User Reviews

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.

Danny Bartlett can't wait until he and his girlfriend, Lori Conenberg head out with her family on a Caribbean vacation. But what stands in his way of this perfect dream is a final chemistry exam, which he left to study for the night before (oh that brings back memories ;)). What occurs is that Danny flunks his exam and when Lori's family arrives to pick him up. He must cancel the trip. Not long after the Cronenberg's left. His chemistry professor comes in decides to give him a break, by giving passing grade and encouraging him to catch up with her. Dan misses their plane, but eventually arrives in the Caribbean. In his goal to be with Lori he manages to stumble into one unusual situation after another.

Like I was, if you're feeling lazy. This Cusack vehicle might not be his greatest (far from it), but it passes by as an earnest comedy teen caper. It's a nostalgia trip of the 80s brand of teen fluff… and god I love that style. "Hot Pursuit" is generically peppered with a bonbon of spontaneous activities and colourful characters, which makes sure its never boring. Helped along by snappy pacing and John Cusack's sprucely maniac performance is another highlight. Despite these gold and energy filled aspects, it's still quite uninspired in its story telling and the bubblegum script is not as oddly witty as you would hope. Simply put it's not funny. Diverting… yep, but far from hilarious. What hits you with a wallop is its change of direction mid-way through the film. It's a story with definite mood swings. From it's cosy light hearted beginning that turns into a violent adventure thriller. Somewhere in the middle of all of that is the bumbling chase pattern. Although like most of these products we know how it's going to end up… with a happy feel good time and good guys come through. These things shouldn't bother you, as why would you be watching it then. Director Steven Lisberger does a passable job. He manages to get some breathtaking images of the alluringly sparkling Caribbean locations. The music score is a relic of the times, but it being a zippy package only enhances the chirpy air created by its lively carefree environment and inhabitants. A quick-witted John Cusack is his usual charming (and popular) self. He basically carries the film through its dead patches. If he wasn't the lead for this film, I'm sure it just wouldn't be as appealing. Making his film debut is a stiffly raw Ben Stiller as a slime ball character. His frail performance and off humour is totally unsuccessful. His father Jerry Stiller has a joyfully untamed part and Robert Loggia is let loose as the neurotic head case sea captain that teams up with Cusack's character. A lovely Wendy Gazelle is good in her part as Lori. Monte Markham and Shelley Fabares are fine as the parents. Turning up in a bright sunny role is Keith David as a relaxed, pot-smoking local with some amusing banter to share.

This predictable 80s comedy is a modest (if forgettable) attempt that passes the time without much trouble. It's one you wouldn't go out of your way to see (unless you're a fan of Cusack and want to see all his films), but if it's on TV there's no harm in it.

Formulaic, uninspired but painless teen comedy. It's the typical formula where the young hero encounters every imaginable object as he tries to get to his (constantly changing) destination; thanks to his wits, and to pure luck, he overcomes all of them. This film shares with many 80s comedies ("Stripes" comes to mind) the bad habit of turning into an action film halfway through, but the beautiful locations (beautifully photographed) keep it pleasant enough. (**)

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.

...is better than a whole terrible one? I dunno. But I do know that this would-be entry into the John Cusack teen film canon (beginning with "The Sure Thing" and "Better Off Dead", proceeding through "One Crazy Summer," ending with "Say Anything") is worth a look. The first half is my favorite, probably partially having to do with the fact that for whatever reason, it's the half I saw more often when catching this on HBO back in high school. It concerns an average guy (does J. Cusack play anything else?) who desperately needs to track down the girlfriend he told he couldn't accompany to Jamaica and proceeds to try and do so for the duration of the film, after narrowly missing her at the airport. What follows is a decreasingly funny/increasingly less inspired series of misadventures, but Cusack pulls most of it off, simply 'cause he's Cusack, the master of the slow-burn/hang-dog/sarcastic one-liner. Far more memorable and compelling are the early scenes which put Cusack's Dan Bartlett through the paces. Less interesting is the 'drug running/pirate' subplot that develops halfway through in order to let Cusack's character be the hero. But it does have some funny moments, plus a young Ben Stiller before he ever discovered the joys of Mary and baby batter. Worth a look for Cusack- and 80's movie-philes, but all others probably need not apply.

