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Before there were Police Academy movies there were these two Cannonball Run films where a whole lot of people did a movie with absolutely no story to it, but looked like they were having a lot of fun. If you could call it starring Burt Reynolds and long time pal Dom DeLuise because they have the most screen time.

It's clear that this cast was enjoying all the overacting they were allowed to indulge in. Except possibly for Roger Moore who rather drolly underplayed his own image as an action hero, James Bond, the Saint, etc. Reynolds did too, to a lesser extent.

You've got to love Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. as a pair of fake priests who copied Richard Nixon's dirty play book in their effort to win The Cannonball Run which when you come right down to it is just a cross country drag race. Reynolds and DeLuise are using an ambulance, the better to fool the Smokeys that they meet traveling west. And for insurance they have a kidnapped patient in Farrah Fawcett and one bat crazy doctor in Jack Elam. Between Elam and DeLuise I have to say it's a tossup as to who overacts the most.

Like The Police Academy movies, the Cannonball Run films are dumb, witless, stupid, puerile, and you will laugh your derrière off.

If you're looking for a movie loaded with cars, crashes, 1/8th of the Rat Pack, Adrienne Barbeau's best assets... oh yeah, and Burt Reynolds, look no further than "The Cannonball Run".

It was a hit back in 1981 and no wonder: Burt was on top of his game and we were all young and naive back then. Heck, I have a warm spot for all the rampant stupidity, myself.

All the better that Roger Moore plays a deft parody of his own James Bond persona, complete with an Aston Martin.

If you've seen this film way back when, no doubt you remember it with some fondness. Let's face it: it may not have been on par with films like "The Gumball Rally" or even "Death Race 2000", but in its own way and on its own terms, it works just fine.

A word of sage advice: if you watch this film, skip "Cannonball Run 2". It'll only ruin your good memories of the first. And if you didn't like the original, well....

Five stars. Plus one star extra for adding Jackie Chan for what adds up to mostly as a cameo as a karate-kicking racer. And a half star more for Adrienne Barbeau's fancy work with a jump suit zipper. Altogether, six and a half stars.

Wish she would have made it a seven.

Burt Reynolds made a fortune in this area with these goofy "chase" movies (this and Smoky and The Bandit plus all the sequels). They featured a an irreverent '70s attitude toward about anything decent with an emphasis on a sleazy atmosphere, all covered up with a lot of humor, and they worked. They worked because they were fast-moving generally fun movies to watch.....certainly not any great works of art.

Cannonball Run had an all-star cast of Reynolds, his good buddy Dom DeLuise, Farah Fawcettt, Jack Elan, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Farr, Jackie Chan, on and on....pretty amazing.

Reynolds, of course, was Mr. Cool/Mr. Macho.....at least in his eyes. Fawcett and Barbeau meant beauty and boobs whom all men - especially dimwitted cops which Hollywood loved to feature - drooled over. The Japanese were made to look stupid (this was pre-PC days) as were priests (nothing's changed there with filmmakers). The movie is filled with really profound statements such as, "Why do we take all these risks? Oh, just for the hell of it." Yes, words to live by.

Yet, as dumb as this movie can be at times, is does provide a lot of laughs and speaking of that, DeLuise's laugh always made everyone do the same. Sometimes the best part of these films were the outtakes at the end with DeLuise cracking up and Reynolds slapping him!

Is it a masterpiece? No. Does it offer a compelling plot? No. Is it just plain fun? Yes!

Another title in the era of entertainment that was best described as "Fast cars, fast crashes, and fast women". The era that produced such films as Smokey and the Bandit, Convoy, and the Dukes of Hazzard TV show. The era that was pointed more at the blue-collar working class than the white-collar office class or the critic.

It certainly wouldn't hold up to Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane, or any other masterpiece, but it isn't trying to be that. It's just trying to be a fast, fun film that loads of people can enjoy.

Instead of a 5-star wine with a 5-star steak in a 5-star restaurant, this film's more of a greasy burger and fries in a roadside dinor. They both cannot be equaled objectively, but they're both 10/10 stars in their own right.

