CMT (Country Music Television) aired Cannonball Run II last night. Okay, this movie isn't a classic in the sense that Hooper or Smokey and the Bandit are classics, but it's still a fun movie for Burt Reynolds fans.First things first, the Cannonball Run II is a bad movie. Really bad. The jokes are corny, the acting is non-existent.
Yet Burt Reynolds and company are having a good time and that translates into fun for the audience.
There are some positive aspects to this movie:
First, the cool cars:
Rolls Royce Silver Spur, Lamborghini Countach, Chrysler Imperial Limo, Mitsubishi Starion, Cadillac Fleetwood 75
Second, the Hot Babes:
Catherine "Daisy Duke" Bach, Marilou "Taxi" Henner, Susan "Looks like Farrah Fawcett" Anton, Anonymous Bikini Clad Babes
Third, the exciting stunt sequences:
Helicopter kidnapping the Silver Spur via a gigantic magnet, Orangutan driving a Cadillac, Jackie Chan kicking around a bunch of bikers, Orangutan beating up Tim Conway and Don Knotts
Fourth, the craziest collection of actors ever captured in one movie:
Richard "Jaws" Kiel and Jackie Chan as partners in the turbo charged Mitsu, Sammy and Dean reprising their roles from the first movie, Burt and Dom de Luise also back from the first movie, Shirley MacLaine and Marilou Henner as phony nuns on the run, and Tony Danza partnered with Mel Tillis and the Orangutan.
Jamie Farr returns as the wonderful politically incorrect character of Sheik Falafal (that's right, Falafal. It's funny.)Finally, the awesome cameos:
Telly Savalas, Charles Nelson Reilly (as a mobster!), Ricardo Montalban, Tim Conway, Jim Nabors, Don Knotts, Jim Nabors, Doug McClure, Jack Elam, Louis Nye, Foster Brooks, Sid Caesar, Abe Vigoda, Alex Rocco, and the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra.
Cannonball Run II is not as good as the first one but it's a heck of a lot better than Stroker Ace.
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thinking about how this movie was made during the wake of the disco period is reminding me of the lack of proper air conditioning during that time and how that made people's body hair grow faster and caused more sweat and grittiness.. uhh, i need to take a shower..!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of body hair.. For some reason this morning one of the first things I thought of as I awoke to embrace a brand new day was Magnum P.I. era Tom Selleck.
ReplyDeleteWhich naturally made me think of that Higgins guy that was on the show. Then, that made me think of that one guy that flew the helicopter... True story.