Hot Shots Part Deux is from Jim Abrahams, he of, well the first Hot Shots, and the first Airplane movie and the first, and only, Top Secret movie. I enjoy it but I find it problematic. There is a casual racism that runs through this film that is uncomfortable, not the least that it uses the Iraqi people as the bad guys and the characters are not well-served by the stereotypes that they are forced to portray.
Hot Shots Part Deux is a parody of the Rambo movies and many of the other war/ action films that starred your Stallones or Schwarzeneggers. Charlie Sheen reprises his role of Topper Harley, formerly a pilot, now reborn as a ex-special forces veteran, tasked with going into Iraq to rescue his mentor and take out Saddam Hussein. Sheen actually plays this role well.
Lloyd Bridges is back as Tug Benson, now president of the United States and, I couldn't help it, reminding me very much of Donald Trump, thanks to that internet meme of him from Airplane beside Trump under the "today was a bad day to give up sniffing glue," etc. Granted, Trump is scary and clueless wherein Bridges' Benson is funny and clueless but also able to stand by his principles.
Valaria Golino is back as Ramada and she acknowledges she's only back because it's a sequel. She's great.
It wasn't long after this one that the parody movies of the 80s and 90s stopped being all that good, so, as problematic as this one is, it is worth the watch.
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