Killing Hasselhoff (2017) DVD Review

By Allison Rose   X Formly Known as Twitter
3 Min Read

If you happen to be a huge Hasselhoff fan this movie is full of him and even has him singing during the end credits. Otherwise, get the movie and use it to make up an imaginative drinking game for you and your friend and then create your own death pool.

Killing Hasselhoff (2017) DVD Review
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A death pool is when a group of people will get together and bet on who will die first. This concept was made extremely famous and notable in the 2016 movie Deadpool where bar patrons would bet on which of them would die first.  Whoever wins gets the cash.  Now imagine that concept among a group of friends who choose to bet on which celebrity will die first.  Each year they "buy in" and bet on their celebrity in hopes they will win the $500,000 plus jackpot.  This is just the tip of the iceberg behind the plot for Director Darren Grant's (Saints & Sinners) film Killing Hasselhoff.

Chris (Ken Jeong; The Hangover) is a mediocre nightclub owner with a fiancé, Ann (Jennifer Ikeda; Blindspot) and no money.  He and his friends get together annually to bet on which celebrity they think will die first.  After 16 years the pot is up to over half a million dollars and Chris has bet on David Hasselhoff (Baywatch).  Chris also was promised by David's Manager, Barry (Jon Lovitz; Big) that David would come to his nightclub after his concert which would give the establishment a much-needed boost.

However, David flakes and changes his mind, then Chris is accused of doing cocaine and groping an underage starlet in his club causing his fiancé to dump him and then the nightclub burns down.  Adding insult to injury, Chris owes some shady guy $400,000 and the guy wants to get paid.  With nothing left to lose Chris decides to kill Hasselhoff himself and collect the $500,000.  Of course, nothing goes according to plan and Chris actually saves Hasselhoff's life but gets shot himself.  That is when things turn around though and Chris gets his club and his fiancé back.  All's well that ends well…

I feel as though this movie was a bunch of IOU's cashed in by Grant to get the cast he has.  Honestly, the movie could have never been made if Hasselhoff had said no but luckily he found something funny in the idea of playing a caricature of himself.  Jeong isn't nearly as hilarious as he was in the Hangover films but Lovitz gets some points for laughs here and there.  Rhys Darby (Pirate Radio) has some good scenes as Chris's friend who goes off the deep end when he finds out his girlfriend cheated on him and winds up in a mental institution.  Ikeda mostly falls flat.  However, there are a number of impressive cameos and whoever convinced Justin Bieber to play the voice of K.I.T.T. is a genius.

I think the major issue is the script, to be honest.  With the talent involved in this film, there could have been so much more done but it is just missing.  The concept is quirky enough to actually work but the script is simply not funny and the "gags" are mediocre at best.  It's a shame really but for some, it will be a guilty pleasure for years to come.

The DVD is pretty bare too with 8 minutes of deleted scenes as the only extra.  Even here I feel an opportunity was lost.  The largest chunk of this extra is at the annual death pool with a banter back and forth between Chris and his friends and an interesting exchange between Hasselhoff, Hulk Hogan and Mel B from the Spice girls (did I mention the numerous cameos?) should have been left in the film as an interesting and informational scene to move the plot along.  However, for whatever reason, it was cut.

If you happen to be a huge Hasselhoff fan this movie is full of him and even has him singing during the end credits. Otherwise, get the movie and use it to make up an imaginative drinking game for you and your friend and then create your own death pool.

Grade: C-

Cast:
Directed By:
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 81 minutes
Distributed By: Lotus Pictures


For more information about Killing Hasselhoff visit the FlickDirect Movie Database. This release has been provided to FlickDirect for review purposes. For more reviews by Allison Rose please click here.

Killing Hasselhoff images are courtesy of Lotus Pictures. All Rights Reserved.


Allison Rose, a Senior Correspondent and Critic at FlickDirect, is a dynamic presence in the entertainment industry with a communications degree from Hofstra University. She brings her film expertise to KRMS News/Talk 97.5 FM and broadcast television, and is recognized as a Tomatometer-Approved Critic. Her role as an adept event moderator in various entertainment industry forums underscores her versatility. Her affiliations with SEFCA, the Florida Film Critics Circle, and the Online Film Critics Society highlight her as an influential figure in film criticism and media.




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