Hot Shots!
Directed by Jim Abrahams
Topper Harley, a top gun fighter pilot, is recalled to serve on the SS Essess. Topper's mission is to destroy Saddam Hussein's nuclear plants. Unfortunately, Topper is psychologically imbalanced and is sure to crack under pressure.
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Hot Shots! Ratings & Reviews
- Jacob O’NealJune 8, 2025Jim Abrahams, the director who was part of ZAZ, the filmmakers behind Airplane, Ruthless People and my favorite, Top Secret, branches out on his own for the first time with Hot Shots. One of the greatest actors from Airplane joins the fun, with Lloyd Bridges playing a senile old admiral. Charlie Sheen stars as Topper Harley, a hot shot pilot who was kicked out because he crashed an expensive plane. He’s been living on an Indian Reservation under the name Fluffy Bunny Feet ever since. But his country needs him, so he hops on his motorcycle and heads back to active duty. This is where we meet Valeria Golino, Cary Elwes, Jon Cryer, Kristy Swanson and more characters that round out the cast. The jokes come fast and furious throughout the film. The movie opens firing on all cylinders with its Top Gun send up opening credits sequence and never lets up from there. But what I find most impressive is when Abrahams gets side parodies blended into the main narrative seamlessly. I’m not talking about the montage of parodies that comes out of nowhere and never worked for me. No. I’m talking about the bits poking fun at 9 1/2 Weeks and Fabulous Baker Boys, to make a few. This is what makes for a smart parody the likes of which have not seen since the Zuckers and Abrahams stoped making films. Sadly we lost Abrahams a few months ago so there’s never a chance of more from him. This film is far from perfect, but Sheen, Golino, Elwes and Bridges made it so much fun that you can’t help but forgive it its flaws. Plus, it was fun to see Sheen and Cryer together before Two & Half Men and Sheen with Swanson before The Chase. The sequel is less fun, but still quite enjoyable. Make it a double feature night and have yourself some laughs. You won’t regret it.
- RichardDecember 7, 2025I first experienced Hot Shots! through a VHS rental and it was exactly the kind of comedy that thrived in that era. The film leaned into parody with full force, poking fun at action blockbusters while layering in ridiculous gags and over the top characters. What made it memorable was how it embraced silliness without hesitation. Watching it on tape gave it that extra nostalgic charm, the kind of movie you’d rewind to catch a joke you missed because you were still laughing at the last one. It didn’t have the groundbreaking freshness of a movie like Airplane! but it carried the same spirit of absurd humor and for me, it was pure fun.
Hot Shots! Trivia
Hot Shots! was released on July 31, 1991.
Hot Shots! was directed by Jim Abrahams.
Hot Shots! has a runtime of 85m.
Hot Shots! was produced by Bill Badalato.
Topper Harley, a top gun fighter pilot, is recalled to serve on the SS Essess. Topper's mission is to destroy Saddam Hussein's nuclear plants. Unfortunately, Topper is psychologically imbalanced and is sure to crack under pressure.
The key characters in Hot Shots! are Topper Harley / Rhett Butler / Superman (Charlie Sheen), Kent Gregory (Cary Elwes), Ramada Thompson / Scarlett O'Hara / Lois Lane (Valeria Golino).
Hot Shots! is rated PG-13.
Hot Shots! is an Action, Comedy, War film.
Hot Shots! has an audience rating of 6.5 out of 10.
Hot Shots! had a budget of $26M.
Hot Shots! has made $181.1M at the box office.