History Film / HudsonHawk

The film was a [[BoxOfficeBomb box-office bomb]] (partly because it was marketed as though it were a serious action film when it's clearly intended as a comedy) and regarded for a long time as an [[OldShame embarrassing vanity project]] for Willis. Over time, it's developed a bit of a following for its shameless {{camp}}iness.

* Novelization: by GeoffreyMarsh. Shockingly, for a novelization of a film that was being rewritten as it was made, the book is incredibly faithful to the final product, aside from including the deleted subplot about Kaplan killing Hawk's pet monkey Little Eddie.

* [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell Why We're Bummed Communism Fell]]

''HudsonHawk'' is a 1991 film starring BruceWillis while he was still making the transition from comedy roles like ''{{Moonlighting}}'' to his current ActionHero typecasting. Older tropers experienced with the actor's pre-''Film/DieHard'' career will know this means he [[LargeHam mugs a lot]] and does just about [[RuleOfFunny anything for a laugh]]. And he still has hair.

* WorldOfHam: The ''entire cast'' seems to be engaging in a scenery-chewing competition, especially BruceWillis and RichardEGrant.

* BrickJoke - The duo sings songs to time (and synchronise) their capers. Each time, the song ends before the caper is over. At that very moment, they invariably get caught.

* CaptainObvious - "Coach? I think we've been double-crossed..."

* ChristianityIsCatholic:

*** Also, [[NunsAreSpooky "Catholic girls are scary."]]

* ChekhovsGun - The opening with Leonardo's lab would make Tom Servo declare "Foreshadowing!"

* HumanMail: Eddie wakes up in a packing material shipping crate in another country after being rendered unconscious.

** Da Vinci apparently saw the need for a SelfDestructMechanism when he had his alchemy lab built.
*** Which, really, suits his personality just fine.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Eddie Hawkins, who's called "Hudson Hawk" by everyone except Tommy Five-Tone.

* TimeForPlanB: "You've gotta love male bonding." ''Cat burglars fall off balcony''.
** Another LiteralTrope. "Time for Plan B, George." "...Plan B...!?"

* TheVoiceless:

* [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell Why We're Bummed Communism Fell]]: Given George Kaplan's ex-CIA, it's not surprising he's awfully bummed about it.

** Another LiteralTrope.

* YouFailEconomicsForever: The Mayflowers want to make the world currency market collapse by making so much gold that it turns all of the stuff into WorthlessYellowRocks. That might have worked in, say, 1965. However, ever since RichardNixon took the US off the gold standard in 1971, no currency has any significant links whatsoever to gold, and making lots and lots of gold would only collapse the gold market. Enough to send shockwaves through the global economy? Probably. Enough to destroy it? Never.
** The idea that their own fortune would be unaffected also falls short.
*** There's some implications that "most of" their fortune is in physical commodities and properties whose relative value would be unchanged... Which doesn't explain how they can throw around money like it's ''already'' worthless pieces of paper.

''HudsonHawk'' is a 1991 film starring BruceWillis while he was still making the transition from comedy roles like ''{{Moonlighting}}'' to his current ActionHero typecasting. Older tropers experienced with the actor's pre-''Film/DieHard'' career will know this means he mugs a lot and does just about [[RuleOfFunny anything for a laugh]]. And he still has hair.

** "[[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow Will you play]] {{Nintendo}} [[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow with me?]]"

-->Eddie:"But...the car went off the cliff!"
-->Tommy:"Backseat airbags, can you believe it!?"
-->Eddie:"But....it was on fire!"
-->Tommy:"Built-in sprinkler system [[RefugeInAudacity ''can you fucking believe it!?']]"
-->Eddie:"Yyyyeah! [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief That's...probably what happened!]]"

* UnexplainedRecovery: "Can you fucking believe it!"

* TheDragon - Alfred.

* WhatKeptYou: "I got bored, so I saved myself."

* StopHelpingMe: TropeNamer. Anna decides to pick up a gun and help Hudson during his fight with Alfred. Unfortunately, [[{{Understatement}} she's not the most experienced markswoman in the world.]]

