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Hawaii, “The Aloha State,” is the 50th state of the United States of America, and is certainly more famous than certain other states in the country (sorry Delaware!). When tourists think of places in the US to travel to, Hawaii is often one of the first destinations that come to mind.
It’s no surprise, then, that a fair number of films and TV shows involve Hawaii, in one way or another. This list of 10 such items features classic cartoon characters, war epics, action heroes, bizarre revenge-themed plots between strangers, Steven Seagal, friggin’ dinosaurs, weird aliens, and serpents invading manmade flying vehicles! Whew!
Hawaii Moment #1: Duck Amuck (1953)
After the cartoon’s iconic opening theme, it is firmly established that this will be a Daffy Duck cartoon. However, aside from that detail, Daffy is faced with great uncertainty as the animation setting keeps changing. Is he a Musketeer, a cowboy, a fighter pilot, a skier, a sailor on a Hawaiian island? It becomes a source of confusion and consternation for him, and Daffy’s irritated outbursts and the outlandish animation make this a classic bit of self-aware fun.
Obviously, Duck Amuck is not all about Hawaii, but the twisted animator did make it part of the plot, and for that we are grateful. Another advantage that Daffy has over Donald? Donald proves it’s sometimes hard to understand duckspeak. However, Daffy is easy to understand, so the humor is not constantly centered on his distorted, garbled speech. You can more easily understand Daffy, and here we can also identify with his predicament. It also needs to be said: Bugs Bunny is a twisted bastard here.
Hawaii Moment #2: Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Many critics consider this World War II blockbuster boring, and it certainly is on the dry side. Nevertheless, it comes across as a perhaps painfully accurate re-enactment. We see moments before, during, and after Japan attacks the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. The real attack killed 2,403 Americans, wounded 1,178 others, and cost the U.S. Navy 4 vessels and 169 planes were destroyed.
The Japanese Imperial Navy also wanted to force the U.S. to withdraw from the Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island. Pearl Harbor appeared to threaten attacks on the U.S. mainland and also against the British, as well as others. The United States declared war on Japan in response to the attack.
So how could a story like that be considered boring? Well, go ahead and watch it and decide for yourself. What we can objectively tell you is that film is separated into two sections, an American and a Japanese section, between directors Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda, and Kinji Fukasaku. Whether it excites you or you find Tora! Tora! Tora! to be a bore-a bore-a bore-a, the movie stars Martin Balsam, Joseph Cotten, So Yamamura, E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, Tatsuya Mihashi, Takahiro Tamura, Wesley Addy, and Jason Robards.
Hawaii Moment #3: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Though filmed to represent a Peruvian landscape, Steven Spielberg relied on locations in Hawaii for shots seen at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Interestingly enough, just a few years earlier, Spielberg had directed 1941, a film that was supposed to take place shortly after the Japanese attack on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. And, of course, Spielberg would go on to use Hawaii as a shooting location for Jurassic Park. So Spielberg apparently has an affinity with Hawaii.
Of course, Spielberg also has frequently addressed another topic in his films: Nazis. Though they are very different films, Raiders, and Schindler’s List are both about fighting and surviving Nazis. 1941 is also about World War II and Japan, which was a Nazi strategic ally, so it’s at least somewhat engaged with the topic of Nazi tyranny. (Indie would also grapple with Adolf Hitler and Nazis in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade). On the bright side, Spielberg was also positively influenced by Japanese culture, as this very film is said to be loosely inspired by elements of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai.
Regarding the Peruvian scene: During Indiana Jones‘ (Harrison Ford) escape from René Belloq (Paul Freeman), Dr. Jones is rescued by a pilot named Jock (Fred Sorenson) in Jock’s airplane, where he meets the pilot’s pet snake. Though it’s not like an aerial dogfight ensues, the moment is still action-packed, and it does reveal Indiana Jones’ fear of snakes, which comes back later in the movie in a big way.
Hawaii Moment #4: Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
Looking for a lighthearted black comedy? You’ll find one in Danny DeVito’s Throw Momma from the Train. The film mainly centers on a novelist and writing teacher named Larry Donner (Billy Crystal). Larry’s life becomes chaotic and unmanageable because his ex-wife, Margaret (Kate Mulgrew), took credit for his work, in addition to leaving him and actually trash-talking him to the press (Oprah Winfrey no less).
When Owen Lift (DeVito), one of Larry’s students, finds out that Larry has rage issues over Margaret ripping him off, Owen proposes they “criss-cross” a murder plot. Why? For starters, Owen had just watched the Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train, which is about two strangers who make just such a deal. Also, Owen’s mother (Anne Ramsey) often treats Owen like an aberration and a disease, and he’s sick and tired of her. The question then becomes: Can Larry kill her for Owen and can Owen kill Margeret for Larry?
