Amazon.com video review:
It's easy to assume this is just another dumb redneck comedy
from Burt Reynolds's years of underachievement. But it's not bad as a
dumb redneck comedy at all. Directed by career stuntman Hal Needham,
Smokey and the Bandit is just a goofy chase starring a bunch of
Reynolds's Hollywood cronies. New to the job as film boss, Needham
brings a silly but energized sensibility to the production and an
action man's need to see things moving. But he also has a distinctive
feeling for relationships, and he's good with a joke. Put all that
together, and Smokey is, at the very least (and unlike its
sequels), a simple and original pleasure. The DVD release has a
widescreen presentation, optional French and Spanish subtitles, and
cast and crew bios. --Tom Keogh
