Bruce Williswas at the top of his game at the start of 1991. The New Jersey-centric actor transitioned from a television heartthrob on ABC’sMoonlightingfor five seasons to becoming an unlikely action star in 1988’sDie Hard. Both era-defining hits cemented Willis’s place as a talented comedic actor and a relatable matinée idol.The combination of the two in playing a sly thief inHudson Hawk, however, turned out to be a huge career misstep.
The ambitious action-adventure comedy directed byMichael Lehmann(Heathers,Airheads) was a career-defining moment for Willis in all the wrong ways. Combining the high-spectacle action ofDie Hardwith the meta-cartoonish humor of his hit ABC detective show,Hudson Hawkhad the makings of a ‘90sPink Panthermixed with theOur Man Flintfranchise. Anexpensive box office bombupon release,the movie was trashed by critics for its over-the-top zaniness and shockingly violent direction. It stands at an abysmal 31% rotten score onRotten Tomatoes. But compared to the rest of his filmography as the beloved action star’s only true vanity project,Hudson Hawkfully capturesWillis’s charismatic personain ways no other project ever had or since.
What Is ‘Hudson Hawk’ About?
Fresh out of prison, professional thief Eddie “Hudson Hawk” Hawkins (Willis) wants to put his criminal past behind him in search of a nice cup of cappuccino. Along with his longtime partner Tommy “Five-Tone” Messina (Danny Aiello),Hawk’s expertise is in navigating state-of-the-art security systems usingMacGyver-like methodsand timing to popular music. The thief’s past success rate catches the attention of several corrupt entities in need of his services, including the mob and shady CIA boss Kaplan (James Coburn).
The pressure mounts on Hawk as he’s blackmailed by all the aforementioned criminals under the thumb of Mayflower Industries owners Darwin (Richard E. Grant) and Minerva (Sandra Bernhard). Hawk is tasked to steal crystals hidden insideLeonardo da Vinci’s artworks sothe Mayflowers can power up the legendary artist’s gold-making creation, La Macchina dell’Oro. Partnered with the thief is secret Vatican agent Sister Anna Baragli (Andie MacDowell), whose real purpose is to derail the Mayflowers’ plans while gradually falling for Hawk. All the colorful characters eventually clash in a chaotic climax inside an Italian castle where La Macchina has been reconstructed.
One of the reasons whyHudson Hawkdid not resonate with audiences in 1991 is thatthe film was trying to do too much all at once to come across as original.It takes the fun of the MacGuffin chase inRaiders of the Lost Ark, adds fantasticalJames Bondvillains and set designs,Hitchcockiantwists, the zany comedy ofMoonlighting, and R-rated zinger dialogue to rival anyEddie Murphyvehicle. The result is a Frankenstein monster of a picture that’s not suitable for children and too juvenile for adults.
Bruce Willis’s Charisma Is on Full Display in ‘Hudson Hawk’
The comedic, whimsical tone ofHudson Hawkis where the movie works bestby subverting the Hitchcockian tropeswith the tension-cutting humor of Willis and Aiello singing during their heists, MacDowell talking like a dolphin in a drug-induced state, and antagonists named after candy to be portrayed as Saturday morning cartoon supervillains. Staying with such a tone could have helped to defineHudson Hawkas pure satire. However, the absurd fun often gets broken up by unexpected graphic violence, such as the Mayflowers’ butler (Donald Burton) slashing a mobster’s throat with a long blade and identical twin henchmen taking bullets to the head senselessly by Bernhard. Between the gags and the intense action,Hudson Hawk’s genre is never made clear to the audience.
Despite the tonal issues withHudson Hawk,Willis is all in on leaning towards the silly nature of the picture. Many of his film roles often range from burned-out heroes (Die Hard,Pulp Fiction) to mentally tortured men (12 Monkeys,Unbreakable) and the occasional cold-hearted villains. As Hawk, however, Willis dials up the Jersey swagger down to his stylish wardrobe choices and his love for the music ofBing CrosbyandFrank Sinatra. Much like his star-making role as David Addison onMoonlighting,Willis can be the cool guy one can share a beer with and not be afraid to put himself into situations that make him look foolish. Scenes of the star being chased on an ambulance stretcher, as well as the very animated moment where Hawk and Five-Tone react hysterically with tranquilizer darts in their necks, define what this film should have been as a clearly defined satire.
This lends credence toRoger Ebert’s negative review ofHudson Hawk, that the concept would have been more successful had Willis retained theBugs Bunny-like persona of his hero rather than turning every supporting player into comic relief. Under the right circumstances,Hudson Hawkhad franchise potential with a stronger script and a defined target audience. However, this isthe signature Bruce Willis performance worth remembering outside theDie Hardfranchisebecause he’s having fun with the subversive concept that audiences didn’t appreciate until similar meta approaches with movies likeDeadpoolbecame widely accepted.
Hudson Hawk
