Too much of everything

Powerful

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Writer/director Jim Abrahams spoofs Rambo (as well as Terminator 2, Basic Instinct, Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz), with Charlie Sheen returning as heroic Topper Harley, who leads a team of soldiers to Iraq on a mission to rescue hostages taken during Desert Storm (and to free the men who were sent to rescue the men who were sent to rescue the hostages).It's funny how your tastes change over the years: back in 1993, I thought that Hot Shots Part Deux was unrelentingly hilarious; this time around, the film had me giggling a few times, but the majority of the jokes seemed incredibly lame and puerile. I guess I'm more sophisticated than I give myself credit for.Sheen is passable as a comic actor, Valeria Golino is ravishing as love interest Ramada, and Richard Crenna mercilessly mocks his Col. Trautman role in the Rambo movies. But it's 'Tug' Benson, the incompetent President of the USA, who made me chuckle the most. Surely no-one that inept and boorish could possibly be elected to the post of Commander in Chief (looks at today's news and rolls his eyes).

Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Brenda Bakke, Rowan Atkinson, Miguel Ferrer and Richard Crenna star in this 1993 comedy sequel. This installment obviously spoofs "Rambo" and pokes fun at other films like "Terminator 2," "Star Wars" and "Basic Instinct." Sheen returns as navy pilot, Topper who is sent on a mission to rescue war soldiers captured in Iraq. Golino also returns as Ramada as well as the late, Bridges as former Admiral, Tug Benson who is now a U.S. President. Bakke (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight) plays CIA operative, Michelle who gets involved with Topper, Atkinson (Mr. Bean) plays Ramada's ex-husband, Dexter who is one of the captured soldiers, Ferrer (Robocop) plays ex-soldier, Harbinger and the late, Crenna (First Blood) plays Colonel, Walters who recruits Topper for his mission, but also gets captured after attempting to rescue the soldiers. This is a good sequel, the cast is great and the scenes with Saddam Hussein (Jerry Haleva) are hilarious. I recommend this.

An American special forces team is captured on an assassination mission after the Iraq war. A rescue team is itself captured. The missions were sabotaged. President Tug Benson (Lloyd Bridges) is losing support in his re-election bid. Col. Denton Walters (Richard Crenna) is to lead the rescue and Benson wants Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen). Topper is working at a monastery in Thailand and doing dimsum fighting. He is still haunted by Ramada (Valeria Golino). Walters and CIA Michelle Huddleston (Brenda Bakke) try to recruit Topper but he refuses. Walters is captured and Topper returns to rescue him. He is surprised that Ramada is in country as the local contact.The first section is bland without Topper Harley. It takes awhile for the comedy to be really funny. The mission is much more compelling and funnier. The second half is better as Topper goes full Rambo. Killing comically is hilarious slapstick. The movie takes off with the fun slapstick and Golino has a good comic vibe with Sheen. Her natural accent just makes it that much funnier. Martin Sheen makes a hilarious short cameo.

I watched "Part Deux" just a day after the original and found it just a couple of notches below its predecessor. The spoof target is mainly "Rambo-First Blood", but as before many other films are referenced, like "Basic Instinct", "Apocalypse Now" (naturally) "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves" and even Disney's "The Lady and the Tramp". it's all part of the fun, of course, as well as making sure you watch the background, where a sight-gag is invariably playing.Charlie Sheen is all pumped up with somewhere to go, although this time I found too much camera time devoted to Lloyd Bridges' president, even if he does seem to anticipate Dubya years in advance. There are some comic gems, like the "Geronimo" sketch, heck I even laughed out loud at the map showing a no-man's land between Iraq and A Hard Place. If that kind of humour tickles you, there's plenty more, for better or worse, from where that came from, although the first in the series, where the characters and situations were fresher, in my opinion, edges out its follow-up in the comedy stakes.