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Rating:  - Lots of bad language.
I bought this for my son and he thought it was hilarious. However, I had forgotten how much bad language there is in it.
Rating: - Smokey still fun, and funny
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Directed by. Hail Needham; with Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Mike Henry, Paul Williams, Jackie Gleason, Pat McCormick. They are all funny, and over the top. No sensible viewer would mistake this for real life, but no audiophile would reject it just out hand, for it is fun to watch a reckless driver, paired with an attractive female, go through the countryside of several states, between Texas and Georgia, wrecking whatever is in front of him (though, considering, there isn't much wrecking), followed by a redneck sheriff and his stupid son, eluding pursuing troopers, equally stupid and causing most of the havoc, trying to with $80,000 on a bet of breaking a record never broken before, driving 900 miles in 28 hours--transporting Coors beer along state lines.
Totally anarchic, and practically meaningless, but worth watching for its sheer funniness. Also, in a small compass, character analysis which dissects essential elements (and even unessential ones) of American character. Gleason is paternal (to his own son), brutal to the same son, shocked to the core that his "loins" have produced such a nincompoop who cann't hold a wife until he gets married to her, and can only hold on to his dad's gallon hat as they ride roofless through lanes and highways pursuing a fugitive from justice. And "Justice" (Brandon T.) is Gleason's name. He's got to catch this one, for has never failed to grab a "pursuee," as he calls Reynolds, when he is the pursuer. The film ridicules Gleason's character, in a way lauding him for his determination, for determined to catch his prey he is. The film also highlights Reynolds at his best/worst. He is a bad actor, but one made to please, for he has no fear of any cop following him, but, deep down, he knows he is doing this not for the money--or the challenge--but the opportunity to show off; for he has countless fans, who swarm the roadside cafes or other stops when he passes cheering him on. Reynolds embodies the reckless spirit of the American driver--at least the driver in the open road. He is today's equivalent of the horseman of past ages. The cowboy, no less of a braggadocio, knew how to make his horse fly--Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Will Rogers, and other early heroes of the saddle who raced in the open country pursuing or being pursued. This was a right of passage, from boyhood (cowBOY means that) to some kind of over-grown adolescence. These men remained boys; they wanted to show off to females, to their male buddies--here Harry Reed does the honors--to the crowds that cheer them. Forrest Gump was slow-witted, but he could run. Burt Reynolds, smarter but not by much, is guileful enough to evade the man with the broad-rimmed hat, under which there was no trace of a brain, but one doomed to be the crowd's foil--the object of ridicule and laughter. Such action requires comedic talents, and Reynolds--and a good-looking Sally Field next to him--can manage, thank you. He is not a brawler, just a showman. Nobody in the movies--not even Steve McQueen--could drive like him. Lines on the pavement have no meaning, and neither do curves on the road; it's 110 miles per hour, either way. And when helicopters threaten to put an end to this havoc, he turns to his pal on the rig--and Reed takes over and smashes of what remains of the road blocks. The two go together--but Reynolds has the luck, the Cadillac, and the girl.
Rating:  - Among the Best
Out of all the films that are up there in the "best movies ever made" area, this is definitely among them! [IMO]
The video was as good as I could imagine it could be for its mid-seventies [film] vintage. There's alot of color, nice detail and an incredibly huge picture - very theatrical.
The audio is clean and very distinct.
I highly recommend "Smokey and the Bandit" on HD DVD. It's such a great presentation...it makes it feel newly experienced!
A masterpiece! A must own! Cool Extras!
Rating: - poor special edition..dts???
Ok for the nostalgia and the fun out of it.this will remain a classic.as for the special edition the pictures are ok but the sound has nothing to see with DTS exept the first 2 seconds when the truck starts the engine. the rest is a poor mono stéréo downmix..mostly mono in te central speaker.
Concerning the Hd dvd version reviews seem to go in the same direction.
Rating:  - Burt Reynolds fans beware!
Smokey and the Bandit is a cultural icon of the USA in late 1970's. It helped spawn the whole CB/trucker craze and it singlehandedly made being a Southern redneck cool for a while. Personally I find the movie bad in just about every way (plot, characters, dialog, cinematography, sound) but there is no denying its historical significance and I found it enjoyable to watch for that alone. Another thing that cannot be denied is how bad this transfer really is. Seriously, at its best this HD-DVD is no better than a bad DVD transfer. Without the interactive menus, I would have sworn that I was watching a plain old DVD and had somehow connected my HD-A1 to my high-definition TV with a composite cable. When my wife saw it, the first thing she said was, "I thought you got the HD-DVD." I have seen a scary number of HD-DVDs and this is easily one of the worst. So if you already have the DVD or the VHS, don't waste your money on this HD-DVD ripoff. Shame on Universal for disrespecting our cultural heritage!
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