Plot: What’s it about?
Dan Bartlett (John Cusack) is about to live out seven days of total paradise, one that will surely stand as one of the best weeks of his life. You see, Dan is primed to head off to a tropical island to soak up the rays, take in some waves, and have a blast, but he is not alone in this trek, not by a long shot. His beautiful young girlfriend Lori (Wendy Gazelle) is going to be there also and even though her family will also be present, the two will have plenty of time alone. In other words, Dan has the perfect vacation right in front of him and all he needs to do is take his chemistry exam, pack his bags, and live the good life for a week. But when his constant studying vexes his brain when it comes time to take the test, he ends up with a failing grade and a ticket to nowhere. His depression leads him to skip the voyage of his dreams, but soon, his professor arrives with good news, he is overlooking the situation, as he knows Dan is down with the material. Now Dan just has to race to the airport, find Lori, and prepare for a week of sheer paradise. But will it turn out to be that simple, or will Dan have to work for this vacation?
This is a fun, harmless 1980s flick that has some humorous moments, but falls way short of its potential, without a doubt. The film has the usual trappings of an 80’s teen based movie, with lots of nostalgia points for fans of that decade, but it never comes close to the top films of the time, not even for a second. It has some madcap moments however, which make the rather slow pace pick up at times, though these scenes are too infrequent. Hot Pursuit needs a faster pace, more outlandish sequences, and some fine tuning with the writing, but it still has some good points, especially for fans of 80s cinema. John Cusack gives a likable turn as usual, while Ben Stiller, Robert Loggia, and Wendy Gazelle chime in with passable efforts, to flesh out the cast. In the end, I’d rate this as a rental to those who can’t get enough of 80s films and Paramount seems to agree, since they put minimal effort into this release.
I think his presence his part of the reason this movie doesn’t sink into the abyss, but then again, John Cusack has mad skills, even when given poor material. He has some decent stuff to work with in Hot Pursuit, but not enough really good material, so he often has to use his own charms to make the lines work. But even he can do only so much with Hot Pursuit, which simply cannot provide enough great content to let Cusack shine. He does the best he can however and shows off some his usual traits, which makes the movie more tolerable. If you’re a fan of Cusack and want to see all of his lead performances, you’ll have to take in this one, but keep your expectations down on the low end of the spectrum. Other films with Cusack include Say Anything, Grosse Pointe Blank, Better Off Dead, America’s Sweethearts, and One Crazy Summer. The cast also includes Ben Stiller (Meet the Parents, Zoolander), Robert Loggia (Independence Day, Necessary Roughness), and Wendy Gazelle (The In Crowd, The Net).
Video: How does it look?
Hot Pursuit is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a decent overall transfer, but time has not been too kind to this movie, as the print shows some wear signs and grain in many scenes. I found black levels to be murkier than I’d like, but still solid most of the time and detail is stable, at least in most scenes. The colors look good also, though a little faded at times, but that is to be expected somewhat, I think. In the end, it doesn’t look like Paramount put much effort into this transfer, but it still turned out to be acceptable.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to discuss here, the included 2.0 surround option handles the material well, but offers little beyond the basics. The hilariously dated music comes through in good form, while sound effects also sound solid, though never too dynamic, of course. The main focus is on the dialogue, which sounds clean and easy to understand at all times, no complaints in the least there. This mix is stable and allows all the elements to be heard as intended, but your ears will not be dazzled here. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
