YMMV / Hot Shots!

• Awesome Music: Sylvester Levay's rocking anthem during the opening and ending credits, a wonderful homage to the famous theme from Top Gun.
• Crosses the Line Twice: Possibly Dead Meat's death, but for sure his funeral.
• Genius Bonus: When Admiral Benson is unable to remember if he was wounded by a bazooka at "Little Bighorn... or was it Okinawa?", his clarification of "the one without the Indians" actually excludes both, due to the presence of Navajo Code Talkers at Okinawa.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Admiral Benson's eulogy eventually involves characters from The Godfather, which is made funnier given what Lloyd Bridges later appeared in.
  • Ramada's bisexual flirting is made funnier by the setup for The Reveal in the sequel.
  • It's impossible to see any scenes with Topper and Washout together without thinking of Two and a Half Men.
  • The final mission ends with Topper Coming in Hot. In Top Gun: Maverick, Maverick does the same thing in the end.
  • Top Gun: Maverick bears striking resemblance to the Hot Shots!, much more than original movie. Premise with brilliant and experienced, but troubled pilot among younger aviators; main mission being a ground strike on nuclear facility, etc...
• Ho Yay: Wash Out is very interested in Topper from the beginning of their acquaintance, he wants to say goodbye to Topper when he is fired, and when Topper manages the action and comes out in one piece, the others cheer, but he bursts out in tears of joy. Not to mention running to him with open arms in the happy end.
  • Maybe it's just brotherly love?
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Washout is played by Jon Cryer, who would later reunite with Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.
  • Dead Meat is William O'Leary, later to be recognized as Tim's brother Marty on Home Improvement and General Xaviax from Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. His wife is Heidi Swedberg, who'll go on to be Susan Ross on Seinfeld.
  • Mailman is Whose Line Is It Anyway? staple Ryan Stiles, who not only starred with Cryer and Sheen on Two and a Half Men, but also was in the sequel in a larger role.

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