* GoToYourRoom - Followed by a [[Franchise/StarTrek Vulcan Neck Pinch]].

* ImprobableAimingSkills - "Exact change?!"

* LetsGetDangerous - Don't insult [[{{God}} the Big Guy]] when Anna's around. Just don't.
* LookBehindYou - "You don't expect me to fall for that old gag."

* MasterOfDisguise - Kit Kat.

* OverlyLongName - in a sense, with Gates' description of Alfred.

* RunningGag - Will Eddie ever get his [[TrademarkFavouriteFood cappuccino]]?
** Will Eddie ever learn what a {{Nintendo}} is?

* BeserkButton: Caution: Do not insult God in front of a nun. [[OneHitKO One-Hit KOs]] can occur.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Eddie, who's called "Hudson Hawk" by everyone except Tommy Five-Tone.

* PercussiveMaintenance - The Pope's attempt to fix a malfunctioning TV by hitting it with a staff.
* [[PlayingDrunk Playing High]] - Anna in the castle.

* PsychopathicManchild - Butterfinger.
* PunctuatedPounding - Tommy Five Tone to Darwin Mayflower.

* SpeakOfTheDevil - when Gates is talking about Alfred and the latter immediately enters. A subverted InadvertentEntranceCue or HereHeComesNow. Also provides an AnswerCut. (PunNotIntended.)

* StopHelpingMe - Nuns ''can not'' and ''should not'' handle firearms.
** Ought to be the TropeNamer.

* TheButlerDidIt - Quoted by Eddie when telling Tommy [[spoiler:about Gates' death at the hands of Alfred, who ''is'' a butler.]]
* ThemeNaming - The CIA people are code-named after candy bars; apparently before that, they tried diseases.
* ThemeTwinNaming - Eddie jokingly asks of the identical twin mooks tasked with following him around, "What do they call you guys? Igg and Ook?" They are credited as such.
* TimeForPlanB - "You've gotta love male bonding." ''Cat burglars fall off balcony''.

* TrojanHorse - "The Pope takes his mail seriously."
* TheVoiceless -

* UnexplainedRecovery - "Can you fucking believe it!"
* UnholyMatrimony - The Mayflowers.

* WhatKeptYou - "I got bored, so I saved myself."

-->'''George Kaplan:''' God, I miss communism. People were scared, the Agency had some respect, and I got laid every night!

-->'''George Kaplan''' Punks! They think [[BayofPigsInvasion Bay of Pigs]] is an herbal tea, and the ColdWar has something to do with penguins.
* WhyWontYouDie - Butterfinger.

* WorldOfHam - The ''entire cast'' seems to be engaging in a scenery-chewing competition, especially BruceWillis and RichardEGrant.
* YouFailEconomicsForever - The Mayflowers want to make the world currency market collapse by making so much gold that it turns all of the stuff into WorthlessYellowRocks. That might have worked in, say, 1965. However, ever since RichardNixon took the US off the gold standard in 1971, no currency has any significant links whatsoever to gold, and making lots and lots of gold would only collapse the gold market. Enough to send shockwaves through the global economy? Probably. Enough to destroy it? Never.

* {{Confessional}} - "Hit me with your best shot." ''yawns''.

* DeadpanSnarker

* [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell Why We're Bummed Communism Fell]] - TheDragon is awful bummed about it.

-->'''Hudson Hawk:''' [[SarcasmMode Why, George, you big softie.]]

-->'''George Kaplan''' (about his new young crew) Punks! They think [[BayofPigsInvasion Bay of Pigs]] is an herbal tea, and the ColdWar has something to do with penguins.

* HeyItsThatGuy: David Caruso? [[CSIMiami YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!]] And he's in a dress? [[BigNo NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!]]
** Actually RetroactiveRecognition, as NYPD Blue came ''after'' this.

* [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell Why We're Bummed Communism Fell]] - Let TheDragon tell you.
-->'''George Kaplan:''' People were scared, the Agency had some respect, and I got laid every night!