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John Cusack is Dan, a student madly in love with his adoring girlfriend Lori (Wendy Cazelle). Once semester finishes they plan to spend a Caribbean cruise on a yacht with Lori's parents.
However Dan's grades don't go as planned, forcing him to be left behind while Lori and her folks cruise off under the stewardship of Victor and his sleazy son Chris (Jerry and - yes! - Ben Stiller).

Dan gets an unexpected break from his tutor however, leaving him to play catch-up with Lori who always seems to be one step ahead of him, while he receives aid from modern-day pirate MacClaren (Robert Loggia).

Probably the most fun you'll have watching 'Hot Pursuit' is that in retrospect, it's got quite a star wattage to it. Apart from the above names, Keith David also pops us Alfonso, a stoner who's more hindrance than help to Dan.

Apart from that however, there's not a lot to make 'Hot Pursuit' worth pursuing (see what I did there?). It skips along at a merry pace and makes use good use of the sunny Caribbean setting but is never actually that funny, just being one long continous chase without any wit or memorable lines to liven it up. Cusack throws himself into the role with customary charm and energy and Loggia is always an entertaining presence in a film. Probably the most fun however is the unintentionally hilarious Stiller trying to convince as a sleazy villain. It's like his wannabe tough-guy performance in 'Starsky and Hutch' - but played straight.

It's harmless fluff unlikely to stick in the memory, save for a faintly ludicrous climax where it takes an ill-advised lurch into violent thriller territory. Other than that it'd be difficult to recommend for all but the most ardent Cusack or Stiller completists. Or Loggia completists if such a thing exists.

If you told me tomorrow that John Cusack and Ben Stiller were starring in a comedy, I'd be first in line. Unless the comedy in question was 'Hot Pursuit' in which case I'd say "seen it, forgot it". And that's all you need to know.

link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=1304&reviewer=293
originally posted: 03/26/04 23:10:26
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