This might come as a shock to some, but before Charlie Sheen was famous for starring in passable sitcoms and having mental breakdowns on talk shows, he was a damn fine actor, starring in a range of films spanning several genres. The 'Hot Shots' films were spoof comedies in the vein of Naked Gun, with Part Deux being a parody of the Rambo series. Sheen returns as Topper Harley, sent by the government on a rescue mission to Iraq.
I enjoyed the sequel better than the original, as it had more visual gags, better jokes and was just in general funnier, with plenty of quotable dialogue and stand out comedic performances. Among my favorite scenes is Topper and co posing as fishermen while being interrogated by Iraqi soldiers. So much funny moments in that scene alone, such as the gibberish spouted back and forth, Topper offering the captain fudge, and the captain saying he was on a diet, and the captain exclaiming "Omar Sharif" in frustration.
But that's not all; Ramada is back and exchanging hilarious bastardized romantic cliches with Topper, Ryan Styles is hilarious as one of Topper's men in Iraq, and Lloyd Bridges as President Benson is rife with quotes. Saddam Hussein makes several appearances as "himself", dueling with Topper then Benson in the film's climax. As well as Rambo, Hot Shots Part Deux pays homage to Star Wars, Terminator 2 and Blood Sport with a memorable kick boxing sequence at the start. The jokes come fast and sharp and are genuinely smart and witty, rather than pop culture riffs you might find in today's spoof films. A great way to lift any depression you might have, and a splendid film to watch before the day ends. A classic, to be sure.
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