Tu fais pas le poids, shérif!

OK, I'm kidding. Hey, listen, this film is no strain to the synapses. It's another Hal Needham carwreck fest wrapped up in a really dumb plot that at times tries too hard. However, I find an odd entertainment value in this genus of southern cheese. An aging professional highway show-off, an even more annuated hick sheriff in hot pursuit, an oddly swift and resilient Trans Am, a very talented yet dumbed down leggy sidekick, a country singer turned epitomal southern truck driver, Dom Deluise, and an elephant. Add plenty of incompetent law enforcement officers and marlboro reds and you have the makings of one fine redneck cross-country chase movie. I don't know why but I actually enjoyed this. It's really about the stunts I think and when it comes to Hal Needham you never can have too many car crashes. In the spirit of Cannonball Run and the Dukes of Hazzard there is an odd appeal in watching good IL boys tear up backroads to the tune of Hank Williams and police sirens. And of course there's always a way out leaving a pile of police cruisers in the dust behind. It's an action flick and as such you shouldn't expect it to be anything other than what it is; it's just fun to watch. You may notice it does have some very talented actors so it begs the "what were you thinking doing this film?" question. Perhaps. But on face value it's all about the car chase. And who doesn't love a good car chase?

As much as I liked the first movie, I find that I don't really like the second film. While the film had it's moments, especially with Jackie Gleason as Buford T. Justice, there really wasn't much to redeem this film.

Everything about the film seemed rather contrived, especially the comedy. The comedy seemed to be forced most of the time.

While I can watch the first film over and over and it never seems to get old for me, the second film wore out its welcome almost right away. I don't know, but maybe if they hadn't tried so hard with the second film to measure up to the first film it would have been better.

The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) goes on another cross-country run, transporting an elephant from Florida to Texas. And, once again, Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) is on his tail.

I loved the first film, I loved Burt Reynolds, I loved Jerry Reed and I even liked Sally Field for the first (and probably last) time in my life. But this second film just does not have the same vibe and simply does not appeal to me on the same level. An elephant? How does that have the same feel as Coors? It is just silly. It is one thing to be a comedy, but another thing to be silly.

I have not yet watched part three, but from what I hear it is even worse... with Reynolds almost entirely out of the story! What the heck? Original only, please!

Whatever happened to the Double or nothing jaunt to Boston for some clam chowder? That is what I was expecting. After all the original seemed to segueing to that end. Reynolds was just plain old goofy.

Some of the scenes with Justice were even better than the original, at least until he met up with his brothers. Down hill from there.

... which is when an unexpected hit with a big charismatic star, a simple idea, known supporting stars, and a moderate budget scores big at the box office and even with critics. The urge to make a sequel is irresistible. However, mistakes are made, bunches of cameos are crammed in and gone are the delightful and anonymous extras that made the original seem like an original road picture, there is a need to go to silly and even gross-out jokes, the plot is redundant, and the entire film just seems to scream "Look at us! Aren't we just wonderful in this wonderful film?"...and the answer is "No, you are not".

What makes this not sink below a 4/10 is that Burt and Sally are always good together, Burt is a charismatic film presence even in a bad film, and Jackie Gleason has still got it 25 years after "The Honeymooners" made early TV history.