I like this film. Sure, it has many predictable, same old stuff jokes, etc. However, you get to see John Cusack early in his career. He is an extremely underrated actor; taking very carefully chosen roles. This is the difference between an artist and a run of the mill actor. It has served him well. There are many similar actors; however there is only one John Cusack. For example, the same goes for Nicolas Cage or Colin Farrell. They choose their roles carefully, often passing up "blockbuster films" while doing so. This is what sets them (& others) apart.

Unfunny comedy about a college student (John Cusack with Gabriela Sabatini's 80s hair) trying to find his rich girlfriend and her family so he can join them on their Caribbean vacation. Wacky hijinks ensue....light on the wacky. I really like John Cusack, especially his early stuff, but this just stinks. It's not funny at all. I had to double check IMDb in the middle of it to make sure it was supposed to be a comedy because there were so few laughs or even attempts at laughs. Cusack tries his best but the material is so weak he can do nothing with it. So he resorts to things like yelling all of his lines as if that makes them funnier. Well, he was with Robert Loggia in many scenes and that's kind of his thing so maybe that explains that. The supporting cast doesn't help much. Ham is the order of the day. In addition to Loggia, there's Monte Markham, Keith David, and Jerry Stiller all trying too hard. Ben Stiller appears here with his dad in one of his earliest roles. He's pretty bad, too. Always nice to see Shelley Fabares, even in a worthless part. The best part of the movie is Wendy Gazelle's beautiful smile. We don't get to see nearly enough of that, though. It's a very weak movie that has so few laughs it tries to become an action flick near the end. At one point it appears Cusack has murdered some bad guys, which might have at least given the movie some value as a curiosity, but no they live. It's watchable enough if you're not expecting it to be funny. Everybody who wants to laugh should avoid it.

This is the movie that made me fell for John Cusack's acting. He has so much energy, so much presence in this movie, it's impossible not to like his character! Robert Loggia was also very good and the chemistry between the two makes the movie worthwhile on its own.

This is an excellent action comedy: It's light, funny and enjoyable. A little comedy from the 80's, with no pretension whatsoever other then to entertain you and make you laugh… Unfortunately, the end is not that great. Those were the times when the good guy had to defeat all of its enemies within the last 10 minutes of the film. Nevertheless, the movie is entertaining and deserves to be seen.

After a hiatus of weeks, I'm back with scouring the library for more John Cusack movies. Hot Pursuit is one of his earliest movies, even earlier than the previously reviewed Say Anything. Here, he plays a teenager whose Chemistry exam stands in the way of spending a Caribbean holiday with his girlfriend and her family.

However, his professor turns a blind eye to his flunking of the exam and the need for remedial lessons, and Cusack has to pursue his girl and her family as they had already set off without him. It's a decent comedy as he gets into situations like missing planes, spending the night with ganja-smoking Caribbeans, getting entangled with a pirate of sorts, and so on. And it all boils down to his ability to be able to save his girl and her family when they become victims of some thugs who take over their yacht.

Fans of Ben Stiller would also want to watch this for one of Stiller's early performances on screen, and a villain at that. He doesn't have much lines, and neither are they funny though.

Like most teen romance comedies of the 80s, it's pretty predictable stuff, and plays like a teenage boy's fantasy of how a holiday could probably turn out, and becoming the hero who saves the day. Suitable for those boring weekends which you want to waste away.

Barebones Code 1 DVD containing no extras.

OK. Check this out. I am not a critic by any means...I really don't even like movies all that much (well, today's movies). However, this is a movie that I remember having strong feelings for. This is my FAVORITE movie of all time...It came on HBO and I can't find it anywhere. I love the soundtrack...I even remember the songs. This is an adventure action type movie--that's the type I like, I guess. And a comedy at times. I do believe there is one shocking scene with a dead body or something...but nothing too bad. This movie deserves more credit that it gets. Oh, BTW this is my first post here on IMDb. Yeah, that's how much I like this movie.

Young Danny is following his rich girlfriend's family to the Caribbean. But suddenly he simply must take a chemistry test and cannot go with them. After they have left, he gets a leave from his professor and takes a plane to find them. But he is not quite sure where they are, and meets smugglers, crazy captains and murderers.

