Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- campy
- irreverent
- lurid
- cult movie night
- bad movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as inept and absurd, while its excesses have made it a celebrated cult bad movie.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film combines cheesy dialogue, gratuitous nudity, mutant-snake peril, skateboarding henchmen, razor-bladed frisbees, and implausible action scenes.
An escaped snake becomes deadly after exposure to toxic waste and complicates the agents' conflict with the drug lord.
The female operatives, bikini imagery, nudity, and undercover-agent premise place the film firmly within 1980s sexploitation-inflected action cinema.
Its over-the-top violence, bad acting, absurdity, and unintentional humor have produced a lasting cult following and comic podcast attention.
Films like Hard Ticket to Hawaii, and why
Malibu Express
campy action spectacle, implausible plotting, sexualized exploitation aesthetics, and cult midnight-movie appeal
Savage Beach
cheesy dialogue, exaggerated violence, low-budget spy intrigue, and knowingly outrageous entertainment
The Lost Empire
absurd action set pieces, exploitative humor, cartoonish villains, and cult b movie energy
Action U.S.A.
over-the-top exploitation action, eccentric props, and deliberately pulpy spy-adventure tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Andy Sidaris
- Release Date
- 1987-03-01
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 5.0 / 10 (141)
Cast
- Ronn Moss
- Dona Speir
- Hope Marie Carlton
- Harold Diamond
- Rodrigo Obregón
- Cynthia Brimhall
- Patty Duffek
- Wolf Larson
- Lory Green
- Rustam Branaman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Night Flight Plus, FlixFling, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hard Ticket to Hawaii about?
- Undercover operatives battle a diamond-hungry drug lord in a deliriously cheap Hawaiian action spectacle where toxic waste turns a snake into an unlikely weapon.
- What is Hard Ticket to Hawaii like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hard Ticket to Hawaii as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Hard Ticket to Hawaii violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hard Ticket to Hawaii as graphic.
- What did critics think of Hard Ticket to Hawaii?
- Critics broadly regard the film as inept and absurd, while its excesses have made it a celebrated cult bad movie.
- Which films are like Hard Ticket to Hawaii?
- Films with a similar feel include Malibu Express, Savage Beach, The Lost Empire, and Action U.S.A..
- How long is Hard Ticket to Hawaii?
- Hard Ticket to Hawaii runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hard Ticket to Hawaii?
- In United States, Hard Ticket to Hawaii streams on Night Flight Plus, FlixFling, ARROW.
