After a day of watching Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, it felt a fitting conclusion to the evening with a re-watch of the comedy classic Hot Shots!

I love a comedy parody film and Hot Shots! is one of the best. Initially I was a bit wary as it had been a long time between viewings and some comedies from the 90s have not dated well. I was pleased to find that Hot Shots! still had me laughing out loud from beginning to end. Directed and co-written by Jim Abrahams, who also directed and co-wrote Flying High and Top Secret! you can understand why this film is such a success, even after so many years.

And when I say laughs until the end – watch the end credits all the way through, as the jokes aren’t over yet. That’s right, I was watching film credits to the end before Marvel made it cool!

I have a new appreciation for Hot Shots! as I don’t think I’ve ever watched it so close after watching Top Gun, in this case the same day. The opening sequence is almost a like for like with Top Gun down to the music, opening credits, and the planes taking off / landing on the aircraft carrier. It isn’t long before the tone is set where we see things like people carrying missiles bumping into each other, planes parallel parking, engines being used to BBQ sausages, and so on!

There’s also a replica iconic scene of Maverick riding his bike next to a fighter jet taking off, fist bump in the air and all. Except in Topper’s case, it’s at this moment that he hits the speed bumps on the road.

I even get a kick out of the fact that all the planes have “The Navy” written on them – it’s those little details that really takes it up a notch.

Being a clever parody of Top Gun however is only the part of the key to the success. Another factor would have to be the performance of the cast. Each actor is playing it straight, as if they were in a series drama. Yet with the lines and visual gags you cannot help but to laugh. Perhaps because of the straight faced nature, that makes the punch lines kick harder.

Charlie Sheen gives a fantastic performance as Topper Harley. He really was a great comedic actor, especially in these type of films at the peak of his career. While Lloyd Bridges manages to steals each scene he is in with great one liners, often about his ever increasing aliments! The slapstick performance of his accident prone character provides many laughs. The cast also includes Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Jon Cyer, and Kevin Dunn – just to name a few!

In the backdrop to a parody, you also need to have a strong enough story. One that is simple enough for the viewer to follow and that is different to the source material. I’d say that Hot Shots! also does this well while letting the gags shine through. Funnily enough I also found that the new Top Gun film had some similar aspects of it’s storyline with Hot Shots! – coincidence? Yeah probably.

Even if you haven’t seen Top Gun, you’re going to have plenty of laughs along the way.

Rating:  Great