If I could represent the height of American film, I might choose Casablanca, Citizen Kane, or Ben-Hur. If I could choose a film to show the height of American freedom, to show somebody who wasn't American what American freedom and liberty feels like, I'd choose The Cannonball Run.

Seeing people get away with some of the most ridiculous actions in comedic fashion is always tantalizing. How do they get away with such foolishness? That doesn't happen in the real world as often as this. If only I (as in the viewer) could be that crazy with no problems. This is exactly what this live-action version of Boomerang's Wacky Races (1968) is. It's a movie where rules don't apply to main characters as well as physics, gags and mindset. The movie just can't be taken on a literal level; otherwise, the viewer will not enjoy it.

Joining director Hal Needham in this racecar comedy is veteran actor Burt Reynolds who has also completed several projects in the past with him; so it's no surprise they are in this project either. Co-starring Reynolds is a slew of other well-known actors, singers and models. Playing Reynolds right hand companion is Dom DeLuise who also has an alter ego whom no one seems to understand of how he shows up and exits. Together they ride in an ambulance as a disguise to help them win the race. Accompanying them is their doctor played by Jack Elam who was cast perfectly because of his unmoving left eye. To name a few more, Farrah Fawcett, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Jackie Chan and even Roger Moore (who pretends he's Roger Moore) all play funny characters.

This is the real strong point to this movie; it's an ensemble cast and if you're a viewer who likes seeing movies with lots of star power, this is one of them to see. The story however, written by Brock Yates isn't anything special. The plot is about a bunch of wacky racers doing what they can to win and really that's all this movie needed. It does give a back-story to Reynolds' character and DeLuise's alter ego but it's nothing to be real interested in. As for the comedy parts of the writing, that is a slight bit stronger than the story itself. However, that also doesn't mean every joke was funny. There were some places there just were not funny enough when it should have been.

Each actor has their own thing going for them and it's because of that, that they all don't rely on the same thing to make a joke. Again, my favorite was Jack Elam playing the doctor. God he was a laugh! And surprisingly, the score provided by Al Capps did a decent job as well. His tunes may have not been longer than a good 30 seconds, but it did evoke the right feeling of the movie, which was lightheartedness. One thing that did bug me was how politically incorrect and sexist everything was though. I understand that it this time it wasn't taken seriously and I also understand that this is partially what helps make the film effective in a comedic sense but unfortunately, in today's age, it can be offensive to some who are closed minded individuals.

There isn't a story to fall back on which can leave some people feeling empty. But if you're looking for a film with a lot of star power, fast vehicles and various sparks of clever comedy, then this goofy car race just may hit the spot.

Burt Reynolds, Hal Needham and crew capitalized on the success of the first two Bandit movies, threw in some hot babes along with recognizable stars for a blast of a film. Who needs plot with all the eye candy? Also, you can tell that everyone on screen's having a blast doing this movie which adds to its enjoyability. Having the original Rat Pack reunite in these films perhaps signaled a passing of the torch to the new Rat Packers of that time, lead by Burt Reynolds. Being from Pittsburgh, Terry Bradshaw's involvement fueled his fan support as this was made after he won his fourth Super Bowl. This movie inspired my friends and I to take off on two cross country road trips. Although we could not find any spandex Lamborghini babes we almost had as much fun as these guys!

The Cannonball Run, an all-star caper about a bunch of ne'er-do-wells competing in a trans-American road race, is one of those films that I have had fond memories of ever since seeing it on its original release. So re-watching this film after many years was going to be a real treat - or at least I thought so. Isn't it funny how time affects your memory?

Instead of the laugh-a-minute, stunt-packed classic that I recall enjoying immensely as a kid, I was shocked to find that the film is in fact a rather tedious, poorly directed, mostly laugh-free effort saddled with mundane action. Apart from some stunning cars, and a few stunning women, The Cannonball Run actually has little to recommend it.

Not nearly exciting enough (the car stunts are limited to a few unremarkable jumps, skids and crashes), nor funny enough (the desperate non-PC humour making light of schizophrenia, drink driving, stammering, abduction, racial differences, the law, and drug and alcohol abuse), director Hal Needham's chaotic comedy rarely gets into gear, and repeatedly stalls when it does.

