Review of Every Which Way but Loose (1978) by Gerardo R — 10 Jan 2013

This film is very much a product of its culture. It does not resemble a typical film, but is simply trying to poke fun at themes predominant in the time period. The plot is as thin as it can be. Philo is a trucker who likes to fight in street fights with others willing to place a bet on the results.

He falls for a lady singer who soon disappears. He chases her from California to Colorado to rescue her from her abusive boyfriend. The film is slow paced and meant to be a non-intellectual film to pass the time.

Eastwood displays his characteristic macho character with a soft spot for the ladies. His bad ass attitude and fighting sequences drive the testosterone into the film. The humor is many times silly and other times low brow.

The humor includes a cantankerous old lady playing Ma who cannot get a drivers license, an orangutan who needs his beer, wannabe motorcyclist gang, humiliated police officers. As a slow moody film, it is worth a watch for the cultural aspects as a late 1970's country western genre.

The humor might still appeal to some, but most would either appreciate it as a piece of americana or fail to empathize with this piece of the past. The scenarios and humor are exaggerated and sometimes work as humor or "what just happened" moments, but Eastwood's performance is the glue holding it together.