Stars: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Dom Deluise. Farah Fawcett
Best Quote: Burt Reynolds sleepwalks through a role he's played several times before, but never so indifferently...That means Reynolds gets to drink a lot of beer, talk like a good ol' boy, and get in the middle of a lot of crashes and other stunts - Roger Ebert.
Critics HATED Cannonball Run (cf: Roger Ebert who gave it 1/2 star) and it has an IMDB 6.2 rating, but I enjoyed it, and consider it a good showcase for Burt's comedic talents.
Its not Shakespeare, its not even Smoky and the Bandit, but if you want a pleasant time waster - it'll do. Y'got cars., Reynolds tossing off quips, guests stars cracking jokes, some great American scenery - and plenty of great interior scenery when the camera focuses on Farah and Adrienne Barbeau. And its only 95 minutes.
What you don't got is a good script or a plausible story. But then "you knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!"
Thoughts On Burt Reynolds
Hollywood didn't really know what to do with Reynolds when he first started out. He was too big for TV - and too small for leading man parts. He lacked something. He got his big break in Deliverance, but if you imagine Heston in the role (Chuck was offered the part) - its obvious Burt wasn't really the macho leading man.
Fortunately, someone saw him yakking it up on Johnny Carson and gave him a role that fit his talents: Smoky and the Bandit. For years he was a great box office draw. But attempts in the 1980's to branch away from his comic persona weren't very successful (probably Sharky's Machine is the best) - either the role didn't fit him, or the script was terrible (cf: City Heat). He's one actor who needed the right producer to exploit his talents. But that never happened.
Most of his movies were mediocre - he was usually the best thing in them. But he still made some good ones: Deliverance. Longest Yard. Smokey and the Bandit.
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