I've never been much of a fan of Burt Reynolds fan, but he happens to star in many 70's and early 80's movies that are right up my alley. We're talking about movies with charismatic macho man protagonists, fast cars, trucks so large they seem to be overcompensating for something else, infantile comedy and flamboyant action stunts. Movies like "White Lightning", "Hooper", The Cannonball Run", "Sharky's Machine", "Gator" and of course the "Smokey and the Bandit" trilogy and I can't help the fact they all star Burt Reynolds. "Smokey and the Bandit" is basically a very simplistic story and approximately three quarters of the film seems improvised at the spot, but a premise like this just can't fail. Two Texan big shots hire the notorious trucker Bandit to illegally transport a lorry of Coors Beer from Texarkana to Georgia in barely 28 hours. Bandit develops a nifty plan where his buddy Snowman drives the beer truck and he drives a Trans-Am in front to divert the attention of the coppers. During the wild and time-pressured ride, Bandit picks up the hyperactive runaway bride Carrie and becomes involved in a testosterone showdown with the fearsome Texan Sheriff Buford T. Justice. You easily forgive "Smokey and the Bandit" for its lack of originality and ideas, simply because everyone involved in the film seems to be so very enthusiast and cheerful. Former stuntman Hal Needham delivers a fast- paced script and taut direction (his other film "MegaForce", on the other hand is a terribly boring turkey) whilst all his cast members are having the time of their lives. Jerry Reed is excellent as the lesser cool sidekick Snowman and he also provides the film with a sublimely irresistible hillbilly soundtrack, including the fantastically catchy songs "East Bound and Down" and "The Legend". Sally Field and Burt Reynolds definitely have on-screen chemistry, but the show is undeniably stolen by Jackie Gleason as the persistent and downright obsessive Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Heck, even his character's name alone is awesome to write and pronounce repeatedly! He has the best lines, allegedly a large part of them were ad-libbed, like when he says to his slow and unintelligent son: "the first thing I'm going to do when we get home, is punch your mother in the face" (referring that the son can't possibly have inherited his stupidity from him).

The plot to "Smokey and the Bandit" is pretty simple. Two very strange rich guys, Big Enos and Little Enos, offer Bandit (Burt Reynolds) a veritable fortune to transport a semi filled with Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas to Georgia because you apparently couldn't find the beer in Georgia at that time. But they'll be transporting the beer without paying the liquor taxes and if Bandit and his friend, Cledus (Jerry Reed) are caught, they could be in big trouble. So, Bandit's job is to draw the local cops' attention by driving even faster and crazier than Cledus in his rig. Along the way, Bandit picks up a lady running away from a wedding (Sally Field)....and in pursuit is the groom and his mentally imbalanced Sheriff father (Jackie Gleason).

This is a film I'd place in the category of 'turn off your brain and just enjoy it'. This is NOT meant as an insult. It's the sort of silly, undemanding film you might enjoy as a change of pace and I strongly doubt if we'll be seeing it on the Criterion Channel any time in the near future! There are some things about the film that don't make much sense (such as a sheriff chasing them from Texas to Georgia and destroying a LOT in the process)...again, just turn off your brain and enjoy it for what it is...silly fun.

By the way, during the movie they say that the drive from Texarkana, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia is 900 miles. Well, it's actually about 700.

SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT is the classic good ol' boy car chase adventure flick, helping to typecast Burt Reynolds in the genre but also giving stunt driver Hal Needham a chance to show off his skills as director. The whole film feels based on a single car chase in LIVE AND LET DIE, and such it's very slight and superficial, enlivened by fun photography and earnest performances from both Sally Field as the love interest and a scene-stealing Jackie Gleason as the obsessed sheriff. Hardly high art, but it entertains.