What the hell do people get out of driving? You sit down in a car, you put your foot upon the accelerator, and you travel from point A to point B without killing anybody. Simple - Right? Well, not so to Director: Hall Needham; and Actors: Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Roger Moore, Jackie Chan, and Peter Fonda. Especially for 95 minutes in 1981.The Cannonball Run
THE STORY:
Just put you’re pedal to the medal and get set to watch the cross-country road race of a lifetime. That's right - racing season is here once again - and the 'Cannonball Run' is primed and ready for a shed load of competitors to drive like maniac's from Connecticut to Los Angeles – giving them all the excuses they need to burn rubber, break speed, and rocket they’re way from point a to point b in the fastest time possible.
However, before they can do this, they all meet up together at the Cannonball Road House, where Arthur J. Foyt and Pamela Glover (Farrah Fawcett) are currently attending a piece-nick convention. Though, I am afraid to say that Arthur takes an instant disliking to this competition, and quickly investigates what it’s all about.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, these competitors are:
- J.J. McClure and Victor Prinzim: JJ (Burt Reynolds) and Victor (Don De Luise) are a couple of jovial road hogs whom eventually decide to drive an ambulance in this race. JJ is the self-appointed leader out of the two, coming from a racing background and a jaded lifestyle. Victor on the other hand is a menial chap, with a split personality that manifests itself in the form of a ‘hero of the people’ - labelled Captain Chaos. Over time, this contrasting pair find an animated doctor to ride with them on their ambulance (Jack Elam), as well as picking up and hijacking Pamela Glover (whom they give the nickname ‘Beauty’) after passing a roadside accident involving Arthur J. Foyt. Moreover, as a team, they all manage to ride the roads from state to state, avoiding any obstructions that bar there path.
- Jamie Blake and Morris Fenderbaum: Jamie (Dean Martin) and Morris (Sammy Davis Jr) drive a red Ferrari 308 GTS in this competition. Also, both garbled as priests and drunk as newts, they cause havoc on the roads because Morris has placed a bet with ‘Nick the Greek’ for them to win this competition.
- Jill Rivers and Marcie Thatcher: Jill (Tara Buckman) and Marcie (Adrienne Barbeau), are two buxom beauties clad in tight fitting cat suits and driving a black Subaru GL hatchback. Together, they use their feminine wiles to overcome any obstacle that come there way - male obstacles that is.
- Jackie Chan and Michael Hui: Jackie (guess who?) and Michael (again?) are a pair of Chinese experts well known in their respective fields. For Jackie it’s his driving prowess - for Michael it’s his technical savvy - and combined, they developed a computer aided automobile to beat ‘the Americans’ in the Cannonball.
- Roger Moore: Roger - or Seymour Goldfarb Jr. as he is known by his Mother - drives a gadget riddled Aston Martin DB5 in this race. And with the help of this erstwhile vehicle, his showbiz credentials, and many of lovely ladies he picks up during his travels, he rides the light fantastic to the finishing line.
- The Sheikh: The Sheihk - an Arab - with his somewhat reluctant men - drive a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow though America - paying his way with big bucks and boisterous bravado till he can reach the promised land of Los Angeles.
- And dare I say it... many, many more.
All of these wacky racers drive they’re vehicles of choice from coat to coast - along the way trying their best to avoid any obstacles that halts there transit.
Now ‘what obstacles’ you may ask? Well, for a start, there is the danger posed by Arthur J. Foyt - who try’s to bar the ‘cannonballers’ path with a commanding police presence. Next, there is the police themselves - whom try their best to stop any wrong doings along the public highways. And finally, there are a couple of hell's angels (led by Peter Fonda) - whom start a fight with the cannonballers at the foot of a road-works.
Now who wins this race? HA! That would be telling, wouldn’t it? Ride on cowboy...
Now ‘what obstacles’ you may ask? Well, for a start, there is the danger posed by Arthur J. Foyt - who try’s to bar the ‘cannonballers’ path with a commanding police presence. Next, there is the police themselves - whom try their best to stop any wrong doings along the public highways. And finally, there are a couple of hell's angels (led by Peter Fonda) - whom start a fight with the cannonballers at the foot of a road-works.
Now who wins this race? HA! That would be telling, wouldn’t it? Ride on cowboy...
THE REVIEW:
Now before I start off this review, let me just state for the record that this race is very real race in America - where many car enthusiasts ride their mode of transportation throughout the land of the free (for a fee of course).
However, 'Cannonball Run' does not try to depict the earthy nature or this very real event, oh no, instead it’s... err, it’s... ahh, it’s... what do you call it? Oh yes! Fun. That’s right - I said ‘fun’. This film doesn't weigh itself down in fact – this film doesn’t weigh itself down in story either – but what it does do, is present a rather jovial and jolly take on a cross-state racing competition, garnishing itself with all the charm of the then celebrities of the nineteen-eighties.
Heck, every single celebrity has a moment in the spotlight within this fractured film, with most of them just funny as f*ck throughout (f*cking can be funny if you are doing it right). Granted, some celebrities are shown more so than others – as Jackie Chan is only utilised in a minimal way, merely touching the surface of what he can do martial arts wise. But still, this is not a Kung Fu film, it’s an American racing film, filled to capacity with comedic hi-jinks that have been plagiarized ever since.
For example: (1) Sexually clad ladies using their... ahem... assets to their advantage, and coming out on top. (2) A film with no real story but rather a premise which allows characterisation to flourish and personality to bloom. (3) A end gag reel in which we get to see all the silly mistakes the actors have done during production. And (4) The charm and grace of people being themselves in character.
And this, for me, is what makes 'Cannonball Run' a great achievement - it defies convention by replacing relevance and story with character and charm - something that just can not be done today.
Boy, what a classic all-star cast film... brilliant.
However, 'Cannonball Run' does not try to depict the earthy nature or this very real event, oh no, instead it’s... err, it’s... ahh, it’s... what do you call it? Oh yes! Fun. That’s right - I said ‘fun’. This film doesn't weigh itself down in fact – this film doesn’t weigh itself down in story either – but what it does do, is present a rather jovial and jolly take on a cross-state racing competition, garnishing itself with all the charm of the then celebrities of the nineteen-eighties.
Heck, every single celebrity has a moment in the spotlight within this fractured film, with most of them just funny as f*ck throughout (f*cking can be funny if you are doing it right). Granted, some celebrities are shown more so than others – as Jackie Chan is only utilised in a minimal way, merely touching the surface of what he can do martial arts wise. But still, this is not a Kung Fu film, it’s an American racing film, filled to capacity with comedic hi-jinks that have been plagiarized ever since.
For example: (1) Sexually clad ladies using their... ahem... assets to their advantage, and coming out on top. (2) A film with no real story but rather a premise which allows characterisation to flourish and personality to bloom. (3) A end gag reel in which we get to see all the silly mistakes the actors have done during production. And (4) The charm and grace of people being themselves in character.
And this, for me, is what makes 'Cannonball Run' a great achievement - it defies convention by replacing relevance and story with character and charm - something that just can not be done today.
Boy, what a classic all-star cast film... brilliant.
THE REVIEW: B+
