The Cannonball Run (2011)

Cannonball Run is a guilty pleasure. No one would ever say it's a good movie, but it's a like train wreck, you find yourself staring. Burt Reynolds tries to live his glory days of Smokey and The Bandit, bringing along the same Director, Hal Needham as well as a slew of falling stars to prop him up. Its as if all of them knew their careers were sliding and it was one last ditch effort to make a great noise. Don't get me wrong, many of these people are talented. Lets explain the premise first. The 'Run' is an auto street (or highway) race, based closely on a real race that was run throughout the 70s that went from New York to California. It was highly illegal, and probably a lot a fun. There is even an appearance by one of the original drivers, Brock Yates, who is now an editor for Car & Driver Magazine and makes an amusing appearance as the MC, explaining how the race goes. Reynolds is JJ McClure, a former race car driver and mechanic who is the standing champ in the race. Eager to keep his title, he is desperate to win again. In this race though, that doesn't just mean going fast, anyone can go fast, but sooner or later, you will get stopped. JJ and his strange friend, Victor (Dom Delouse) adopt a personality of two paramedics driving a patient cross country. Apparently this worked in the actual race one year. The supporting cast of competition includes Jamie Farr as an overzealous Sheik in a hopped up Rolls Royce, Roger Moore playing a comic version of his James Bond character driving his popular silver Austin Martin, Mel Tillus and Terry Bradshaw playing a couple of southern boys cruising in a stolen race car and my personal favorite, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. playing womanizing, gambling hard drinking priests driving a red Ferrari (they aren't really priests). All this adds up to a movie where every scene you see a star. Dean and Sammy steal the show in almost every scene they're in, they are class acts adding something unattainable in most pictures of this caliber. The racing antics are not quite as funny as the beginning scenes where all the characters are introduced, but it is entertaining. The best part of the movie comes at the end though where the bloopers are shown during the closing credits. It's worth the price of the DVD alone. Don't expect a great movie out of Cannonball Run, all you can really expect is a good time, but isn't that what it's all about?

A zany cross country race based on an

actual event called "The Cannonball

Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash." The brainchild of writer Brock

Yates, who competed in the first Cannonball in 1971. The object is to

drive as fast and as safely as possible from Connecticut to Redondo Beach, California.

In every Cannonball, no driver or person has ever been injured.

The worst case, a team or two put behind

bars for no more than an hour.

"The Cannonball Run" is based on real

characters and adventures. It was penned

by Yates, who makes an appearance in the early stages of the movie as the "organizer."

Burt Reynolds headlines an all star lineup as "J.J. McClure" a wealthy

entrepreneur who, along with his

'executive assistant' Victor Prinze,

played with great verve by comedian

Dom DeLuise. Victor has some issues.

In times of 'mortal danger' his personality changes from mild mannered

mechanic, into an alter-ego called

"Captain Chaos" who wreaks havoc on

some less than respectable hombres we encounter along the way.

Farrah Fawcett is teamed with J.J. and Victor when she's kidnapped in their ambulance.

Jack Elam as "Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing" provides lots of laughs

and few chills when needed.

Veteran performers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. join the ensemble as

a pair of priests in a souped-up Ferrari.

Roger Moore makes a departure from his

'James Bond' character playing "Seymor Goldfarb." An individual who believes he's

Roger Moore. It's a great spoof and Moore plays it with perfection.

Mel Tillis and former quarterback

Terry Bradshaw show up as just a

couple of good ol' boys ala "Dukes

of Hazzard" style, toting cases of beer but sans the "General Lee."

Tara Buckman and Adrienne Barbeau are seen throughout the film in their

custom black Lamborghini Countach,

breaking speed limits and the hearts

of some unsuspecting law enforcement

officers along the route.

Jamie Farr from "MASH" is cast in the role of a Sheik obsessed with winning the Cannonball

in a hot-rod Rolls Royce.

The Cannonball Run was directed by

Hal Needham who brought us "Smokey and

the Bandit" and "Hooper." Hal and Brock

were partners in a Cannonball held in the late 70S. Needham sets a flat out,

pedal to the metal pace for "Cannonball" and it doesn't let

up till the finish line.

After twenty years, this film still makes you laugh. Rent it tonight :)

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I watched this because I adore Dean Martin and the Rat Pack, but only after putting off watching it for so long--I was afraid it would be really stupid and not be worthy of being Dean's next to last movie. I had no reason to fear :) . It is absolutely hilarious! The second one is a million times better (more Dean & Sammy and a huge plus with Frank), but this one's great. It's just crazy and silly and a ton of fun.

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Okay, so I first saw this film at the age of 10, and we all know that a 10 year old is easier to please than an adult. However, I still love this film now (15 years later!), and not just for the fast cars and all-star cast. Of course the plot is almost non-existent but who cares? It's refreshing to see a film which doesn't take itself too seriously (a point that Dr Popinofsky seems to have missed in his review). It's called fun, Doc. F-U-N. If we're not allowed a bit of pointless fun from time to time what's the point of even getting out of bed in the morning?

I accept it's probably not to everybody's taste but it still makes me giggle!

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I must admit that my expectations were not too high on purchasing this Blu-ray, but I'm glad I was wrong. The movie itself needs no real explanation, tons of stars (a little too much Burt Reynolds for my taste, though), fighting (Jackie Chan's first Hollywood movie) and fast cars add up to some great entertainment. Picture quality is very good considering the price and the disc even manages to squeeze in a commentary. The highlight has to be the out-takes displayed during the credits, so funny!

If you want a movie that doesn't require too many brain cells, this is the one for you. Just plain fun

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