Doido para Brigar... Louco para Amar

Clint Eastwood finally shows a funny, soft side to his macho persona in this humorous action/comedy about a good-hearted brawler who adopts a sneaky orangutan named Clyde and they embark in a funny journey for reasons God only knows why. With the gritty brawl scenes and the constant redneck humor, this would make the viewer wonder why did old Dirty Harry himself would be in a movie like this? It looks like something from the weird minds of Burt Reynolds and Hal Ne

I know what you're thinking- I'm such a huge Eastwood fan so my opinion isn't that significant. Honestly though, this has got to be one of the most underrated movies of all time. I laughed harder and had a better time watching this movie than just about any "comedy" I can think of. Clint did an excellent job in a different role for him as a guy who isn't so clever and great with the ladies. His best friend Clyde turned in an awesome performance as well. I also loved Geoffrey Lewis and the gorgeous Beverly D'Angelo and Ruth Gordon does a typically great act as the tough old lady. I agree with an earlier writer with respect to the one negative here- Sondra Locke's acting and singing. The only justification is that in the movie her character is just as bad. I have to believe that even people that aren't major Clint Eastwood fans would still like this one. Big fans should love it.

Eastwood steps back from his macho action star image as he has a little fun in this first of two films (Any Which Way You Can is the other)that team the star up with an orangutan named "Clyde." It's not Hope and Crosby, but it is a fun pairing. The film doesn't take itself too seriously. It's having too much to do something silly like that.

Without this film, the entire genre of Orangutan films, as well as the film career of Tony Danza, would have been inconceivable. We, as Americans, have often felt it necessary to identify a "True American Art Form." Some have suggested jazz, others rap. However, it is quite possible that even those fine examples could be traced to other, non-American, sources. The Orangutan film is, without question, ours and ours alone. For other fine entries in this genre, I recommend "Going Bananas," "Any Which Way You Can," and certain key portions of "Cannonball Run II." When the history of this civilization is written by the super-intelligent species of rats that will no doubt conquer us, the chapter heading will no doubt read "Right Turn, Clyde."

Every Which Way But Loose is directed by James Fargo and written by Jeremy Joe Kronsberg. It stars Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Beverly D'Angelo and Manis The Orangutan.

It surprised the studio executives, even had them sweating about the release, but the adventures of Philo Beddoe (Eastwood) and his pet Orangutan proved to be a smash hit at the box office.

Beddoe is a trucker who also happens to make money by bare knuckle fighting, and he's very good at it. Clyde the orangutan is a full on personality himself, and between them they wind up being trailed by vengeful coppers and a very incompetent motorcycle gang. Philo's brother Orville (Lewis) is along for the ride and polar opposite love interests come into play via Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Locke) and Echo (D'Angelo).

Plot is very thin on the ground, we are in fact viewing a series of events that are mined for comedy purpose - which totally work. Action comes by way of the punch ups Philo gets into, with Eastwood as always proving to be one of the better punch throwing actors of his generation, while Lewis shines bright as the best friend and voice of reason to Philo.

The love story sub-plot involving Lynn and Philo - and its subsequent revelations - feels a touch out of place, since this is such a chilled and relaxed comedy picture. Which is the key, the makers know what they are doing, they are having fun and ask the audience to do the same. The public lapped it up and ensured that a sequel of similar tropes would follow. That also proved to be popular since it was more of the same.

Open the beer and popcorn and just run with it, it was never meant to be high art etc. 7/10