Review of Used Cars (1980) by Shawn M — 16 Jan 2012
The second film by Robert Zemeckis, after getting his career of to a great start with his Beatles tribute I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), and he co-wrote the script for 1941 (1979). This knockabout comedy was produced by Steven Spielberg and John Milius, and it's an underrated, little seen film in Zemeckis' CV of films, but it's one well worth giving a go.
Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell) is a young car-salesman who uses cunning, guile and lying to sell cars which are rust-buckets and sometimes old taxi's or government cars obtained for the lot by the shady Manuel (Alfonso Arau).
The car lot is owned by the elderly Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden) whose twin brother Roy L. Fuchs (Warden again) owns a more successful car lot across the freeway from them, and there's been a long-standing feud between the two brothers, then Luke dies of a heart attack, and Russo and his associates Jeff (Gerrit Graham) and mechanic Jim (Frank McRae) have to hide this fact from Roy to stop him from inheriting the car lot and having it demolished.
However, matters are further complicated when Luke's estranged daughter Barbara Jane (Deborah Harmon) turns up to reunite with her father. There's alot going on this film, and it plays like the screwball comedies of old.
Russell makes a likeable lead, and it makes fun of the dirty tricks car salesmen use to make a deal. It has a brilliant ending with over 250 cars in a race against time to stop a lawsuit. Zemeckis should return to comedies like this, he was good at it.
This review of Used Cars (1980) was written by Shawn M on 16 Jan 2012.
Used Cars has generally received positive reviews.
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