Safari 3000

Another unforgettable cinematic trend that was particularly popular during the late 70's/early 80's were the illegal Grand Prix race and carsploitation movies. There were a whole lot of exhilarating titles varying between extremely violent and hilariously gleeful, but they all had a few trademarks in common. Impressive stunt work and flamboyant vehicles, of course, but also all-star casts that practically always featured David Carradine. Ever since the tremendous success of "Death Race 2000", Carradine starred in numerous more car movies including this latecomer "Safari 3000". This is basically a very mundane and derivative race movie, but with one unique selling proposition namely its African setting. The race in question takes three days and covers over 2.500km of routes full of obstacles, wildlife and sabotaging danger. Eddie Mills is a former movie stunt man who likes to drive the race, but he doesn't have a car. JJ Dalton is a quirky Playboy journalist who'd like to report live from inside a race car, but she doesn't have a driver. They team up, fall in love in between all their bickering and combine forces against their biggest rival; the obnoxious but cheating Italian multimillionaire Count Borgia. The screenplay of "Safari 3000" is a non- stop series of clichés and stereotypes, but luckily enough it's all very charming and amusing. The lesser important competitors in the race can easily be recognized by their exaggeratedly amplified nationality facets. The French only talk about wine and cheese, the Brits about London and the Australians talk in … well … incomprehensible accents. The most impressive sequences in "Safari 3000" all feature, and I suppose most of it is stock footage. There are extended images of galloping zebras, gazelles, giraffes as well as lions, elephants and buffaloes. The chemistry between David Carradine and Stockard Channing (most known for her role in "Grease") is excellent and Christopher Lee obviously had a good time playing the textbook villain Count Borgia. There are a few notable moments of action and stunt work, like a Peugeot diving into a lake in slow-motion, but overall this is a rather tame movie that primarily revolves on scenery. If you want dazzling action and loads of crashes, I suggest you check out "Cannonball!" instead.

*Note: Given the (completely meaningless) number in the title, it's not coincidentally that I selected to watch "Safari 3000". This is review number three thousand that I have written for IMDb. Thanks for reading.

Made in the wake of THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981), this racing-car comedy actually features David Carradine in the lead, who had starred in the similar (but more violent) DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) and the unrelated CANNONBALL (1976). The heroine, then, is Stockard Channing and the villain Christopher Lee – appearing here in a silly Darth Vader get-up, albeit claiming to be a descendant of the Borgias and irritatingly prone to opera singing, not to mention being flanked by an unfunny and long-suffering "navigator"!

The African setting allows both ample travelogue footage and, ostensibly, added peril for the contenders; that said, the race itself is curiously lacking in excitement and, besides, while we are told there are as many as 93 participants, we only ever see a handful of stereotype members (Brits, French, Japanese, Australians and one female team) apart from the central rival duo…who, needless to say, end up neck-and-neck near the finishing line but, unsurprisingly, Carradine and Channing emerge victorious in spite of Lee's every attempt to thwart their progression. Incidentally, this could have taken a leaf from the "Wacky Races" cartoons of the late 1960s, itself inspired by THE GREAT RACE (1965) – that is to say, it should have been broader, but perhaps the film-makers did not want to go the route of THE CANNONBALL RUN…which rather let the result fall between two stools, hence s virtual obscurity since its year of release!

While it is watchable enough for what it is, especially as the picture runs for a mere 86 minutes, there is hardly anything memorable going on for the entire duration – which makes the involvement of renowned producers Jules V. Levy and Arthur Gardner (their last effort) and Oscar-winning composer Ernest Gold all the more baffling!

Yes, Carradine's at the wheel again. This time the race is through Africa which makes you fully appreciate the scenery. Journalist Channing, from the Gazette, the romantic lead here, comes along for the hairy ride. The wonderful Christopher Lee plays the villain, Count Borgia, a riding legend, who dresses the part, dead set determined at winning the race that hardly seems feasible with his nincompoop assistant. Channing provides the humorous touches, and when she gets scared, even if it is overacting, it makes her funny and enjoyable, especially when she notices a pack of lions behind an oblivious Carradine. But all in all, this one falls below par to Carradine's other race movies. Channing has a terrible habit of losing her cameras or trading them. For Carradine fans of this fare mainly, or even the kids too.

"Safari 3000" is a movie which was shelved for two years before it was ultimately released. This usually is a very bad sign, as most of the time it means that the folks at the studio have no faith in the movie...or the production was small time and they ran out of money. Neither is a great alternative. And, after watching the movie, I can say the big problem with it is that it isn't sure WHAT it should be...a drama, a comedy or a romance. In some ways, the film is like combinging "The Gumball Rally", "Death Race 2000" and "The Cannonball Run"...which a tough of "Spaceballs"! Why do I add "Spaceballs"? Well, look at Christopher Lee's character, the Count...he looks like Dark Helmet's brother!!

Eddie Miles (David Carradine) works for Count Borgia (Lee). But the Count is a jerk and fires him right before the big race acress Africa...and Eddie is in need of a car. At the same time, an idiot reporter (Stockard Channing) has bought a terrible used car and plans on finding someone to use it in the race. Eddie agrees but the car is a mess...and it needs a new engine. So do they stand a change against the unscrupulous Count as he drives in the race?

I wish the film had chosed to be a comedy...period. But it's not especially funny...other than Christopher Lee's ridiculous outfit in the race. It could have also worked as a drama...but the dialog and helmet ALSO work against that. And, as a romance, it doesn't work especially well either as the chemistry between Carradine and Channing is poor at best. Overall, not a terrible film and it probably didn't deserve to be shelved...but it is NOT a good one by any standard.

My review was written in December 1984 after watching the movie on MGM/UA video cassette.

Once upon a time, stuntman Chuck Bail directed "The Gumball Rally" for Warner Bros., Pual Bartel directed David Carradine in "Cannonball" for New World and later on, Hal Needham piloted Burt Reynolds and friends in the "Cannonball Run" pictures. "Safari 3000" comes midway during this car-racing trend, with the novelty of location lensing in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Minor pic, inoffensive but not very stimulating, was originally titled "Rally" and "Two in the Bush", filmed in 1980, test-booked by MGM/UA in 1982, surfaced later on pay-cable and is now a home video entry. Carradine toplines as a former Hollywood stunt driver ("I'm a real Burt Reynolds" he cracks) competing in the African International Rally against Count Loenzo Borgia (Christopher Lee), a descendant of the murderous family, and other teams from around the world. A gung-ho Playboy Magazine reporter J. J. Dalton (Stockard Channing), tags along as Carradine's navigator.

Up until its who-cares, end-of-race ending, pic offers mild humor, effective camaraderie between the pleasant leads Carradine and Channing, and attractive visuals of the African landscape and fauna. Unlike the Reynolds' pics, the cast is thin, with other teams barely in evidence.