luckystrike6 The humor in this movie starts with goofy physical stuff and ends with self-consciously ironic '80s kitsch. It seems unsure of what it's trying to be, and throughout the movie the episodic glue runs pretty thin. It's not well-directed and it's horribly edited, with problems even in the basic continuity from day to night. Most of all I got the archaeological sense that under it was once something actually kind of like a good screenplay, that just got maimed by the production. Although the characters -- overdrawn to begin with -- are forced to a breaking point by the way-over-the-top performances delivered by actors who can't help rolling their eyes at every line, there are some very well-written -- if politically dysfunctional -- dialogue sequences in this movie, most notably when Cusack finds himself on an airplane where the majority of passengers have just voted to travel to a distant destination, and demonstrates to the stewardess what democracy really consists of by decking a threatening passenger and getting the passengers cheering together behind him...

vestabrigit From John Cusack's earlier days, this film is a cute one that slipped through the cracks. It features a shaggy-haired John from his earlier, hapless romantic teen phase. Ben Stiller, as ever, plays a jerk. It's not a must-see, but a good one to pass the time with and just have a laugh at the strange things Cusack has to do in this movie--aside from getting wet and topless...High points of the movie: watching him get stoned with a bunch of island natives, get drunk in an island bar and shanghaied into service on a boat, and then arrested and thrown into a local jail. The crazy pirate, played by Robert Loggia was excellent comedy relief as well.

wardcullum The consensus opinion on Hot Pursuit seems to be that the first half is superior to the second half. While I enjoyed this film a lot, I can't argue with the opinion. The tone changes in the middle, and the second half is just not as much fun, though I would still recommend the film as a whole.John Cusack's character is the focus of this film, and he does his part in carrying the load. His character is preparing for a dream, tropical vacation with his girlfriend and her family, but he learns that he must stay at school after failing an exam. His professor lets him off easy, and he races after his girlfriend, but he misses his flight by a hair. From there, he proceeds to spend the film trying to catch up with the girlfriend and family, trailing just behind as he enlists "local color" to help in his quest.In the film's second half, the chase grows darker and more serious, and that's where some may find the film not as rewarding. A lot of the 80s era "chase" cliches find their way into Hot Pursuit at this point. The film does eventually recapture its earlier tone, however, and I found the end quite satisfying.Hot Pursuit provided some noteworthy supporting performances as well. Robert Loggia was solid as a crusty old seaman with whom Cusack spends time in the course of his misadventures. Also look for Ben Stiller (with father Jerry) in his first film role. 7/10

tbro71 No the film won't win any oscars, but the tropical locations, John Cusack's talent, and gruffy Robert Loggia make this a very watchable film. I have seen this movie dozens of times and never get tired of it.