Hot Shots (1991)

A moment of silence for the good screwball comedy. There's something to be said for a good one-two punchline brought on by a throw-away non-sequitor and a terrible pun. In a lot of ways, it seems to be a lost art. While not up to the quality of the Naked Gun films, this little gem has enough great moments to cover up many of its failings. Choosing Top Gun as its inspiration, the primary problem is that the film tries to play it a bit more straight than most of its peers, making a slight attempt at giving the story an actual progression. The humor that drops in is largely incidental. Yet star Charlie Sheen, and the late Lloyd Bridges, still bring their A-game, hamming up the screen and giving clever winks to the camera. Bridges in particular is hilarious as a mumbling, senile, injury-prone navy admiral. In all, it's not the kind of film that anyone would mistake for a comedy classic, but it definitely is worth its share in fond memories.

7 out of 10.