With an improvised feel to every facet of the film, The Cannonball Run gives the impression that much of it was made on the fly. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that Needham got his cast, crew and cars together first, and worried about the finer details (like a script) once the shoot had begun. The director and his Hollywood pals probably had a blast making the film, and I would like to say that the sense of fun is infectious. But it isn't.

To be fair, a few moments did manage to make me smile - Jackie Chan kicking biker ass, Adrienne Barbeau's cleavage, Jack Elam as a drunken proctologist - but the majority of the film left me massively disappointed.

The Cannonball Run gets a star for the kung fu, one for the babes, one more for the freaky doctor, plus a bonus star purely for nostalgia's sake. A not-so-grand total of 4 out of 10.

Captain Chaos, The Rat Pack, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis! Burt, Roger Moore, and Mr...um...Foyt! Some say this isn't a masterpiece, there are no digital effects or Oscar nominated performances. Please! It's just fun watching some of the greats who have passed on and some others who were in their prime having a blast doing a movie that makes little sense and that's just the way I like it. I promise you will laugh and you won't know why, but you won't care! Great movie for anyone who wants to have a beer with his friends and watch a funny, pointless, silly movie. Unfortunately, I also recommend Peter Jackson's King Kong for the same reasons.

If you take an all-star cast, supped up cars and trucks, and writing that was classic of the 80's, you end up with the comedic juggernaut The Cannonball Run. Having big names like Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Sir Roger Moore and throw in the likes of Adrienne BarBeau, Jackie Chan, Mel Tillis, Terry Bradshaw, Jamie Farr, Jack Elam, Peter Fonda, the laughs and fun are upheld with the entire film.

An unusual assortment of pilots converge for a cross country automobile race where breaking the rules and chaotic car chases are part of the game , and everybody competing for a grand prize in less than legal rally. In the car race participates the protagonists, McClure( amiable Burt Reynolds in similar role to 'Smokey and the Bandit' films) and his sidekick schizophrenic Victor (Dom Deluise who turn in moments into Captain Chaos) disguising themselves as paramedics, a duo posing as priests(the Rat-Pack ,Sammy Davis, Dean Martin) , two Chinese (a racer Jackie Chan and engineer Michael Hui), two Lamborghini sexpot babes (Adrienne Barbeau, Tara) and of course Roger Moore in a James Bond character-alike and several others. Along the way they elude police , crash into road-blocks, and meet-up with a number of roles.

This race chase caper is full of witless comedy with tongue in cheek, noisy action, Kung-Fu fighting, gratuitous star cameos and many other things. This nutty film with extraordinary star-studded cast achieved a huge Box-office hit, one of 1981's top grosser, in spite of its brief amusing moments and ridiculous, embarrassing situations. Most interesting for plethora of cameos as Peter Fonda, Valerie Perrine, Jamie Farr, Jack Elam and many others . At the end there are out-takes such popular and usual subsequently. It's followed by a languid sequel, less than illustrious its predecessor, with similar actors and artist equipment , adding more explosive girls as Marilu Henner, Catherine Bach and Susan Anton, furthermore more Rat Pack as Frank Sinatra and Shirley McLaine. Booth of them were badly directed by the ex-stunt Hal Needham. Other films dealing with mindless cross-country wheel spinning , are the following : ¨Cannoball(1976)¨ by Paul Bartel with Robert Carradine, Mary Wonorov , Joe Dante ,¨Death race 2000¨ again by Paul Bartel with David Carradine, Silvester Stallone, Simone Griffith ¨Gumball rally(1976) ¨by Chuck Bail with Michael Sarrazin Gary Busey and Raul Julia, among them.

Okay, realistically speaking, it is not "excellent" in the grand scope of cinema history...It has virtually no plot, for example. But it's hysterically funny and just makes you feel happy all over. Could it be Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin paired as drunken priests in a red Ferrari that makes it so great? Is it the doctor of mysterious origin ("Don't you EVER tell me where you found him!" who seldom needs more than his middle finger for an examination? Perhaps it's Mr Uh, Mr Uh,...Foyt! No, the greatest reason for watching this film is for the sheer joy of experiencing Dom Deluise in orange spandex saving the world...and don't forget! "Hamsters are a big responsibility!"

