Bullet Points: Hawkeye (1988)
As I was getting my notes together for this review of 1988’s Hawkeye, I was listening to some Hot Hitz 80’s to put me in the mood. There was a passage in one of those trifle songs that I feel is the keynote to this review, Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Everybody George Chung Tonight…
- Oh What a Rush: George Chung plays Detective Alexander “Hawkeye” Hawkamoto of the Las Vegas PD. Hawkeye (or Hawk for those in the know) is your classic maverick cop. And no matter what name you use for him, they are all awesome. Hawk (a native of Austin, Texas) was the youngest Texas Ranger in history, but when Hawk went all vigilante on the man who killed his girlfriend, Hawk was asked to take a leave of absence from the Rangers by his superiors. That edict is what brought Hawk to Las Vegas, where his brand of police work is now giving his captain and the mayor headaches.
- Tag Team: There’s no better way for the powers that be to stick it to a maverick cop than by giving them a partner that they do not want. That is exactly what happens to Hawk when he is paired up with Charles Wilson, played by Chuck Jeffreys of Bloodmoon and Aftershock fame. Jeffreys did his usual spot on Eddie Murphy impersonation. Jeffreys does it so well, that a photo of Eddie Murphy was used for the cover of the VHS release in Spain. Charles Wilson is a second generation cop with the LVPD. As a teenager, Wilson made the decision to become a cop on the day his father died in the line of duty.
- The Odd Couple: The newly minted duo of Hawk and Wilson are investigating the murder of Sammy Johnson… a guy that Hawk happened to grow up with back in Texas. While Hawk/Wilson make an effective interrogation duo and beating up a reporter, they aren’t always on the same page. Like Wilson’s habit of getting a workout in before lunch or Hawk calling Wilson in the middle of the night when Wilson is having some private time with his lady. But their personal annoyances are nothing compared to the challenges they are about to face as part of the Sammy Johnson case.
- The Underworld: It turns out that Sammy Johnson was working for Mr. Sakura of the Yakuza AND Tony the Don… unbeknownst to the crime bosses until after Sammy was whacked. Oh yeah, Sammy also stole $750,000 and stashed it somewhere. With Sammy gone the heat is on for his widow Sharon as both Sakura and Tony believe she knows where Sammy hid the money. Fortunately for Sharon, Hawk and Wilson come to her rescue! Now two cops against two crime organizations may not seem like good odds… Hawk and Wilson aren’t just any two cops (in fact, by the end of the movie they aren’t even cops) so the smart money is on them, even if they are outnumbered.
Movies like Hawkeye remind me of why I love working for this site. Hawkeye is a movie that flew under my radar for more than three decades and if I wasn’t always looking for site content, it likely would have remained unknown to me. Now it is a movie on my Blu-ray wish list!
George Chung and his portrayal of Hawk made this movie for me. I have seen more maverick cops than I can remember, but I have never seen one like Detective Hawkamoto. His style, the way he carries himself and the zero fucks he has when dealing with anyone else on the planet. Plus, Hawk had an Indiana Jones poster on his wall… much respect for that.
Hawkeye reminded me of another low budget masterpiece that I absolutely adore, Young Rebels, with a little bit of They Call Me Bruce sprinkled on top. Having Chuck Jeffreys do his thing in the movie was a huge bonus and speaking of bonuses, check out these Bonus Bullet Points…
- Familiar Faces: Troy Donahue played the Mayor of Las Vegas. I recalled Donahue from such action flicks as Hollywood Cop and Deadly Prey… Former NFL great and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ronnie Lott, plays the hold up man during the bank robbery early on in the film, where we get to see Hawk’s hostage negotiating skills or lack thereof.
- AKA: Hawkeye is also known as Karate Cops.
- The Name Game: Not to be confused with the 1994 television series, Hawkeye, starring Lee Horsley and Lynda Carter OR the 2021 television series, Hawkeye, starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld.
- Product Placement: Alexander Hawkamoto proudly wears Tony Lama boots.
- Where Are They Now?: George Chung has most recently become the new publisher of the famed Black Belt Magazine.
