After doing his time for a burglary charge – the Hudson Hawk (Bruce Willis) is released back into freedom. So why is his parole officer trying to convince him to do a job as he escorts the Hawk out of the prison? Eddie Hawkins “The Hudson Hawk” was one of the best cat burglars around before he got caught and was sent up the river. Now he is out and his only thought is to score himself a cappuccino. His old partner meets him outside the prison doors and he's off to live a life on the straight and narrow.

When his partner, Tommy Five-Tone (Danny Aiello) takes him back to the bar they both own instead of finding the cool corner bar they had – it has turned into a local watering hole for the yuppie crowd. Disappointed he orders a cappuccino. Before he gets to drink it the adventure starts. A local mafia head convinces him that it would be in his best interest to take on the job of swiping something from a local auction house. Fighting against his desire to go straight, he takes on the job. This is where the story gets really amusing. Tommy keeps throwing song titles out and Hawk keeps giving him the time/length of the song. Turns out, that is how they time their jobs. They figure out how long the job will take and then chose a song to time it to. I found this really fun. They did the auction house to the catchy tune "Would you like to swing from a star."

They manage to pull of the job despite a few planning errors. He thinks this is the end of it and that now he can go on to live a life above the law. But that's not to happen. Instead he finds himself mixed up in a whole story that involves the CIA, the Vatican and a pair of very rich, excentric billionaires (played wonderfully by Richard Grand and Sandra Bernhard). The super rich Darwin and Minerva Mayflower have devised a plan for world domination. But they need the talents of the Hudson Hawk to put their plan into action. He doesn't want to be a part of the plan however, part of the problem is figuring out who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. With twists and turns and close calls Hawk manages to keep from getting killed, courts Anna Baragli (Andie MacDowell), fights off bad guys and attempts to foil the wild plans of all. And manage to get his cappuccino.

This movie wasn't well received by the critics. It was called far-fetched, an ego trip for Willis and too far fetched. Well, I have to say that I disagree. Yeah, it probably was an ego trip for Willis. But in this movie he does what he does so well – struts about, gives flip, sarcastic sallies and generally amuses. He does action-comedy better than almost anyone I know. But it still doesn't over-shadow the other great performances of the great other characters. With a touch of a spoof I found this to be an entertaining movie that kept me watching to the end. There was never a point where I felt it dragged. It kept the fast-paced action going with a laugh a minute. That along with some very amusing parts, which includes a scene where MacDowell's character imitates a dolphin.

If you are fond of the action/comedy genre then I would say to give this a go. Especially if you like the talents of Bruce Willis. Not as heavy on the action as say Die Hard. More along the lines of say something like “Inspector Gadget”. But then, I am a sucker for that kind of film. So, if you want a comedy where things blow up I would say this could fit the bill.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older