Hudson Hawk (1991)

22% of critics liked it
(32 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(42,502 ratings)

Michael Lehmann directed this post-modernist hash of To Catch a Thief and The Naked Gun starring Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk, a cat burglar who wants to go straight, but the circumstances won't allow it. The story begins in a pre-credit sequence that takes place in the renaissance. Leonardo Da Vinci… More Michael Lehmann directed this post-modernist hash of To Catch a Thief and The Naked Gun starring Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk, a cat burglar who wants to go straight, but the circumstances won't allow it. The story begins in a pre-credit sequence that takes place in the renaissance. Leonardo Da Vinci (Stefano Molinari) is rushing through his Mona Lisa painting to work on his latest invention -- a machine to turn lead into bronze. But Da Vinci makes a mistake and, instead of bronze, the machine turns the lead into gold. Realizing the danger of his invention if the contraption gets into the wrong hands, he hides three parts of the apparatus inside three of his other works. Four hundred years later, Hudson Hawk, the world's greatest cat burglar, is being released from jail after pulling a ten-year stretch. He wants to retire from the profession of cat burglary and drink some cappuccino, but two screwball billionaires -- Darwin and Minerva Mayflower (Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard) -- won't let him. Their nefarious plot is to steal the three Da Vinci works, restore Da Vinci's gold-making machine, and destroy the world's monetary system. They blackmail Hawks into working with them to steal the Da Vincis by threatening the life of Hawks's pal Tommy Five-Tone (Danny Aiello). Along with the power-mad billionaires, Hawks has to deal with the CIA, in the person of George Kaplan (James Coburn), breathing down his neck. He also has Vatican art restorer Anna Baragli (Andie MacDowell) falling for his smirk. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Michael Lehmann
Written By: Bruce Willis, Robert Kraft
Genres: Action & Adventure, Comedy

In Theaters: May 24, 1991 Limited
On DVD: Mar 16, 1999
Studio: TriStar Pictures

Critic Reviews

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
This unspeakably awful can make an audience a little crazy. You want to throw things, yell at the actors, beg them to stop.
Joe Brown, Washington Post
To say this megamillion Bruce Willis vehicle doesn't fly is understatement in the extreme.
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
A crafty satire, but with a swashbuckling soul.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
There was a brief time when a new Michael Lehmann film meant something positive. I know, hard to believe.
Brian Orndorf, DVDTalk.com
A delightfully outlandish vanity film, capable of eliciting giggles, groans, guffaws, and gagging frequently in the same fanciful instant.
James Brundage, Filmcritic.com
so implausible and so over the top that it lets inconsistency roll off like water on a duck's back
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
Vanity projects don't get much worse than this.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
Go back to Moonlighting Bruno
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Double-barreled misfire

Read all 9 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Tsubaki S

The hate this movie gets is insane, just a circle-jerk of critics mostly. Is dumb but has plenty of fun moments. Sandra Bernhard and Richard Grant as villians? That alone makes this work, bad jokes and Bruce Willis singing included.
Anthony L

It?s really not that bad! Bit stupid sure, but good clean fun!
Jason O

This isn't a guilty pleasure of mine, cause I have no shame in saying that this is an awesome, underrated, overlooked, and in my book, classic Bruce Willis film. Definitely one of the more underrated films I know of, period, and have seen in awhile. The critics and most people… More
This isn't a guilty pleasure of mine, cause I have no shame in saying that this is an awesome, underrated, overlooked, and in my book, classic Bruce Willis film. Definitely one of the more underrated films I know of, period, and have seen in awhile. The critics and most people are stupid for downing this one. I find it very funny and fun to watch, with plenty of classic scenes and team action.
Leigh R

It wasn't all my cup of tea, but Bruce singing out show tunes was pretty freakin' hilarious.
Tim S

Most people shit on this movie, but I think it's pretty entertaining. Bruce Willis and Danny Aeillo are a pretty good team and usually I think Andie McDowell is just a pretty face, but here it seems like she actually has a personality. There is a lot to hate, even loathe, but… More
Most people shit on this movie, but I think it's pretty entertaining. Bruce Willis and Danny Aeillo are a pretty good team and usually I think Andie McDowell is just a pretty face, but here it seems like she actually has a personality. There is a lot to hate, even loathe, but there is also enough to love, like James fucking Coburn (how can you not love this guy?). Looking back recently on all the shit movies that Willis has to smug his way through, it's really nice to see him have a good time and everyone forgets that he can really do comedy well. It made me remember the days of sitting around the TV and waiting for Moonlighting which is still one of my favorite shows of all time and made me a Bruce Willis fan forever. I know I'll get shit for this review, but I don't care anymore.
danny d

i wanted to like it but it was way too silly
Jason S

Funny and a little silly.
Dean M

Bruce Willis makes himself funny acting as a cat burglar in this action-comedy film. And I'm sick of a twisted billionaire couple characters played by Richard E.Grant and Sandra Bernhard.
xGary X

