Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

mark.waltz A definite popcorn picture, this farce of the "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" variety is funny but forgettable. How forgettable? Well, having seen it 40 years ago, I remembered a lot of it. Does that make it a good film? No. Does that make it funny? Definitely! Famous car racers from around the world get together for an unofficial and unauthorized race cross country, chased by the law, and outwitting them at every turn. Sound like "Smokey and the Bandit", which came out the following year? Well, close, unique enough to stand on its own.This features a huge cast of familiar and not so familiar faces, each getting moments to get funny moments or outwit the law or the other racers. Michael Sarrazin is the official lead, racing out of a boring budget meeting when the "gumball" message comes his way. Raul Julia gets to steal the most scenes as an Italian lothario who has very unique ways of making passes. Harvey Jason is the Inspector Clouseau like motorcycle driver, cursed from the start. Soap diva Susan Flannery follows her fiery jump from "The Towering Inferno" as one of two women drivers, but really doesn't do much but look blonde for the camera. J. Pat O'Malley is one of two British drivers, a lot long in the tooth, but still biting and gnawing.Of course there are others, but I can only mention Norman Burton as the cop out to stop them, and looking like the coyote to the rest of the driver's road runners. It's the cartoonish look and theme of the film that makes me rate it lower than I actually enjoyed it, but it does have more laughs for its absurdities. I also just love the bouncy score, usage of location footage (obviously Manhattan on an early Sunday morning) and some references that only road travelers with appreciate.

wlb Just seeing these cars when in 1976 they were still "cheap" enough to not simply be garage queens - a Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster, 427 Cobra, Ferrari Daytona Spyder, E-Type Jag...This is based loosely on a true race, Brock Yate's original Cannon Ball Run - in which, if I am not mistaken, was in 1971 and like the movie, left Manhattan but ended up in Redondo Beach. Yates and Dan Gurney won in a Ferrari Daytona Coupe at 35:54, and surprisingly a Chevy Van was second some 50 minutes later.Like the actual race there was some contestants who had a specially rigged van with a huge gas tank that was supposed to take them across the country without need for a fill up - nothing said on bathroom breaks.If you are looking for a movie with some deep social message this isn't the one but if you like cars (and listening to the wonderful noises of the Cobra and Ferrari) this is the movie...

Lee Eisenberg Usually, the 1970s have been known as the nadir of culture. But in movies like "The Gumball Rally", the Me Decade looks mighty fine. As to the subject of whether or not this movie was particularly characteristic of that era, I don't know specifically (although 1976 also saw the release of "The Big Bus", another wacky vehicle-related flick).Anyway, this movie portrays an illegal, secretive cross-country car race involving folks from just about every walk of life, and the prize is a gum-ball machine; meanwhile, a grouchy cop wants to arrest every participant. The nominal star is Michael Sarrazin ("They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"), as current champion Michael Bannon. Probably the only other recognizable faces in it are Gary Busey and Raul Julia. But of course, the real stars are the cars themselves, all as souped-up as was possible at the time.Of course, it wouldn't be a car race comedy without some crashes. And believe you me, there are some funny ones here! Moreover, every group has some tricks up their sleeves; it really makes one nostalgic for the days when everyone felt the need to ditch the rules, especially with what happens to the cop.All in all, it's a movie that you're sure to love. A real comedy classic. And to think that just the year before, Michael Sarrazin had starred in "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud", which in my opinion deserved more than almost any other movie to get shown on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". So watch this movie, and watch "The Big Bus" with it. You're sure to get a kick out of both.

Old70115 Back in the 1970's movies were better. Compared to the movies they are making today this seems great. Judging the movie 29 years after its release was FUN! This film is just funny! Something The "Cannonball Run" ( A Burt Reynolds Rip-off of this movie) never got right. The characters in this movie seem real! Not stereo types! The viewer is in on the fun! In this movie we get to see an illegal auto race from New York To Long Beach, California. As a viewer you never want the race to end! At the time this movie was made it was made with actors that you have seen before but can't remember where. Well that is a good thing! The reason why is that you will not figure out who will win! If you saw the movie "Rat Race" you will see the director ripped off this movie! Now is Hollywood wants to remake this I would want "Clive Owen" to have the lead. If they want to change the story around For a female co-star I would go with Reece Witherspoon! But please do cast Jude Law! Has he stared in in any movie that made $100,000,000?