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THE
CANNONBALL RUN
AKA:
Cannon Ball Run
Year:
1981 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
J.J.
McClure (Reynolds) is a wealthy businessman with a hankering
for the extreme adrenaline rush. Assisted by his good
friend Victor (DeLuise), he decides to enter the annual race
known as 'The Cannonball' where drivers from all corners of
the globe come together to compete in a race from Connecticut
to California. There are no real rules as the only
objective is to get there as fast as you can without being
stopped by the police or killing yourself along the way.
You can never tell who could win but you know that it is going
to be one heck of a journey finding out.
This
probably has to be one of the strangest films reviewed for
this site but the inclusion of Michael Hui and Jackie Chan
amongst the expansive cast list makes it a possible purchase
for H.K. movie completists. How to approach my
assessment of it is an entirely different matter as it can
really be separated into two possible categories for
recommendation.
The
first of these would be to examine it from the point of view
of someone attempting to catch two of the East's biggest stars
in their first Hollywood movie, hoping they can recapture some
of the screen magic that they have created in previous
homegrown blockbusters. Those of you expecting this will
immediately be disappointed. Chan and Hui are bundled
into stereotypical oriental roles as two Japanese drivers
(although I swear they spend the film talking to each other in
Cantonese) with a prototype supercar which contains some
exclusive technology. Hui is the techno wizz and
coordinates things from the backseat whilst Chan is the driver
as well as the muscle of the outfit. To be honest they
actually receive very little screen time and Chan's five
minutes of fame are short-lived as he is allowed to have an
extended fight with some Hell's Angels just before the finale
of the movie. The action is poorly shot and lacks impact
sound effects so the whole thing comes across as staged with
no regard for professional choreography. If you are
viewing it for these cameos alone then maybe you should stop
and rethink before you buy.
Alternatively,
you can watch this movie as a typical 80's Burt Reynolds'
comedy which capitalises on the success of many stars to
produce a crazy car caper. It's not that original
or exactly hilarious but each of the actors is more than
willing to send up their images to have some fun making this
movie. You also notice that a lot of them (particularly
Reynolds and DeLuise) genuinely forge a chemistry and each of
the outtakes in the final reel would seem to confirm this.
Director Hal Needham was also responsible for bringing us
Reynolds in 'Smokey And The Bandit' and 'Hooper', both of
which have a distinctive feel to them that echoes throughout
'The Cannonball Run'. Cars or big vehicles prominently
feature and nothing is taken all that seriously but somehow it
all brings a smile to your face. Throw in a few
adequately performed car stunts and a couple of bar room
brawls and we have a watchable, if slightly over familiar,
movie style on our hands.
Overall,
this film can really be given two ratings dependent on your
expectations. If you are an action enthusiast and are
picking it up to see Chan the man or you enjoy a little of
Hui's zany comedy then it's probably a one star wonder.
On the other hand, if you enjoy a cheesy slice of Americana
comedy and are quite happy just to catch a glimpse of Chan in
any aspect then it is probably worth investing in.
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