Burt Reynolds made a fortune in this area with these goofy "chase" movie. If these are the kind of movies you like, then you won't be disappointed. Cannonball Run had an all-star cast of Reynolds, his good buddy Dom DeLuise, Farah Fawcettt, Jack Elan, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Farr, Jackie Chan, on and on....pretty amazing.

Yet, as dumb as this movie can be at times, is does provide a lot of laughs and speaking of that, DeLuise's laugh always made everyone do the same. Sometimes the best part of these films were the outtakes at the end with DeLuise cracking up and Reynolds slapping him! To me the out takes were almost better than the actual movie. If your just looking for a few laughs and some 80's cars then this movie is for you. If your looking for plot and depth, then keep on moving.

This kind of comedy is very silly with a dream cast running cross country with several funny situations, both actors Reynolds and DeLuise is usually fine, Roger Moore playing Bond's character doesn't add too much, Fawcett had her worst acting ever, the older Martin and Sammy is badly damm, however we have Jack Elam, yes in best shape yet and Adrienne Barbeau who enchants us with a good looking tigh outfit, in the end DeLuise made a joke who rose up the level of the movie, look this funny scene!! It's didn't means waste of time after all still very enjoyable!!

Resume:

First watch: 1986 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6

This isn't a bad movie, it's entertaining enough and has lots of funny scenes and dialog. But what it lacks is ACTION. The irony is, this movie was written by none other than Brock Yates, the guy who organized the REAL Cannonball coast to coast races back in the 70's, yet a rival (and much lower budget) film called "Gumball Rally" somehow managed to offer up far more thrills. In that film, you had a number of really fast, exotic sports cars being driven full bore on everything from Interstate highways to LA's concrete riverbeds, whereas in "Cannonball" what we get mostly are the film's numerous stars mugging for the camera, each trying to be funnier than the next. The problem, of course, is this leaves little time for the actual racing. So, the bottom line is this - if you're looking for a decent comedy with a bunch of 70's Hollywood stars, this film is quite good. But if you want to see a REAL race movie, one where the cars are the real stars, check out "Gumball Rally" instead.

6/10

Before the days of critical global warming and hybrid cars - and before the humourless Fast and the Furious series - there were Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds, who allowed themselves the freedom to make films in which cars were the main ingredient and the plot seemingly made up as the cast and crew went along. The unabashed, happy-go-lucky spirit they demonstrated was infectious, far beyond the contemporary critics' understanding. And while Burt Reynolds undoubtedly spread laughter, his main - and somewhat unique - contribution was that he provided the viewer with sheer happiness. In The Cannonball Run, we also get the addition of some delightful self-irony and meta-references, which make this an enjoyable and inspiring little goofball of a film.

As with Smokey and the Bandit, at its core, this is a film about racing and chasing - which can be amusing and exhilarating at its best, but repetitive and silly at its worst. In The Cannonball Run, these two effects are fairly evenly distributed. Yates' script and Needham's unsubtle but industrious direction provide us with stereotypes and stock characters in ditto vehicles. Separately, neither the sheik (Farr), the Asians (Chan, Hui), nor the female racers (Barbeau, Buckman) have anything particularly interesting about them. But combined, in the film's fast-paced, playful atmosphere, they complement each other neatly and make up an all-star cast of impressive diversity. Add to that a well-adjusted amount of satire, and you have the basis for this finely tuned comedy that was once slaughtered by critics but has since gained a deserved cult following.

Cannonball Run (1981) was one of those road race movie genres that was reborn during the mid 70's. The first of them was released by New World Pictures and it was the entertaining Cannonball, starring David Carradine and the Roger Corman players. A few years later Hollywood and Golden Harvest teamed together to make a washed up Hollwood stars road film about the mythical cross country race called The Cannonball Run. Yes, this film has more wash-ups and has been than you can shake a stick at. It looks like a who's who of former and future stars of Hollywood Squares. Golden Harvest produced half the film and they used their stroke to put in the company's two biggest stars Jackie Chan and Michael Hui. The problem is they play Japanese race car drivers. Japanese race car drivers who speak cantonese?!

