Bruno Flops” with Last Man Standing—no, not the Tim Allen Show! (1:22:02)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—how Hudson Hawk came to be and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!