Smokey and the Bandit II (1980)

I first seen the original Smokey and the Bandit when I was 13 when it was first released the summer of 1977 I was so in love with the first one I seen it 17 times in the theaters. I once walk in the rain to see it, I took my first date to see it and I have probably seen it 100 times on TV and Video.

With all that said I think I have the right to critique the sequel. I remember waiting 3 yrs for part II, I remember hearing there might be one in 1977 and I was so excited. Well, I remember I thought something was going wrong early in 1980 when I herd reports they wanted to call it "Smokey and the Bandit have a Baby" But I was still eager to see it, I rushed to see it the first night it was released, I remember it was a packed house and I was really excited. Then it happened, while watching it I couldn't help thinking this thing was awful!

It had nothing what so ever from the first one, they went for nothing but laughs, goofy plot, goofy gags, goofy jokes and transporting an elephant for $400,000 was so stupid! At first you might say, well wasn't the first like that? NO!!. Watch the first one again after watching the sequel, First - The Bandit was cool thru the whole movie, never lost his cool, never went for just a laugh, He was kinda the straight man. Even Jerry Reed (Snowman) had a really cool seen where he gets beat up (and this was a serious seen) and then runs over all the bikers bikes, that was great!! I remember the audience cheering when that happened. You even believed the Bandit and Frog really fell in love.

True it had a lot of slap stick screw ball humor but that was all from the sheriff's (Buford T. Justice) character, and it was all really funny. They could have really done a lot with this movie, like in most sequels they forgot the first rule - Continue with the original story! Don't repeat it!! The trick is to make it look like one whole movie cut in half, not a remake done badly. (for more research on how Not to make a sequel see Another 48hrs)

Fmovies: When compared to it's predecessor, Smokey and the Bandit II is a complete waste of time. The film makers were fortunate enough to reunite the complete cast of the original but chose to make a live action cartoon instead of another great movie with fast cars, loose morals and entertaining characters. I would have much rather seen Bandit, Carrie and Cledus's trip to Boston to pick up some clam chowder, sans the Trans Am and rig, than see the weak effort put forth here. In some places the film is a sloppily done rehash of the original: Carrie is about to marry Junior again, Buford T. is hot on the trail of the Bandit with Junior in tow as a result and the Bandit is driving alongside Cledus in a black Trans-Am. Given the situation in this movie, why was the Bandit even needed? They drive the speed limit most of the movie! Cartoonish elements missing from the original include Buford's summoning of his brothers to help him catch the Bandit, a man falling out of an ambulance in a most strange looking gurney and Sheriff Justice's car being dropped from a toll bridge, only to appear again unscathed later in the film. It seems the writer of this piece of garbage said, "Let's take what worked in the original, increase its outlandishness 100 times over, add some weak one liners and throw in something for the kids while we are at it." Honestly, what minister answers a phone during a wedding ceremony? Everything that worked in part one was forgotten in part two.

"Smokey and the Bandit II" is a blown opportunity. I am not a big fan of sequels because they generally just repeat the same formula of the original. Here is no exception. But what bothers me is of ALL the ideas they could use they pick transporting an elephant? And why make the Bandit down on his luck? We want to see him on top of the world in the spoils of wealth from the first film. But all we get to see are he and Sally Field fighting. Jackie Gleason is good but the resurrection of some of his classic characters though nice, is totally unnecessary to the film. A big disappointment.

Smokey and the Bandit II fmovies. Poor sequel to the highly enjoyable Smokey and the Bandit. Part two brings together the same ingredients as the first film but adds a lot of cornball slapstick and a disappointing character shift for the Bandit. Gone is the charming, slightly enigmatic Bandit. Here he's a goofy man-child.

Sally Field and Jerry Reed return as well. Both do fine although Field sometimes seems like she would rather be anywhere else than in this movie. Can't blame her. She looks lovely though. Jackie Gleason is back and this time playing multiple parts. He starts out OK but quickly becomes unbearable. We also have the comically challenged Dom DeLuise. Reynolds was buddies with Dom and overlooked Dom's obvious lack of talent and got him roles in several of his movies. I've never found Dom DeLuise funny and this movie is no exception.

If you're a fan of the first Smokey movie, perhaps it's best you just avoid this sequel and for the love of God, definitely avoid part 3. This movie doesn't improve upon the first in any way. Hell it doesn't even match it. It's a stinker that happens to have a decent country soundtrack.

Remember how much fun the first Smokey and the Bandit film was? Well, he's back, and this time he's an alcoholic burnout who makes bad career choices and treats his friends like trash. So, he's basically Burt Reynolds from 1980-Boogie Nights. Remember how much free wheeling fun and energy the first film had? Well this sequel has all the energy of a pregnant elephant. Speaking of elephants, Dom DeLuise is in the film. And a pregnant elephant. The entire cast looks like they can't wait to get paid, it's such a "go through the motions" film, reminiscent of another sequel, "Ghostbusters 2.

The final police car pile up is impressive but even that outstays it's welcome after a while. No, it's not one of the worst sequels ever, it's just so gosh darn bland and average.

Fairly dreadful sequel to "Smokey and the Bandit" arrived some three years later, and most of the principal players look a bit sheepish about the entire enterprise--none more so than Sally Field as "Frog", the Bandit's main squeeze. In the film (and in the outtakes played at the end), Field seems edgy and defensive, which probably means she got a good look at this screenplay and felt trapped (an understandable reaction, but deadly in a comedy). Written by Jerry Belson and Brock Yates from a treatment by Michael Kane, the movie immediately gets off on the wrong foot with Field once again running out on a wedding (to Sheriff Justice's son for the second time). Seems she can't reach the Bandit, whose inflated ego and sense of self-importance has alienated all his friends. Moody, unhappy Burt Reynolds only perks up in his scenes with Dom DeLuise, but for the most part limps through these half-hearted proceedings like a celebrity on the downhill slide. Hal Needham's direction isn't any help (he's at the mercy of the woebegone script), but there is an elephant around for the occasional sight-gag--and Jackie Gleason in three roles. * from ****