Review of Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) by Jacob M — 16 Jul 2013

Smokey and the Bandit was one of the biggest hits of 1977, so it was obvious that a sequel would be made. I viewed the original as a great, entertaining film with funny performances and some cool car chases. The sequel, meanwhile, ruins the first film's reputation big time. And I mean big time.

In the sequel, Bandit (Burt Reynolds) is back, but this time, he asked by the father/son team (Pat McCormick and Paul Williams) to transport a package to Texas in 24 hours. Bandit reunites with Snowman (Jerry Reid) and former girlfriend Carrie (Sally Field) to do this run. When it's discovered that the package is actually a pregnant elephant (yeah, I'm not joking), Bandit and the crew have to deliver the package in time before it goes into labor. But Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleeson), still sore at Bandit over his defeat in the previous film, still wants to bring Bandit down and even hires his relatives (also played by Jackie Gleeson) in order to help him.

Dom DeLuise plays the bizarre doctor who joins Bandit to take care of the elephant, and the film features cameo appearances from several big country stars at the time, such as Mel Tillis, Don Williams, Brenda Lee, and The Statler Brothers.

Smokey and the Bandit is a beloved classic that will continue to dominate the action/comedy world forever. This sequel, however, should be avoided at all costs. The first thing wrong with this film is the story. Not only is the tone goofier, but it's also a rehash of the incredible predecessor. To be honest, I was actually getting into this film, until the elephant came in the picture. Not only is this film ridiculous and far-fetched, but it has no heart. I kept thinking to myself, "Can you please shoot that stinkin' elephant?" It's a disgrace to the original.

The cast is also a bore, and it's clearly shown that no one wanted to do a sequel. While Sally Field looked attractive as ever, her character turned from a fun woman to an annoying brat. Jerry Reed has no heart like he did in the first one, and he didn't even sing "Eastbound and Down." YOU CAN'T HAVE A SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT FILM WITHOUT EASTBOUND AND DOWN! But the most disappointing thing about the film, cast wise, is Burt Reynolds. I was disturbed by the change in character. In the first film, he was a fun rebel with a cause. Here, he's a depressed, whiny, selfish, drunken jerk who wants to make a name for himself. I kept thinking, "Why should I care if Bandit makes it or not? This guy's a jerk. He shouldn't have help at all." Also, I thought it was stupid that Bandit can outrun a horse simply by running. Pretty unrealistic.

I would have given this a 0%, but the only reason why I didn't as due to Jackie Gleeson, returning as the beloved Buford T. Justice. While his character got a little goofy with the extended family scenes, for the most part, he seemed to be the only actor that was dedicated in his work. Gleeson continued to be funny and his scenes were the only ones I laughed out loud too. The funniest was where he had to zip his son's pants back up outside a gas station. It was hysterical. I just wished that the film had more humor like in the first one.

The music is a huge disappointment. Jerry Reed sings, but not "Eastbound and Down." The song he sings instead is a dull copycat. The main theme song here is sung by Don Williams in his cameo scene, and it's a waste, considering that Don Williams is one of the worst country artists of all-time.

And last but not least, the car chases are dull, dull, dull. When the climax showed up featuring a chicken match between police cars and 18-Wheelers, it promised to be exciting, but ended up a dull mess. It didn't even look believable. The first one at least had chase sequences that were exciting and full of pure fun. The sequel didn't live up to the standards of it's predecessor.

While Smokey and the Bandit is an action, car chasing classic, Smokey and the Bandit II is one ginormous mess, with dull chase scenes, a dull and goofy plot, and poor acting, plus unnecessary changes in character. A third one was made as well, but if this film was super bad, the third one is probably worse.