Product Details

• Actors: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin
• Directors: Hal Needham
• Writers: Brock Yates
• Producers: Albert S. Ruddy, Andre Morgan, David Hamburger, Raymond Chow
• Format: NTSC
• Language: Arabic, English, Japanese
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Video Tr/Anchor Bay
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303025706
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,860 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like The Gumball Rally (1976) before it, former stuntman Hal Needham's The Cannonball Run was inspired by the same real-life cross-country road race. If The Gumball Rally was the critical favorite, The Cannonball Run was the box-office favorite (spawning the almost-as-successful sequel, Cannonball Run II, a few years later). Aside from top-billed stars Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise (stars of Needham's Smokey and the Bandit series) plus Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. (as horny priests), the movie features many of the same actors (Bert Convy, Jamie Farr) that could be found on a typical '80s episode of The Love Boat (along with the same caliber of writing). But as the tagline notes, "You'll never guess who wins"--and it's true. As in most road-race movies, it's the journey that counts, not the destination. This particular journey includes cool cars (like Adrienne Barbeau's black Lamborghini), crazed bikers (led by Peter "Easy Rider" Fonda), hot martial arts action (from Jackie Chan as a Japanese racecar driver), a conspicuously braless Farrah Fawcett (recipient of a Golden Raspberry nomination for her performance), and possibly the most egregious use of product placement featured in a movie up until that time (one vehicle has "GMC Trucks" noted prominently along the top of the windshield, another has "Hawaiian Tropic" painted on the hood). As with many of the films Jackie Chan has made for Golden Harvest, the Hong Kong-based production company behind The Cannonball Run, wacky outtakes are included during the closing credits. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So bad but so good..., January 11, 2002

By 

J. Elmquist "Moviephile" (Somewhere else...) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cannonball Run (DVD)

Cannonball Run is a guilty pleasure. No one would ever say it's a good movie, but it's a like train wreck, you find yourself staring. Burt Reynolds tries to live his glory days of Smokey and The Bandit, bringing along the same Director, Hal Needham as well as a slew of falling stars to prop him up. Its as if all of them knew their careers were sliding and it was one last ditch effort to make a great noise. Don't get me wrong, many of these people are talented. Lets explain the premise first. The 'Run' is an auto street (or highway) race, based closely on a real race that was run throughout the 70s that went from New York to California. It was highly illegal, and probably a lot a fun. There is even an appearance by one of the original drivers, Brock Yates, who is now an editor for Car & Driver Magazine and makes an amusing appearance as the MC, explaining how the race goes. Reynolds is JJ McClure, a former race car driver and mechanic who is the standing champ in the race. Eager to keep his title, he is desperate to win again. In this race though, that doesn't just mean going fast, anyone can go fast, but sooner or later, you will get stopped. JJ and his strange friend, Victor (Dom Delouse) adopt a personality of two paramedics driving a patient cross country. Apparently this worked in the actual race one year. The supporting cast of competition includes Jamie Farr as an overzealous Sheik in a hopped up Rolls Royce, Roger Moore playing a comic version of his James Bond character driving his popular silver Austin Martin, Mel Tillus and Terry Bradshaw playing a couple of southern boys cruising in a stolen race car and my personal favorite, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. playing womanizing, gambling hard drinking priests driving a red Ferrari (they aren't really priests). All this adds up to a movie where every scene you see a star. Dean and Sammy steal the show in almost every scene they're in, they are class acts adding something unattainable in most pictures of this caliber. The racing antics are not quite as funny as the beginning scenes where all the characters are introduced, but it is entertaining. The best part of the movie comes at the end though where the bloopers are shown during the closing credits. It's worth the price of the DVD alone. Don't expect a great movie out of Cannonball Run, all you can really expect is a good time, but isn't that what it's all about?

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lets the laughs roll! :), September 8, 2001

By 

"skhitles" (Cranston, R.I. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cannonball Run [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A zany cross country race based on an
actual event called "The Cannonball
Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash." The brainchild of writer Brock
Yates, who competed in the first Cannonball in 1971. The object is to
drive as fast and as safely as possible from Connecticut to Redondo Beach, California.
In every Cannonball, no driver or person has ever been injured.
The worst case, a team or two put behind
bars for no more than an hour.
"The Cannonball Run" is based on real
characters and adventures. It was penned
by Yates, who makes an appearance in the early stages of the movie as the "organizer."

Burt Reynolds headlines an all star lineup as "J.J. McClure" a wealthy
entrepreneur who, along with his
'executive assistant' Victor Prinze,
played with great verve by comedian
Dom DeLuise. Victor has some issues.
In times of 'mortal danger' his personality changes from mild mannered
mechanic, into an alter-ego called
"Captain Chaos" who wreaks havoc on
some less than respectable hombres we encounter along the way.
Farrah Fawcett is teamed with J.J. and Victor when she's kidnapped in their ambulance.
Jack Elam as "Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing" provides lots of laughs
and few chills when needed.


Veteran performers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. join the ensemble as
a pair of priests in a souped-up Ferrari.

Roger Moore makes a departure from his
'James Bond' character playing "Seymor Goldfarb." An individual who believes he's
Roger Moore. It's a great spoof and Moore plays it with perfection.

Mel Tillis and former quarterback
Terry Bradshaw show up as just a
couple of good ol' boys ala "Dukes
of Hazzard" style, toting cases of beer but sans the "General Lee."

Tara Buckman and Adrienne Barbeau are seen throughout the film in their
custom black Lamborghini Countach,
breaking speed limits and the hearts
of some unsuspecting law enforcement
officers along the route.

Jamie Farr from "MASH" is cast in the role of a Sheik obsessed with winning the Cannonball
in a hot-rod Rolls Royce.

The Cannonball Run was directed by
Hal Needham who brought us "Smokey and
the Bandit" and "Hooper." Hal and Brock
were partners in a Cannonball held in the late 70S. Needham sets a flat out,
pedal to the metal pace for "Cannonball" and it doesn't let
up till the finish line.

After twenty years, this film still makes you laugh. Rent it tonight :)

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy, Silly, & Wonderful!, March 13, 2006

By 

Presley54 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cannonball Run (DVD)

I watched this because I adore Dean Martin and the Rat Pack, but only after putting off watching it for so long--I was afraid it would be really stupid and not be worthy of being Dean's next to last movie. I had no reason to fear :) . It is absolutely hilarious! The second one is a million times better (more Dean & Sammy and a huge plus with Frank), but this one's great. It's just crazy and silly and a ton of fun.