CANNONBALL RUN

US, 1980, 95 minutes, Colour.
Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise?, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Elam, Adrienne Barbeau, Terry Bradshaw, Jackie Chan, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr, Peter Fonda. George Furth, Michael Hui, Bianca Jagger, Molly Picon, Warren Berlinger, John Fiedler.
Directed by Hal Needham.

Cannonball and Cannonball Run were both films about the Transamerican Grand Prix, a coast-to-coast race, which is frowned on by authorities and the police but is available for all drivers - and there are no rules. This theme has been has been taken for many films - e.g the Gumball Rally. Cannonball was directed by Paul Bartel, maker of the imaginative fantasy equivalent of Cannonball, Death Race 2000. While there was an emphasis on cars, action and violence, there was also science fantasy criticism of the present in the form of a critique of future society.

The Cannonball Run treats of the same race but in a much lighter vein. In fact, the film is a variation on the Smokey and the Bandit films which were also directed by Hal Needham, who also made Hooper and Cactus Jack. Needham's star is Burt Reynolds who does his offhand comic hero role without any effort. The film is light-hearted and has quite a few laughs. Its strength is in its cast with Roger Moore portraying a wealthy Jewish businessman (with mother) who thinks he is Roger Moore. Farrah Fawcett adds some glamour as a would-be patient and Jack Elam is the alcoholic doctor. Dom De Luise has his usual comedy style and there is martial arts material from Jackie Chan, comedy from Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin (disguised as priests), T.V. comedian Jamie Farr appears as an Arab sheikh and Bianca Jagger is his sister. John Carpenter's wife, Adrienne Barbeau is a glamorous driver. The emphasis is on action and speed. It is the same formula but more stylish than the Smokey and the Bandit films. It also raises the question about the race, cars, law and order etc.