The Cannonball Run (1981)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Hal Needham

Writer:

Brock Yates (written by)

Release Date:

19 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

You'll root for them all...but you'll never guess who wins.

Plot:

A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country car race.

Plot Keywords:

Race | Cross Country | Car | Racer | Motorcycle

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Burt Reynolds	...	J.J. McClure
Roger Moore	...	Seymour Goldfarb, Jr.
Farrah Fawcett	...	Pamela Glover
Dom DeLuise	...	Victor Prinzim / Captain Chaos
Dean Martin	...	Jamie Blake
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Morris Fenderbaum
Jack Elam	...	Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Marcie Thatcher, Lamborghini Babe #1
Terry Bradshaw	...	Terry
Jackie Chan	...	Jackie Chan, Subaru Driver
Bert Convy	...	Bradford Compton
Jamie Farr	...	The Sheik
Peter Fonda	...	Chief Biker
George Furth	...	Arthur J. Foyt
Michael Hui	...	Subaru Engineer

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Cantonese | Japanese | Arabic

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

To get material for this movie, Brock Yates ran the final Cannonball in 1978. The move cost him his editorial position at Car and Driver magazine which has since been reinstated.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Crewmembers and a camera are visible as the plane takes off after stopping for a beer.

Quotes:

J.J. McClure: what about a black trans-am? No, that's been done!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Beauty's Theme

Good Car Movie

I like car movies, so I am somewhat prejudiced, but this was a good movie. It was original, it had funny moments, it had those seemingly standard car jumps and wrecks for a car movie. I will admit that it has flaws, like the story does not explain why the Cannonball Run was started, or how it jumps between characters is a bit confusing, but I can live with that. It has a Lambourghini, a Ferrari, a couple of Trans Ams, an Aston Martin, a Rolls, and many other cars, so I enjoyed it. It is a pretty good movie. I liked seeing the various cars competing and even though the movie is a bit predictable, and sometimes the actors' lines seem cheesy, it is an enjoyable movie for a gearhead, a racing fan, or just someone who likes cars.