This week Mill Creek Entertainment has released another batch of Blu-rays with Retro VHS slipcovers. One of these new releases is the 1991 action comedy Hudson Hawk, which arrives on Blu-ray for the very first time.

Eddie (Bruce Willis) was one of the most famous cat burglars in the world, known as the Hudson Hawk, but he has spent the past 10 years in prison. He’s finally getting out, and best friend/partner Tommy Five-Tone (Danny Aiello) is there to pick him up. However, on his way out, prison guard Gates (Burtt Harris) informs Eddie that there’s no walking away from this life, and that mobsters Cesar (Frank Stallone) and Antony Mario (Carmine Zozorra) have another job for him—they want him to steal a famous Da Vinci bronze horse statue from an auction house. Eddie and Tommy know they don’t really have a choice, and start going through their old planning routine. Eddie knows the length of all the standards, and picks one to sing to himself that’s timed perfectly to each job—and for this heist, that song is Swinging on a Star.

While there are some unexpected hiccups, Eddie and Tommy complete their mission, but soon discover this is just the beginning, and that this scheme goes beyond just the Mario Brothers. They find themselves caught in the middle of a battle for a trio of Da Vinci artifacts that, when combined, unlock the artist’s secret invention that turns alchemy into a reality. On one side are eccentric and deadly billionaires Darwin (Richard E. Grant) and Minerva Mayflower (Sandra Bernhard) and their “handy” butler Alfred (Donald Burton), who has a retractable blade up his sleeve. Their goal is world domination. And on the other side is CGI agent George Kaplan (James Coburn) and his covert candy bar team—Snickers (Don Harvey), Kit Kat (David Caruso), Butterfinger (Andrew Bryniarski) and Almond Joy (Lorraine Toussaint). While the greater good may be their excuse, money doesn’t hurt their motives. And also caught in the middle with Eddie is the beautiful Anna Baragli (Andie MacDowell), a Vatican tour guide with a secret.

Hudson Hawk is the type of movie that you are either going to love or hate. It has a very unique style and sense of humor. If I could equate it to something more recent, it would be be similar in tone to Happy or Crank (though without any drug use). It is an over-the-top, fast-paced action comedy that feels more like a live-action cartoon. Eddie quickly moves from one task to the next as the situation grows more and more complicated. The violence gets quite cartoony at times. There are moments where Eddie falls and when he lands we hear a spring-like boioioingggggg, or he’s bonked on the head and then looks up, shaking it dizzily with a cartoon sound effect. The Mayflowers are also over-the-top villains with their maniacal laughs, small pet dog named Bunny, and overly-complicated schemes. Meanwhile, in the Vatican we see the Pope watching Mr. Ed, and using an intercom system built out of crucifixes. Finally, George Kaplan is your typical loud military general, and his candy bar crew are the source of many jokes, particularly with the always perfectly-camouflaged Kit Kat, or the dim-witted Butterfinger, who’s constantly making mistakes and living up to his name.

If you go into this expecting a more straightforward action/heist movie, you;re going to be disappointed. But if you embrace the craziness, there is a lot of fun to be had with this film. This humor is a bit jarring at first—the first instance that stands out is an odd cut where Hudson jumps from a building into a hotel awning, but instead of seeing him land in the awning, it suddenly cuts to him falling into a chair in the Mario brothers’ office and we hear that cartoony sound effects. But after this, you understand how this movie works, and can just sit back and enjoy. The plot moves at break-neck speed, with lots of twists and turns, but it oddly keeps making sense—even as the main character is on a gurney being dragged behind an ambulance, trying to fight off the bad guys.

Bruce Willis is great in this movie, never taking this character too seriously. There is some fun banter between Eddie and his sidekick/partner played by Danny Aiello. And there is some definite chemistry between Willis and Andie MacDowell. The supporting cast of rogues and villains is filled with recognizable actors who really bring the film to the next level, adding so much zaniness and humor the the film.

Mill Creek’s Blu-ray provides pretty solid video and audio. There were a few scenes that are slightly grainy, but for the most part the picture looks quite clean and detailed picture—certainly the best this film has ever looked for home viewing. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and showcases every cartoony sound effect. Unfortunately, the disc doesn’t include any bonus material or a digital copy. The main menu only offers the option of watching with or without subtitles.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:39:55)

• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

There is no bonus material included

Final Thoughts:

Hudson Hawk is an underrated action-comedy with an amazing main and supporting cast. Bruce Willis is suave and funny, Andie MacDowell is charming and delightful, and Danny Aiello is the perfect sidekick. They cross paths with all kinds of ridiculous and hilarious over-the-top villains for a really fun, crazy, action-packed adventure. Mill Creek’s Blu-ray looks and sounds really good, but unfortunately doesn’t include any bonus material. It’s great to see Mill Creek continuing to release some of these fun older movies on Blu-ray so fans can watch them in HD, or fans of the actors can discover these nearly-forgotten gems.