A 1989 comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, starring Tom Hanks (and a dog).
Scott Turner (Hanks), an obsessively neat police detective, acquires Hooch, a large and slobbery Dogue de Bordeaux, after the murder of the dog's master Amos Reed (John McIntire), a local junk-yard owner who was a friend of Turner's. Turner is bored with little police work in the fictional town of Cypress Beach, California and is set to transfer to a better job in Sacramento, while fellow detective David Sutton (Reginald VelJohnson) is slated to be his replacement.
Turner pleads with police chief Howard Hyde (Craig T. Nelson) to let him take on Amos' murder case. Believing that Hooch is the only "witness" he has, Turner brings him home. The energetic dog promptly destroys Turner's house and car and turns his life upside-down. On a positive note, however, Hooch also instigates a romance between Turner and the new town veterinarian Emily Carson (Mare Winningham).
In 2020 it was confirmed that a TV series based on the film (with the same name) would be coming to Disney+ by 20th Television. The show stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner Jr., a U.S. marshal; the series acts as a Distant Sequel to the film. The show aired its first episode on July 21, 2021.
Came out the same year as K-9, an unrelated film with a similar premise.
Tropes seen in this film:
- Amplified Animal Aptitude: Hilariously, in the final scene:Turner: No playing of my records!
- Babies Ever After
- Big Bad Friend: Chief of Police Howard Hyde, Scott's superior, is actually the mastermind behind the drug money laundering.
- Big Friendly Dog: Averted at first, but played straight towards the end.
- Big "WHAT?!" and Big "SHUT UP!": Turner does both of these tropes when confronting Hooch for barking in the middle of the night.Turner: What?! What is it?! WHAT?! WHAT?! If you're hungry, finish the hamburgers! Eat the buns! You're not thirsty, you're not touching the water, the orange juice, cranapple! What is it?! What am I supposed to do, make you a margarita?! [Beat] SHUT UP! GOD! Shut up! This has been going on for two and a half hours! BE QUIET!
- He also shouts the latter trope to a neighbor rudely awaken by Hooch's barking:
Neighbor: Give him [Hooch] a Valium, Turner! Take one yourself!Turner: Hey, shut up! I'm a policeman! (beat) Look, do you want your car towed? - Big "NO!": Turner does this when he gets locked out of the house by Hooch.
- Turner: (tries opening the door) Oh... NOOOOOO! AAH! YOU—! (tries to open another door) Ah, you stupid dog! (holds up a trash can and slams it down) No! AH, YA STUPID DOG!
- Birth-Death Juxtaposition: The film ends with the death of Hooch, immediately juxtaposed with finding out that not only did he father a litter of puppies, but Emily is pregnant as well.
- Bittersweet Ending: Turner solves the murder and brings down the criminal behind the drug operation and Hyde, but Hooch is shot and killed in the process. However, he did father a litter of puppies before his death... including a son who behaves almost exactly like him.
- Brick Joke: "This is not your room."
- Chekhov's Gun: Hooch has a patented trick, in which he can hold a grown human in a chokehold with his mouth without biting unless commanded. Turner uses that trick to intimidate a thug connected to Hooch's Master's murder.
- Dirty Cop: Howard Hyde.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Even after being shot, Hooch forces himself to crawl toward Howard Hyde and bite him in the leg when he threatens Turner, allowing him to take Hyde's shotgun and shoot him.
- Fire-Forged Friends: While Turner and Hooch don't exactly have the best relationship at first, the two start to bond when Turner becomes romantically involved with Emily. This makes Hooch's sacrifice to save Turner's life even more heartbreaking for him, and the audience.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Hooch.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Hooch's Chokehold.
- Long List: The "House Rules."
- Make the Dog Testify: The driving force behind the plot; Hooch has the murderer's scent and witnessed it happen so he's the only lead the cops currently have.
- Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: Amos' murder → A dirty money contraband lead by the Chief Howard Hyde.
- Name and Name
- Neat Freak: Turner, so very much.
- Running Gag: "This is not your room."
- Shockingly Expensive Bill: Turner's reaction to the clerk when shopping for Hooch.Turner: $97.51? Is that- Is that pesos? This is for a dog, this is dog food. $97.51?! I'm not gonna eat this stuff! Did I buy smoked salmon?! $97.51! How much if I take this back? (holds up squeaky toy and squeaks it a few times) I'd like to talk to Kevin. Can you call him, please? KEVIN!!
- Trash of the Titans: Even for a dog, Hooch makes a bigger mess of Turner's house than anyone would have thought possible. This may have something to do with the fact that his previous owner also owned a junkyard.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Hyde kills Boyett at the end, partly out of this, and partly to use him as a Fall Guy.
