Hudson Hawk' provides entertainment value but no substance

Thought-provoking. Genius. A breakthrough in film technology. None of these are terms that one would use to describe Michael Lehmann's Hudson Hawk. But, as will hopefully become clear, who really cares?

From its opening sequence, the movie makes no bones about being ridiculous and far-fetched _ a guy rides a donkey up to Leonardo da Vinci's tower in 1481. The scene is set for confusion, but is redeemed by featuring an all-star cast including Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, James Coburn, and Stallone (Frank, not Sly).

Our fears, however, are set to rest when we are catapulted into the world of an ex-cat burglar with a affinity for cappuccinos. Eddie "The Hawk" Hawkins (Willis), along with the help of Tommy Five-Tone (Aiello), proceeds to rob various institutions, simultaneously singing ridiculous tunes like "Swingin' on a Star".

Now, you might be asking yourself, "How can it get any better?" But picture this: A couple of megalomaniacs hell-bent on world domination, a nefarious secret agent (Coburn) and his gang of new blood CIA agents, an evil butler, the Jersey mob, crooked parole officers, reindeer-goat-cheese pizza, a rocket launcher, and the looping of video recorders that predates the movie Speed.

Outstanding.

Its not often that movies are made where the sole intent is to shamelessly entertain the viewer for 100 minutes. And in Hudson Hawk, we get to travel to scenic locations, are presented with comedic hijinks, and see robbery sequences that, while not up to par with the Thomas Crown Affair, are thoroughly enjoyable. The dialogue is tongue-in-cheek, filled with one-liners and inane jokes. The music is easy to listen to, composed by Michael Kamen of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves fame.

The sound effects are cartoon-y, raising the stakes of the absurdity of the film. The fun that the cast and crew were clearly having during film production is absolutely infectious.

But if this movie is so entertaining, then why have you perhaps not heard of it? It was released after Bruce Willis was catapulted into the spotlight from Die Hardand Die Hard 2, and people were expecting a guns-blazing movie with a tough-as-nails hero. Instead, they got an adventure-comedy that took itself less seriously than a mime does The critics panned the film for unbelievably, over-the-top acting, absurd situations, etc. What the critics apparently overlooked is the fact that these ridiculous antics were all intentional. Would critics make complaints about the absurdity of a movie like The Naked Gun or Monty Python's The Holy Grail? Not so much. What did they want from Hudson Hawk, acting of Brando-esque proportions, unparalleled realism, and an Oscar worthy script? My answer to them: cry about it.

Now, I like "intelligent" movies as much as anyone else. But there is a time for pretension, and there is a time to suck it up and laugh with the rest of us. Hudson Hawk is a light and campy movie that realizes as much, and relishes in the fact. It is the quintessential escapism movie, where you get to forget about that paper that you haven't started and was due yesterday, sit down and, at the very least, chuckle a bit.