This is a strange role for Ben Stiller. That is all I have to say about that. This is so far removed from everything else he has done, it does not even look like the same person.

Of all the 1980s John Cusack films, this may be the least best. I hesitate to say "worst" because it is not necessarily bad. A bad Cusack film is still better than many other things you could watch. But it is rather blah, and it does not help that the love interest is completely unlikable.

Male/Born 1983/Detroit, Mi.

I am very disappointed with the lack of support on IMDb for this movie. I will admit I was very young when I first saw Hot Pursuit, but I recently watched it for the first time in many years and loved it all over again. It's a non-stop adventure with a ton of laughs, great characters, and an interesting story. It features Cusack in the prime of his young career and Ben Stiller before he was Ben Stiller.

I described the movie to a friend of mine as a comedy/adventure that kinda turns into a watered down Rambo flick...but in my opinion it works really well and is probably my favorite Cusack flick. I recently saw Better Off Dead for the first time and thought it was pretty good, but it's amazing to me that this Cusack movie doesn't carry more of a fan base.

Unfortunately, you may have a hard time finding this flick in the rental stores. I think I paid $8 for a new copy on Amazon, but this movie is definitely worth the buy. It will be one that you can watch over and over!!

John Cusack is supposed to spend his vacation with the family of his girlfriend, Wendy Gazelle, but for various reasons he misses them. While her father, Monty Markham, and mother, Shelley Fabares, talk about how its all for the best, Miss Gazelle sulks on the airplane, on the way to an unnamed Caribbean island -- clearly Jamaica judging by the people, clearly Ixtapa judging by the buildings and landscape. Cusack trails Miss Gazelle like a hunter, running into a series of eccentrics, including loony sailboat master Robert Loggia, Jerry and Ben Stiller, and other amiable maniacs.

It's clearly PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES for the teenage audience, and it's all done most amiably in terms of the performance, but there's something mildly annoying about its episodic nature. I'm clearly not its intended audience, and it has a nostalgic value for the days for people who were teenagers when it came out, but there's little here to make it worth a second viewing.

Hot Pursuit is a mildly funny comedy which is likely to draw interest from audiences searching for John Cusak movies.

Dan Bartlett (Cusak) is supposed to go on vacation with his girlfriend. Lori Cronenberg. to the Islands. But, he has to bail at the last minute after flunking his Chemistry exam and his girlfriend leaves without him. A generous Chemistry teacher helps him out though, and Danny is once again able to go. But, what a surprise (not), he misses his flight and opportunity to join Lori and her family for a vacation on the beaces. Thus begins one misfortune after another as Danny spends his vacation moving from one place to the next to reach his girlfriend. Each time, something stops him from getting where he has to go. The plot is predictable (the procedure), though sometimes what the situation brings is not (the substance). But Danny is persistent, even if growing ever more tired of all the ungodly obstacles that seem to pop up just as he arrives.

Meanwhile, the boat that Lori and her family is traveling on along the coast is being navigated by a murderer, who eventually gets the Cronerbergs involved in his plot. Danny not only must reach his girlfriend, but save the Cronerbergs from the madmen before it's too late, delivering an ending which at times wavers from being too over the top (Danny's plan of escape involves nothing more than a jeep ride and some grenades). Sometimes, the climax doesn't seem enough (the explosions of the grenades look like someone threw a sandbag at a tree).

I think John Cusak fans will nonetheless enjoy the movie as he delivers typtical and youthful Cusak insanity present in his early films, even the ones with the most stupid plots. Even so, there are some funny moments in the movie from other characters, especially Kieth David as one of the Jamacians who gives Danny a lift. And Robert Loggia as Mac, who commands the boat that Danny hithces on.

The moral of this comic adventure could be: If you're stuck with riff raff, stick with 'em. Twice the main character strays from helpful underdogs and winds up in deeper trouble. But none of the danger lasts very long... although there's a whole lotta tension for John Cusack's Dan Bartlett, a frazzled college student who's supposed to travel to the Caribbean with his rich girlfriend's family before failing an important chemistry test.

Cusack, fresh from feel-good classics like BETTER OFF DEAD, ONE CRAZY SUMMER and THE SURE THING, strays from his usual ever-likable persona as a jerk with a chip on his shoulder and has little patience for his girlfriend - or anyone else for that matter...