Well, at one point in the movie, Owen travels to Margaret’s home in Hawaii, and it seems like maybe he will carry out the sinister plot. We do indeed see that both Margaret and Owen’s “momma” have significant flaws. In fact, they’d be enough to drive plenty of people up the wall.
Ultimately, though, the movie is about Owen and Larry joining forces and spending most of the rest of the film struggling to get along. Toward the end, it also seems like maybe Larry could fulfill his part of the bargain, mainly due to the irrational abuse Owen’s mother heaps upon them all. The plot of Throw Momma from the Train almost sounds like a thriller or horror film, but it has more to do with characters unsure of what to do. When does one cross the point of no return?
Hawaii Moment #5: Under Siege (1992)
Andrew Davis’ Under Siege is perhaps one of Steven Seagal’s best films…well, that’s if you’re able to take it seriously at all and you don’t outright hate Steven Seagal movies. The man is often considered a joke now. However, back in ’92, this Seagal movie was kind of big, and it was also back when Tommy Lee Jones was appearing in movies left and right. This U.S. Navy propaganda piece is reasonably entertaining, even if it’s basically just about Seagal going around fighting and killing terrorists hijacking a ship near Pearl Harbor.
Casey Ryback (Seagal), a former Navy SEAL and now a glorified cook, faces off against a former CIA operative and neatly named William Strannix (Jones) and his terrorist goons. For good measure, one of those goons is played by Gary Busey, who makes every movie a bit more manically magical. Also, Erika Eleniak tars as Jordan Tate, a Playboy model aboard the vessel as a stripper. What more needs to be said about this movie? It is what it is, and it takes place in Hawaii, so it’s on the list.
Hawaii Moment #6: Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park was substantially shot in Hawaii. That out of the way, practically everyone’s seen this movie, so let’s muse about how Steven Spielberg’s classic could have gone in innumerable directions. This alternate reality version proposed here may have plot holes, but what movie doesn’t?
It could have started the same, but maybe Dr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) refuses to comply with negative safety certification results, then, after the investors threaten to close the park, Hammond snaps and frees the dinosaurs and becomes the enemy of the piece, tricking everyone and putting them in some inescapable cages normally intended for dinosaurs.
Then, during some ensuing debacle, Hammond is bitten by a rogue Brachiosaurus and dies, leaving Grant (Sam Neill), Sattler (Laura Dern), Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and Lex (Ariana Richards) imprisoned in the cage trap set by the vaguely sympathetic Hammond (who, while still a madman, didn’t have it in him to kill them directly, leaving them as potential dino food instead).
However, the wily Tim (Joseph Mazzello) had managed to flee his unhinged grandpa, after they all were nearly trampled by a stampede of Brachiosauruses (the same pesky herd with a member that, in a panic, bit out Hammond’s throat),. Timmy actually takes control of Jurassic Park. He considers freeing everyone, but Tim begins to enjoy his power over the theme park and the captives and launches a sadistic scheme inspired by the trauma-inducing, crazed behavior exhibited by his grandfather. Yes, Timmy is no longer a “good kid” and loves the power he now has.
After a few days of holding everyone in captivity, Timmy relies on the combined expertise of Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong), Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson), Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), Hammond, Grant, Sattler, Malcolm, and Lex to develop mind-controlled, A.I.-intelligence boosted Velociraptors who wear bulletproof vests…with the most loyal one utilized as sort of a Saw-esque park tour guide. Then it all culminates in the acquisition of a new animal for the park: A cyborg T. Rex, merged with the animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex cheesily used to promote the theme park in original advertisements, but now transformed into a cybernetic organism…
Hawaii Moment #7: Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, Lilo & Stitch is one of the finest, funniest films Disney has to offer. The story also is very Hawaii-centric. Obviously, the Koala-like alien troublemaker, Stitch (Sanders), is one of the movie’s most memorable characters. However, the film is equally engaging due to Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and her sister, Nani (Tia Carrere), whose lives are in chaos. Nani struggles to raise Lilo and is at risk of losing guardianship of the child.
Fortunately for Lilo, she meets Stitch, an alien hybrid, who might cause havoc in Lilo’s home, but ultimately ends up saving the way, through a bunch of convoluted developments that are difficult to explain here. Suffice it to say that this movie entertains, despite some plot holes and cartoon physics. Also, even though Halloween is the spookiest of all holidays, images of Stitch dressed as Dracula are about as cute as anything can be. Lilo & Stitch also stars David Ogden Stiers as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, Stitch’s creator. It also features The Kids in the Hall’s Kevin McDonald, and how about Ving Rhames as Cobra Bubbles (yes, that is the character’s name!)?
