Cross Country drag race

Rating: 6/10 (23 January 2013)

Before there were Police Academy movies there were these two Cannonball Run films where a whole lot of people did a movie with absolutely no story to it, but looked like they were having a lot of fun. If you could call it starring Burt Reynolds and long time pal Dom DeLuise because they have the most screen time.
It's clear that this cast was enjoying all the overacting they were allowed to indulge in. Except possibly for Roger Moore who rather drolly underplayed his own image as an action hero, James Bond, the Saint, etc. Reynolds did too, to a lesser extent.
You've got to love Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. as a pair of fake priests who copied Richard Nixon's dirty play book in their effort to win The Cannonball Run which when you come right down to it is just a cross country drag race. Reynolds and DeLuise are using an ambulance, the better to fool the Smokeys that they meet traveling west. And for insurance they have a kidnapped patient in Farrah Fawcett and one bat crazy doctor in Jack Elam. Between Elam and DeLuise I have to say it's a tossup as to who overacts the most.
Like The Police Academy movies, the Cannonball Run films are dumb, witless, stupid, puerile, and you will laugh your derrière off.