Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Viva bad cinema!, November 10, 2002
"Viva Knievel!" is the answer to the eternal question "What if Jesus Christ was a chasm-jumping daredevil?" Playing himself as the motorcycle messiah with a helmet for a crown is "The Guinness Book of World Records" holder for most broken bones (35)-- Evel Knievel. Knievel is a man with a heart bigger than the gaps he clears on his Harley and a charismatic wit that makes nuns, school teachers and photographers for exploitive news organizations swoon. The only thing bigger than Knievel's heart is his shirt collar. When he's not making death-defying leaps from red, white and blue ramps, Knievel can be found at orphanages giving out action figures of himself and inspiring children to be the best they can be. Needless to say, the movie is awful, self-promoting schlock that, during its theatrical run, probably only played triple bills at the most misbegotten drive-ins in the lowest sphere of hell. Knievel gets involved in some cocaine smuggling plot that has something to do with his trailer and a rival motorcycle daredevil. Other reputations dragged into this flaming pit full of man-eating lions with Knievel is an aged Gene Kelly (yes, Gene Kelly) as Will Atkins, Knievel's mechanic/alcoholic gap-jockey has been. Boozed up and callous, Will doesn't even have time for his abnormally voiced son who comes to visit. Lauren Hutton plays Kate Morgan, the photographer and love interest sent to shoot Knievel's last jump. Leslie Nielsen plays the baddie behind the drug smuggling and the only person, in terms of collar size, who rivals the magnificent Knievel. But this wouldn't be an Evel Knievel movie without bike jumps, anti-drug messages and an affirmation of family values. We get all three plus the hippest theme song this side of the end credits theme from "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension." Viva Knievel! Viva bad cinema!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Behold the Power of Knievel!, August 16, 2002
Heinous drug dealers want to use the famed stuntman's body as cover for a major drug smuggling operation, huh!?! On the side of good is the one and only Evel Knievel, backed up with Lauren Hutton, Gene Kelly (!!!), and Red Buttons (!). The bad guys are a bad movie buffs dream team - Leslie Nielsen, Albert Salmi, Marjoe Gortner, and Cameron Mitchell (with a sprinkle of Dabney Coleman tossed in for flavor)! Believe me, you WILL be in heaven watching this. Although Irwin Allen is not mentioned on the credits (unless I just plain old missed it) all of his standard production team (Harold Kress, L.B. Abbot, et al) are accounted for. Consider it the greatest bad movie Hal Needham never made. Recommended for those into such things as these.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
...But Only If You Love Bad Movies, June 4, 2005
In the opening scene, Evel, playing himself in a fictional adventure, distributes toys--Evel Knievel action figures!--to orphans in the middle of the night...inspiring one handicapped child to throw away his crutches and walk. I swear I'm not making that up. Santa? Jesus? You just got SERVED!
In this grand testament to One Man's Ego, a cast already dripping with overripe hams (Including Leslie Nielsen as a drug lord! And Marjoe Gortner as a coke fiend!) finds itself overwhelmed by a clown on a bike as he reunites families, teaches a "feminist" to love, and defeats drug smugglers.
And you haven't lived until you've experienced the theme song...
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