But the ring leader of this motley crew is old Burt Reynolds. Yes, him and Hal Needham made this film to please his Smokey and the Bandit crowd. Needham should stick with directing stunt scenes and leave film-making to the professionals.Not as bad as the later films in this series but not quite that entertaining. Stick with Cannonball for some fun

stuff. If you must watch every single out of work or fading star in Hollywood ham up the screen then this one's your cup of

tea, others beware!

Average.

C-

The Cannonball Run has been vilified by many critics over the years but I love this movie and have been watching it ever since I was little. This movie is what happens when a bunch of movie stars who just happen to be close friends in real life decide to make a movie just for fun. The plot is simple enough, race from one end of the country to the other for a million dollars and avoid the law on the way. The cast is jammed with big names and just about everyone in the movie that has a speaking part is a star of some stature. This movie is simply great fun and has a lot in common with the rest of director Hal Needham's films,i.e. Smokey and the Bandit. I can't really say that this film is full of great acting because the entire cast horses around through the whole movie. Jackie Chan makes his first appearance in a American movie with this film and both Hal Needham and writer Brock Yates have cameos. Don't expect a lot in the way of plot or acting or effects or anything like that and just enjoy the ride. The outtakes at the end of this and Cannonball Run II are hilarious and it makes it more fun for me anyway to know that this movie was just like a big meeting of old friends. Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. are great as Blake and Fenderbaum respectively. Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise anchor this film (they're the main characters)and the give and take between these two make them one of the best comedy teams I have ever seen. Bottom Line: Buy this flick, drag it out every once in a while, and have fun watching it with family or friends. A truly fun movie to watch.

"The Cannonball Run" is a wild and crazy ride of a comedy about an illegal cross-country auto race. This movie was the third time star Burt Reynolds teamed up with director Hal Needham. Before "Cannonball Run" they made the first two "Smokey and the Bandit" pictures, and afterwards they made "Stroker Ace" and "Cannonball Run II". "The Cannonball Run" and the original "Smokey and the Bandit" are my favorites. Made back when Reynolds was hitting box office gold, "The Cannonball Run" auto race begins in Connecticut and features the goofy all-star cast passing each other up until they get to their final destination, California. In addition to Burt Reynolds, the movie also stars Dom DeLuise as Reynolds partner, Roger Moore pretending to be himself, Farrah Fawcett as the woman Reynolds and DeLuise pick up at the beginning of the race, and two late great entertainers: Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. as two phony priests driving a red Ferrari. All are involved in the race, and its a wild ride all the way to the finish. Adrienne Barbeau, Jackie Chan, Jamie Farr, Mel Tillis, and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw also star. Great fun.

*** (out of four)

"All-star" comedy about assorted characters competing in a cross-country race. The main stars are Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise. But the cast is full of Burt's friends, as well as the likes of Roger Moore, Jackie Chan, Peter Fonda, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Of those, Roger Moore is the most fun. The best part of the film for me is Adrienne "Boom Boom" Barbeau's cleavage. I also love the Valerie Perrine cameo. Farrah Fawcett is Burt's love interest and her nipples are erect throughout the whole movie. She wears no bra, of course, which she was known for back then. Every time they have a tender scene, Farrah's headlights are on bright and you can't help but giggle or drool or a combination of the two. Her tree fascination is pretty cute stuff, though.

It can be unfunny at times, especially when DeLuise is doing his thing. He's an acquired taste. I know Burt thought he was hilarious. I also know Burt had a drug problem back then that no doubt colored his judgment. Also worth mentioning is that several of the participants in this race drink (a lot) and drive. Doubtful that would happen today in a frivolous movie like this. I guess this is one case of times changing for the better.

Absolutely horrible. At first I though a team of monkeys had written the script. Then I realized that there probably never was a script. Very painful to sit through. A bunch of stars spout off some unfunny lines which are made even worse by downright awful comedic timing and editing. You do get to see a little of Jackie Chan doing some kung fu fighting. Other than that the outtakes during the end credits is the only entertaining portion of the film.