Young Guns - 3/5

This movie is a fun western-style romp, complete with shootouts and its own ‘brat pack’-style protagonist gang. On paper it addresses the perils of sanctioned revenge, but in practice it glorifies the reckless adventure of it all. There’s the carelessness for human life that all westerns fall prey to, but it doesn’t dwell on it the way some do.

Closest comparison: It’s like Hang ‘Em High by way of The Quick and the Dead, with a soundtrack from Ladyhawke.

Setting: Western
Plot: Revenge
Tone: Adventure

Hot Shots! (1991) - 2/5

This is a tired product of the Jim Abrahams machine, cranked out after all-time comedy greats Airplane! and Police Squad! generated the interest. Most of the jokes are non-sequitur visual gags like the ‘instruments’ joke in Airplane!, which work for sparse surprise comedy but here get redundant with overuse. Many of the jokes will elicit a chuckle, but none really merit the gut-busting laughs like previous films did. It’s worth watching for fans of Jim Abrahams, but everyone else can give it a miss.

Closest comparison: It’s Top Gun getting the Airplane! treatment.

Setting: Action
Plot: Action
Tone: Screwball Comedy

Navy Seals (1990) - 3/5

This is a solid ‘90s action movie that portrays the combat much more realistically than many of its contemporaries, though still very much a popcorn action flick. It’s focused on its ‘life of a seal team’ narrative and allows the winding events to play out in support of its story. There’s not much more to this movie beyond what you would expect, which is both its charm and its downfall.

Closest comparison: It’s like Act of Valor (2012) by way of Point Break (1991).

Setting: Stealth Mission
Plot: Geopolitical Thriller
Tone: ‘90s Action