It does make a bit of sense to think that someone would be thinking of making a Hot Shots! part 3 now that Top Gun: Maverick has hit the theaters. But the logical question now would be if anyone is really willing to do such a thing, and how many more movies would be spoofed at this point? After all, the Hot Shots! movies didn’t exactly stop when it came to poking fun at action movies, they decided to take on other famous titles as well. A better question though would be who might come back for such a movie, or would it be an entirely new cast? At this point, every actor used in the last two movies has grown old enough to the point that they might need to welcome a new generation if they want the movie to be successful. But that’s assuming that Jon Cryer’s idea would ever take off in the first place. Thinking that it has no chance is kind of a ridiculous statement to make, especially since nostalgia is bound to remain a big thing for years to come, which means that pulling from the past is going to continue.
There are a lot of reasons why spoof movies are worth the effort, and one of them is that people love seeing a comedic side to their favorite movies, especially when it comes to pointing out moments in the original movie that left themselves completely open to one humorous idea or another. Movies like Top Gun and Rambo were bound to be spoofed at one point or another. Despite being great action movies, they still had scenes in which the plot kind of thinned out and left itself wide open for criticism, and comedy is great for picking up on such moments. Back in the day, the cast of Hot Shots! was great as well, as the movie gathered a few of the hottest stars at the time and made a story that was both ridiculous and compelling enough to push to the public twice.
But it does beg the question of whether a third movie would do just as well without a few of the big-name stars that made the last two movies any good, since Lloyd Bridges, one of the best parts of both movies, passed away in 1998, Richard Crenna passed in 2003, and Miguel Ferrer passed on in 2017. There are plenty of actors left from the cast list, but at the same time, these three tended to add a great deal to any movie they were in, be it dramatically or comedically. Plus, there’s a big question as to whether anyone would want to come back. It does sound as though Cryer would want to do something with it, but trying to get Charlie Sheen back, or anyone else, feels like it would stand out as a huge question mark that might not yield the results that people want. The Hot Shot! The movies were insanely funny, but they were also released quite a while ago, and it almost feels as though a return to them wouldn’t be quite as successful, especially since it’s likely that a lot of the humor would have to be toned down or changed.
There are various reasons why reaching back into the past for material to use in today’s films is a risk, and it has to do with the sense of humor, the content, and how it’s received by the audiences of today. Those of us that were growing up or were grown back in the 80s and 90s are divided concerning the various movies and shows that were popular during that time since the phrase ‘that didn’t age well’ has become a point of contention between a lot of fans when talking about the entertainment that didn’t take into account the taboo words, phrases, and ideas that tend to trigger people in this day and age. It might sound like I’m beating a dead horse, but the fact remains that people are still getting bent out of shape about jokes and content that was meant to be taken in a light and fun manner without needing to worry about the serious implications. In a sense, taking the power and stress from a situation is bound to trigger a lot of people these days, meaning that joking about anything from sexual relationships to war has become almost taboo at times.
The best part is that filmmakers are pushing forward and continuing their craft despite the realization that someone is going to hem and haw about the work they’ve done. Hot Shots! 3 could be a possibility if the right people were enlisted to work on the movie, but until that moment happens it could be a fun idea that’s just waiting for reality to help it along. Hey, it could happen.
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