But after getting a reprieve from his professor, he rushes to join his girl at the airport - and just misses her. He travels to the Caribbean and reluctantly teams up with a group of Rastafarians (including Keith David) and eventually boards the dilapidated vessel of endearing modern day pirate Robert Loggia.

Dan's always a step away from reaching his seemingly impossible goal and in one overlong scene, where he and Loggia weather a formidable storm, the film turns from brat pack to Jack London...

Directed by TRON creator Steve Lisberger, this isn't a very funny picture but will keep your interest: There's something new around every turn and once the villains are revealed - a father/son teaming of Jerry and the not-yet-famous Ben Stiller who kidnapped Dan's future in-laws aboard a yacht - our shaggy hero morphs into the Cusack we know and love, becoming someone to actually root for.

I bought this great movie for $5 on DVD witch is a bargain and the movies about a man who is going to go on vacation with his girlfriend and her family to the Caribbean but he can not go because he has to re do a test that he failed and then just after his girlfriend has gone his teacher allows him to pass his test so he can go on vacation and then he gos to the airport and gets a plane to try and find her.This movie stars good actors and actress like Jhon Cusack,Jerry Stiller,Wendy Gazelle,Robert Loggia,Monte Markham and Ben Stiller.Jhon Cusack is one of my favorite actors of all time and his best movies have to be The Sure Thing,Better Off Dead,Say Anything,Con Air and Identity.There are heaps of good scenes in this movie especially the scenes in the end of the movie and over all this movie is great and its a must watch movie and my rating is 6 out of 10.

Another in a never ending stream of movies about teens where the actors are not really teens. I think Cusack was around 21 in this one. Another reviewer said that he always plays an average guy. That's true, but how many average guys are super tall? That always struck me as the weird thing about his "everyman" persona.

This is also another movie where high school kids are already well into their sexual boyfriend/girlfriend relationship as if they are adults. They talk about making love under the stars as if they can just do that with full permission from the adults involved.

Having said all that, it's mildly enjoyable. You root for Cusack and sort of envy his Spring Break adventure. Ben Stiller looks great. He actually plays a good looking player rather than the pathetic dork he plays as an adult.

Robert Loggia is great. He kind of makes the film. He plays his usual gruff renegade, but he does it with memorable panache.

The plot is a bit too complex and you find yourself wanting it to end long before it actually does.

I like it for the eerie 80s synth soundtrack and the idea of a young guy having an attractive girlfriend and a Caribbean adventure. But unless you like Cusack and Stiller, stay away. It's too convoluted.

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...

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

Dan Bartlett (John Cusack) is a poor kid in a boy's prep school. His girlfriend Lori Cronenberg has invited him on the family Caribbean cruise with her parents and sister Ginger. He flunks his test and misses the trip to take a makeup test. His teacher gives him a break but he misses the plane anyways. He gets to Porta Rosa and makes the mistake of accepting a ride from smuggler Alphonso (Keith David) and his friends. Meanwhile, the Cronenbergs board the boat with Captain Andrew and Chris Honeywell (Ben Stiller). A hungover Dan joins MacClaren (Robert Loggia) on his boat as Mac chases after Chris.

This is so 80's with a young John Cusack and a wacky adventure. Even the gun action is so 80's with lots of shooting and nobody gets killed. It's a lesser example of one of these movies. Cusack does his best but he's essentially alone. He's perfectly lovable. I can do without the violent last act. This is mostly for Cusack fans only.

I was flicking through the TV channels when I came across this film being broadcast. I thought John Cusack, Why not give it a go. After laughing and enjoying this film from beginning to end I was really suprised that I had never heard, of it. It is a clever, witty and easy to watch. I hope it comes out on DVD.

While this is undoubtedly the worst of John Cusack's teen comedys, he still manages to lift the film above most other '80's films of the same genre through his sheer screen presence (despite a truly terribly haircut).

The script is uninspired and nonsensical but inoffensive & there are a couple of good moments, particularly the "That's democracy!" scene on the plane which stand out above the rest.

Rating: 6/10

John Cusack's worst film ever! The story is lackluster, the characters foolish and unmotivated. Poor performances all around. For a great John Cusack movie, rent Grosse Pointe Blank, or Say Anything.