I was expecting much from Michael Lehmann after the wonderful Heathers, and this is what I got. Witless, mindless bilge. Some of the "jokes" made me physically cringe, and Richard E Grant & Sandra Bernhardt manage to be even more unwatchably irritating than Andie… More
I was expecting much from Michael Lehmann after the wonderful Heathers, and this is what I got. Witless, mindless bilge. Some of the "jokes" made me physically cringe, and Richard E Grant & Sandra Bernhardt manage to be even more unwatchably irritating than Andie MacDowell. Far too many things wrong with it for me to list here. Awful in every department.
Aaron N

A completely over-the-top Bruce Willis action movie, that I enjoy watching because, well, I like Willis' charismatic attitude towards every ludicrous situation that he gets himself into.
Steve K

"Bunny! Ball ball!"
James A

So underated
Naughtia N

I can understand why people would think that this movie is a bit tacky or cheesy but I actually enjoyed it quite a bunch. I really love those action movies from the 80's and the 90's and this somehow brings me back to that time. One thing is for sure and it is that this… More
I can understand why people would think that this movie is a bit tacky or cheesy but I actually enjoyed it quite a bunch. I really love those action movies from the 80's and the 90's and this somehow brings me back to that time. One thing is for sure and it is that this movie is definitely not one of Bruce Willis' best movies. The action scenes were quite funny in a witty way, I just can't believe that I haven't seen this movie before. It is always a blast (for me) to watch Bruce Willis movies.
Brett W

One of the greatest examples ever of pure, 100% commercial, disposable Hollywood summer nonsense. Hudson Hawk seems to have garnered a lot of flack over just these things but I think it's unfair to categorize it the same way you would your Wild Wild Wests and your Rush Hours.… More
One of the greatest examples ever of pure, 100% commercial, disposable Hollywood summer nonsense. Hudson Hawk seems to have garnered a lot of flack over just these things but I think it's unfair to categorize it the same way you would your Wild Wild Wests and your Rush Hours. Often crossing the line into farce this movie never for one second takes itself seriously or pretends to be stylistically groundbreaking. Best of all you can tell that the cast probably had a great time making this, and in turn it's easy to find yourself charmed by the experience.
John M

One of the worst films Willis has ever been in. As a comedy, the film is lacking. Dumb movie.
monty h

I really don't understand how I can like this movie, but I do. Basically a showoff vehicle for Bruce who plays a cat burglar just released from prison who is forced to steal three famous DaVinci artifacts. Danny Aiello plays his sidekick, Tommy Five-Tone. Andie MacDowell is the… More
I really don't understand how I can like this movie, but I do. Basically a showoff vehicle for Bruce who plays a cat burglar just released from prison who is forced to steal three famous DaVinci artifacts. Danny Aiello plays his sidekick, Tommy Five-Tone. Andie MacDowell is the mysterious woman who helps him out. And Sandra Bernhard and Richard E Grant are totally insane as The Mayflowers, the villians who force Hawk to steal again. This is my guilty pleasure movie. Comedy, action, big screen spectacle and yes even a musical number. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darwin Mayflower: Money isn't everything - gold is. Fuck T-bills! Fuck blue chip stocks! Fuck junk bonds! We've got the real deal! Money will always be paper, but gold will always be GOLD!
Kevin M

This movie is funny at all the right and wrong moments. I can't stand the annoying 'dolphin impression' or the 'hi-maintenance bosses' scenes. Still an adventure worth watching, because of Aiello and Willis.
Chad R

Screw you guys, I thought it was kinda funny.

Read all 18 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk

            Danny Aiello as Tommy Five-Tone

            Andie MacDowell as Anna Baragli

            Sandra Bernhard as Minerva Mayflower

            Richard E. Grant as Darwin Mayflower

            James Coburn as George Kaplan

            Donald Burton as Alfred

            Don Harvey as Snickers

            David Caruso as Kit Kat

            Andrew Bryniarski as Butterfinger

            Lorraine Toussaint as Almond Joy

            P. Randall Bowers as Prison Clerk

            Leo Cimino as Cardinal

            Massimo Ciprari as Pope

            Giangiacomo Colli as Waiter

            Burtt Harris as Gates

            Michael Klastorin as Dean

            John Lucantonio as Vatican Guard

            Douglas Brian Martin as Flunkie

            Stefano Molinari as Leonardo da Vinci

            Frank Page as Mario's Driver

            Lisa Reich as Girl in Car

            Remo Remotti as Guy on Donkey

            John Savident as Auctioneer

            Courtenay Semel as Bratty Kid

            Bob Vazquez as Big Stan

            Enrico Lo Verso as Apprentice

            Giselda Volodi as Mona Lisa

            Arthur M. Wolpinsky as Prison Security Guard

            Carmine Zozzora as Anthony Mario

            William Conrad as Narrator

            Scott Eddo as Jerry

            Frank Stallone as Cesar Mario

            Frank Welker as Bunny the Dog

            Steven M. Martin as Ook
See full cast

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Cast

Trailers & Clips