![]() ![]() Funny enough, this might have been my first full viewing ever because I don't recall the opening scene where the trucker is arrested with the trailer filled with Coors Beer - this is what happens when you grow up watching films on pre-DVR era TV. I've never owned the film on home video, so it's been a while since I've seen the film in its entirety. Or, to ask the question another way, does 'Smokey and the Bandit' still work today or was it never really that great to begin with? Personally, I would say yes, it stands the test of time. Let's call these types of movies or television shows the filmed incarnation of little boys' internal combustion imaginations.īut the question remains, what happens when the adult self goes back to revisit something so fondly remembered. Cars drove fast, flew through the air, and the good ole boys outsmarted the villains who were sometimes dastardly and other times comedic half-wits. For me, as a child of the '80s, 'Smokey and the Bandit', 'Knight Rider' (this time, a talking Trans Am), and 'Dukes of Hazzard' were the pinnacle of my entertainment needs. When was the smokey and the bandit movies movie#Palmer here for a last few comments: Peter did a terrific job covering the movie as a whole, which is why I left the above portion of the review. Perfect nostalgia for those old enough to remember it, 'Smokey and the Bandit' is one road trip down memory lane worth taking again. The film's humor could have easily been crass or "political," but instead it really is just a classic ode to '30s screwball comedy set on wheels. Still, 'Smokey and the Bandit' remains superior to all of the demolition derby knock-offs it spawned (including 'Convoy' and 'Dukes of Hazzard') because it's so good-natured in its single-mindedness. This is just one long car crash of a movie, punctuated by plenty of pit stops for good ole boy comedy, and Reynolds and Field doing their over-the-gearshift romantic banter. Ultimately, though, 'Smokey and the Bandit' isn't about its characters - in fact, it isn't really about anything at all. You wouldn't think it from her inauspicious early days as TV's 'Gidget' and 'The Flying Nun,' but Field is really quite flirtatious and sexy - watching her and Reynolds spar throughout the movie is a true cinematic turn-on. And then there's Reynolds and his then real-life girlfriend Field, who have genuine, combustible chemistry. To his credit, he also lets all of his co-stars shine, including a solid turn by Reed and, of course, Gleason, who turns Justice into the most memorable backwoods sheriff in pop culture history. Reynolds' winning performance reminds us why he was such a big star in the '70s - he may be smug and smarmy, but with that huge grin and gallons of charisma to burn, somehow he gets away with it. 'Smokey and the Bandit' retains most of its charm, in large part thanks to its cast. ![]() Justice (Jackie Gleason), who will stop at nothing to nab his greatest trophy - the Bandit. But on this trip, Bo and his long-suffering partner Cledus 'Snowman' Snow (Jerry Reed) will get more than they bargained for, thanks to the "runaway bride" (Sally Field) that Bo picks up along the way, and the relentless Sheriff Bufford T. Bo's never above evading the law if means turning a little extra profit, so he seems the ideal choice for Big Enos Burdette (Pat McCormick) when he needs to illegally transport a few hundred cases of beer across state lines from Texarkana into Atlanta. ![]() Reynolds stars as Bo 'Bandit' Darville, the best darn driver-for-hire in the South. Who needs lightsabers when you've got car crashes instead? One such genuine cinematic highlight was 'Smokey and the Bandit,' a rootin' tootin', utterly ridiculous action spectacle that earned gobs of money, spawned its own little cottage industry of sequels, and cemented the '70s star status of both Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. Soon as I get home, I'm gonna punch your Mamma in the mouth."įor many film lovers of a certain age, the summer of 1977 will always be remembered as the summer of 'Star Wars.' But believe it or not, there really were other films released that season aside from the George Lucas watershed - and some even worth remembering. "There's no way - no way - that you could come from my loins. ![]()
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