danielemerson I like bad movies. I like them a lot. So when I heard tell of the legend that is Andy Sidaris, I decided to check this one out.Now, normally, my taste in cinematic sweepings is a lot less boobular than this. However, you have to admit that Sidaris had a vision and knew what he needed to fulfil it. 1. Guns that go BANG! 2. Breasts that go BOING! 3. Dialogue that goes "buh..."The two female leads are not great thespian talents (I suspect the casting was done at the Playboy Mansion with the assistance of a tape measure), but do their part with bucketloads of enthusiasm.The film does have possibly the only skateboard/blowup doll/bazooka death scene in the history of celluloid, but the escaped snake is even less convincing than the plot itself. Altogether, this is a sort of evocation of what made the Eighties so damn... Eighties. Tasteless, silly, shiny, pneumatic, hairsprayed, gratuitous.

Scott LeBrun There's a place in the world for just about every kind of film. You have your Oscar baiting serious fare on one end, and then you have stuff like the Andy Sidaris oeuvre. The man played his own particular formula for everything that it was worth: combine gorgeous Playboy Playmates with James Bond type action scenarios and breathtaking scenery. The Hawaii setting is a wonderful backdrop indeed for these cheerfully sleazy and silly shenanigans. The story (if anybody does care) involves two extremely comely female special agents, Donna (Dona Speir) and Taryn (Hope Marie Carlton), who intercept a shipment of diamonds intended for a crime lord, Seth (Rodrigo Obregon). Oh, did I mention the cross dressing spy, or the hilariously phony looking deadly snake? They get worked into this mix, creating results that if not really inspired do make for generally agreeable entertainment. There's a knowingly cheesy approach to the whole thing, and Sidaris takes the time to promote himself as his work is advertised with use of posters from his previous films; he also does a cameo as a TV director. The film has genuinely amusing and entertaining characters, from smooth agent Rowdy Abilene (Ronn Moss), cousin of the Cody Abilene character from "Malibu Express", to his goofy pal Jade (Harold Diamond) to nefarious criminal kingpin Mr. Chang (Peter Bromilow). Of course, this is basically a vehicle for the charms of Ms. Speir and Ms. Carlton, and even if they're not overwhelmingly blessed in the acting department, that hardly matters. The voyeur in many of us will appreciate Sidaris taking each and every opportunity to have our sexy female cast members bare their breasts. There's also a fair bit of stuff blowing up real good to help keep this from ever getting dull. Overall, this is a good 'n' bouncy diversion worth a look for lovers of trashy B cinema. Seven out of 10.

unbrokenmetal Even though the Malibu Express yacht returns, this is not a real sequel to the movie "Malibu Express". Dona Speir starred for the first time in one of Sidaris' movies; tough guy Rodrigo Obregon and Playboy playmate Cynthia Brimhall would become familiar faces in the series of action movies with lethal ladies, too. "Hard Ticket To Hawaii" begins with two female pilots who carry an extremely dangerous snake on board of their plane. The snake escapes and spreads death, but the two ladies are also in danger because they interfered unknowingly with the plans of diamond smugglers. The movie suffers from a mediocre story, silly dialogs and poor acting, but with a lot of action and the fine craftsmanship behind the camera, it becomes easy to sit through. This is the 2nd out of my 12 reviews for the works of Andy Sidaris, in chronological order. Even if "Hard Ticket To Hawaii" isn't among my personal faves, I have the impression that due to the learning experience from this, some of the following works became much better.

gridoon "Hard Ticket to Hawaii" is a movie that seems to have all the right ingredients, but somehow they never quite gel. There are beautiful, fit women in skimpy clothing or less, exotic locations, witty / corny dialogue ("If brains were bird crap, your cage would be clean"), killer frisbees (!), explosions, etc. But the pacing could have been snappier, the girls could have kicked more a$$ (the villainess-bodybuilder is definitely underused), and that snake is the fakest snake in the history of snakes! Still, Dona Speir handles her role with conviction and Hope Marie Carlton is just adorable. For all his flaws, Andy Sidaris remains one of the few American directors who love the girls-with-guns genre so much. (**1/2)