DVD Eddie is the world's most famous cat burglar and, after spending ten years in prison, is determined to go straight. Unfortunately, the CIA and the mob conspire to blackmail him into stealing three priceless da Vinci masterpieces, dragging him into a bizarre plot involving alchemy and global economic chaos.
Details
Freshly released from prison, all Eddie Hawkins wants is a cappuccino. Instead, he finds himself immediately coerced back into the life he was hoping to leave behind. The mob blackmail him into stealing a priceless da Vinci horse statue, only for events to take an even stranger turn when the statue is destroyed and a mysterious object is retrieved from within. Stranger still, newspapers report that no theft ever occurred.
Things spiral further when Eddie attends the auction of the supposedly untouched statue and meets Anna, a Vatican authenticator. Enter the fabulously unhinged Mayflowers - a billionaire husband and wife duo with designs on mastering alchemy and destabilising the world's economies. Kidnapped by the CIA and shipped to Rome, Eddie becomes a reluctant participant in a globe-trotting caper filled with double-crosses, absurd inventions and musical burglary sequences.
This is not a conventional action film. It is a broad, cartoonish comedy masquerading as a heist thriller, complete with villains who bicker like vaudeville performers and action sequences choreographed to classic songs. The tone swings wildly between slapstick, satire and action, which perhaps explains why audiences in 1991 didn't quite know what to make of it.
Picture & Sound
The transfer is serviceable but far from reference quality. Detail levels are modest and the image can appear soft, with the occasional hint of compression artefacts. Colours are stable but lack the vibrancy seen on more modern releases.
The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Surround (Pro-Logic), which limits its impact by modern standards. There is little in the way of dynamic surround activity, and the mix remains largely front-heavy. It does the job, but those expecting an immersive experience will be disappointed.
Overall
Upon its theatrical release, Hudson Hawk was widely regarded as a commercial disaster, with Bruce Willis reportedly investing a significant amount of his own money into the project. Critics were baffled and audiences stayed away. Yet viewed today, it is hard not to admire its sheer audacity.
The film is unapologetically eccentric and completely stolen by Sandra Bernhard and Richard E Grant, whose gloriously over-the-top performances as the Mayflowers elevate every scene they appear in. Their exaggerated villainy borders on pantomime, and it is clear they are having enormous fun.
While undeniably flawed and tonally uneven, there is something infectious about its absurdity. It may not be a great film, but it is certainly a memorable one. For fans of offbeat 90s curiosities, it is well worth a look - if only to witness one of the strangest mainstream studio productions of its era.
Special features
- Director's Commentary
- DVD Trailer