Hawaii Moment #8: Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love is overwhelmingly about Barry Egan (Adam Sandler), a novelty product business owner and a loner. He is considered a friendless freak among his family and especially with his sisters. When Barry calls a phone sex line, he does not do so to explore a sexual fetish, but out of loneliness. Unfortunately, he regrets the phone call not only due to basic embarrassment but because it’s part of a bizarre extortion scheme.
However, the film is not just about a character who doesn’t have much of an opportunity to socialize. One day, Barry encounters Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), who helps him get over his fear of relationships, and they even embark on a trip to Hawaii, using Barry’s clever frequent flier mile scheme.
Barry is definitely like some random person you’d see at the local grocery store, who is awkward and quiet. He represents the person who is, in one sense or another, beaten and degraded by life. The audience’s interest in Barry almost is like a low-key exploration of some hidden taboo topic. What would it be like to explore this random, awkward person’s life? Well, there are fantasies like Punch-Drunk Love that take awkward characters and put them under the proverbial microscope.
Hawaii Moment #9: Snakes on a Plane (2006)
When the film Snakes on a Plane was first announced, some assumed it was just a joke. Well, no, there was a movie about snakes and, yes, they were on a plane somewhere around Hawaii. Directed by David R. Ellis, Snakes on a Plane also address that age-old question: Do snakes and Samuel J. Jackson mix? Under the watchful eye of his character, FBI Agent Neville Flynn, is the plane going to be as safe as possible? Well, if it was, it wouldn’t be much of a movie, would it? It would be like watching Lost in Space and never hearing “Danger, Will Robinson!”
Fortunately, Snakes delivered and still is a fun enough flick to watch today. You needn’t be a foremost snake expert to be at least somewhat entertained, either. Don’t feel bad if you can’t say, “Oh, I know that one! That’s a dangerous South American coral snake!” Granted, it might help your enjoyment if you know such details, but the kind of snakes are basically incidental to the plot. Also, like the first Final Destination movie, this is not something you’d want to watch during a flight.
Snakes on a Plane also stars Nathan Phillips as Sean Jones, a murder witness who is (oddly) one of the main targets of this terrible, intentional snake onslaught. On that note, we’re really reminded of the crossover between crime, action, and horror, because how many people wouldn’t be terrified of a snake potentially injecting them with venom on a commercial flight? And, of course, Flynn is able to deliver a trademark line that really helped make this film famous.
Snakes on a Plane is by no means a masterpiece, but it’s alright. However, at 106 minutes, a person who doesn’t like it may feel they’ve had time stolen from them. Oh, and one last thing: Be careful during your travels, as you might come across a snake on your means of transportation, and it’s not always guaranteed to be happy. Snakes on a horse and buddy ride wouldn’t be too safe, either.
Hawaii Moment #10: Tropic Thunder (2008)
When it comes to people saying “They couldn’t make this movie today,” Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder might come to mind. Filmed in Hawaii, Tropic Thunder is all about potentially offensive satire, whether you love it or hate it. For example, there are scattered references to Stiller’s character, Tugg Speedman, playing a farmboy named “Simple Jack” in a box office bomb — a satire of critically acclaimed movie characters who are autistic, or mentally disabled, such as Dustin Hoffman’s Rain Man or Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump (though, in any case, it’s debatable if potentially offensive characters should never appear in any films, ever).
Tropic Thunder manages to run away with itself pretty far, and if you don’t get the premise, you’re simply not going to find it entertaining. Who knows? Maybe someday they’ll release a 2 minute-long abridged version with all of the potentially offensive elements stripped out, just as you could strip out all the body horror elements from a Cronenberg movie (The Fly could just be a really awkward, vaguely insectoid rom-com).
Obviously, there was controversy over Robert Downey Jr.’s character of Kirk Lazarus, who had his skin pigmentation surgically altered to play a non-white character in the movie-within-the-movie. Basically, the character is described/defended as a parody both of blackface itself, as well as method actors who are supposed to be regarded as undisputed champion actors of the world, for going to outlandish lengths for a role. Still, because of all of these controversies, it’s a safe bet there won’t be many future installments to a Tropic Thunder franchise.
What are your thoughts on these Hawaii-related movies? There could easily be a part 2 to this list, so feel free to let us know about what movies/TV show episodes we inevitably missed!
