The Cannonball Run

One line review: The Cannonball Run

Movie Title: The Cannonball Run

Actors: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Elam, Adrienne Barbeau, Terry Bradshaw, Jackie Chan, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr

Director: Hal Needham

Year: 1981

Genre: Comedy

Method of Viewing: DVD

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: No One

Rotten Tomatoes: 31% – Nonsense but fun nevertheless with a crazy ensemble cast of celebrities of the era.

My rating: **

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): This movie is just a series of crappy gags strung together in something vaugely resembling a plot. There is occasionally a joke or gag that can actually get a laugh, but for the most part this movie is a forgettable mess. I assume it was considered memorable for the big fight scene at the end, and honestly that scene alone is why this movie isn’t a one star. I have no intention of looking into the sequel and will probably even avoid looking at any other Burt Reynold movies. I just don’t know why anyone would enjoy this silly, stupid, movie.

History of the World Part I

One line review: A handful of good jokes don’t make up for an overall boring film.

Movie Title: History of the World Part I

Actors: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Mary-Margaret Humes, Orson Welles

Director: Mel Brooks

Year: 1981

Genre: Comedy

Method of Viewing: DVD

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: No One

Rotten Tomatoes: 62% – Mel Brooks’ The History of the World: Part I contains plenty of belly-shaking laughs.

My rating: **

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): This film was at it’s best when it was doing short and small jokes at the beginning. As the film tries to expand more into something resembling a plot the jokes become fewer, more vulgar, and overall less original. This is a film where you barely even need the audio as almost everything is a visual gag, with 50% of the gags being racist, sexual, or religious. After a while you simply get tired of crappy jokes and want the film to end. There is no need to watch this film again, nor much need to watch it the first time.

Johnny Dangerously

One line review: A brilliant little comedy that is a combination of spoof and celebration of gangster films.

Movie Title: Johnny Dangerously

Actors: Michael Keaton, Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner, Maureen Stapleton, Peter Boyle, Griffin Dunne, Glynnis O’Connor, Dom DeLuise, Richard Dimitri, Danny DeVito

Director: Amy Heckerling

Year: 1984

Genre: Comedy

Method of Viewing: DVD

Location of Viewing: Home

Viewing with: My Uncle

Rotten Tomatoes: 47% – I know I shouldn’t like this film, but dammit, it’s just so gloriously exuberantly silly that there’s no use condemning it.

My rating: ****

My assessment (the first 101 words at least): I have no idea how this movie got on my list of 101 films, but I’m glad it did. It doesn’t seem to be that well loved by any movie critics, but I’m telling you to give this movie a shot and you’ll find a wonderful, silly, and quirky film. You better not take this film too seriously, otherwise you might criticize it for some potty humor and some rather silly puns. However, as long as you don’t take things too seriously you’ll find a film that it full of heart, and certainly worth a shot. One of my favorite comedies.