The gang that created Airplane! and The Naked Gun sets its sights on Top Gun in this spoof. Topper Harley is a talented but unstable fighter pilot with an axe to grind: clearing the family name. His mission is to avenge his father and save a mission sabotaged by greedy weapons manufacturers. He also gets involved in a relationship with Ramada Thompson, a woman with an unusually talented stomach. Hot Shots! makes fun of a variety of other films, from Dances with Wolves to The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Charlie Sheen
as Topper Harley / Rhett Butler / Superman

Cary Elwes
as Kent Gregory

Valeria Golino
as Ramada Thompson / Scarlett O'Hara / Lois Lane

Lloyd Bridges
as Admiral Benson

Kevin Dunn
as Lt. Commander Block

Jon Cryer
as Jim 'Wash Out' Pfaffenbach

William O'Leary
as Pete 'Dead Meat' Thompson

Kristy Swanson
as Kowalski

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
as Wilson

Bill Irwin
as Buzz Harley