Plot: What’s it about?
Donna (Dona Speir) and Taryn (Hope Marie Carlton) might seem like just another couple of gorgeous women, but these ladies are anything but the usual bimbos. These two work undercover for the federal government as part of a cargo service, with their station being in the lush, tropical haven of Hawaii. As shipments pass between the islands, Donna and Taryn attempt to uncover any illegal trade or the like. Most of the traffic is clean of course, but sometimes some bad stuff is found and in this case, that’s just what happens. A large amount of diamonds have been found and of course, the owner is not pleased with this fact and orders them to be returned, no matter what that takes. The precious stones belonged to Seth Romero (Rodrigo Obregon), a vicious drug dealer who plans to reign terror until his property is returned to him. In other words, Donna & Taryn will need some help to overcome his forces, so The Agency sends in some reinforcements to lend a hand. As bullets blaze, chases ensue, and all out chaos erupts, which side will emerge as the victor when the smoke clears and the gunfire ceases?
As per usual in the films of Andy Sidaris, this one is action packed and features the gospel of bullets, bombs, and babes. As a fan of Sidaris and his brand of filmmaking, I am thrilled to see Hard to Ticket to Hawaii on DVD and course, look forward to more titles from Ventura’s The Andy Sidaris Collection soon. As with his other films, Sidaris worked within a limited set of resources, but he knows how to spend the cash and it shows on screen. This won’t be mistaken for a blockbuster action movie, but it has some good moments, complete with large scale explosions, motorcycle chases, and of course, babes with massive guns. The ladies of Hard Ticket to Hawaii are mostly Sidaris regulars and Playboy bunnies, but don’t dismiss them on that sole reason. Sidaris is able to get decent performances from his stars, even if not up to award winning standards. As if the movie didn’t have enough naked chicks in the running time, Sidaris even runs the nude scenes in the credits, pure genius at work, if you ask me. I have always thought this was a cool, very fun picture and as such, it is highly recommended, especially in this new deluxe edition.
Video: How does it look?
Hard Ticket to Hawaii is presented in a full frame transfer. After seeing Picasso Trigger, I had hoped for the same kind of results and thankfully, this movie also looks terrific. The print looks clean and shows no real wear signs, which was a pleasant surprise, to be sure. No issues in terms of colors either, as the tropical hues look beautiful and bold here, while flesh tones are natural and that’s crucial in this movie. The contrast is smooth and never wavers, so detail is well defined and black levels are dead on. I never expected this movie to look so sharp and clean, so I think fans will be nothing less than thrilled with this presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included stereo option won’t push your system much, but the basics are well represented, which is what counts. I suppose a full surround track would open up the scope, but as far as the material goes, this track is more than acceptable. The explosive sound effect retain some nice power moments, while the music is clean and never falters in the least. No dialogue problems surface either, as vocals are crisp and well placed throughout. Not very memorable on the whole, but no real complaints need to be made, so all is well here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary with Andy Sidaris and his wife Arlene starts us off, which I found to be an informative, enjoyable overall session. I like how they are not afraid of revealing shortcuts and cheats in their productions, but instead embrace them, which is how it should be with movies like Hard Ticket to Hawaii. I was impressed by how talkative both participants were, as minimal silent spots can be found and in the end, this is a great audio commentary session. This disc also includes a behind the scenes featurette, introduction from Andy Sidaris & Julie Strain, a selection of production stills, and trailers for this and other Sidaris pictures.
