Hooper [Blu-ray]

Director: Hal Needham Hal Needham

Overview

Following the blockbuster success of Smokey and the Bandit, Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and director Hal Needham reunited to make the very similar Hooper, an action-laced comedy about a Hollywood stunt man who enters a dangerous rivalry with a younger stunt man. Hooper (Reynolds) and the younger stunt man (Jan-Michael Vincent) compete in a series of increasingly complex stunts in order to earn the title of "the greatest stunt man alive." Hooper is lightweight, mindless fun that doesn't have much story, but it is a stronger film than Smokey and the Bandit, largely because the characters are somewhat stronger. Everyone involved looks like they're having fun; the good-humor translates on screen.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2015
UPC:	0883929445370
Original Release:	1978
Rating:	PG
Source:	Warner Home Video
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:39:00
Sales rank:	15,622

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Burt Reynolds	Sonny Hooper
Jan-Michael Vincent	Ski Chinski
Sally Field	Gwen Doyle
Brian Keith	Jocko Doyle
John Marley	Max Berns
Robert Klein	Roger Deal
James Best	Cully
Adam West	Adam
Alfie Wise	Tony
Terry Bradshaw	Sherman
Norman Grabowski	Hammerhead
George Furth	Bidwell
Jim Burk	Jimbo
Don 'Red' Barry	Sheriff
Princess O'Mahoney	Wanda
Robert Tessier	Amtrac
Richard Tyler	Doctor
Tara Buckman	Debbie
Hal Floyd	Cliff

Technical Credits

Hal Needham	Director
Bobby Bass	Stunts
Lawrence Gordon	Executive Producer
Hank Moonjean	Producer
Cliff Wegner	Special Effects
Cliff Wenger Jr.	Special Effects
Robert Glass	Sound/Sound Designer
Don MacDougall	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

The comedian Robert Wuhl once did a very funny stand-up bit where he lauded Burt Reynolds as a talented guy who happened to have made a lot of bad movies, then proceeded to count the "good" movies on one hand and then list the "bad" ones on both hands and feet. Maybe that's a little unfair, especially considering the mini-renaissance Reynolds has enjoyed over the last few years, but Hooper is a film that falls into the stereotypical Burt Reynolds mold, namely that it features a lot of cars, explosions, stunts, and general juvenile buffoonery. A re-teaming of Reynolds with his Smokey and the Bandit team of Sally Field and director Hal Needham, it's the story of an aging stunt man who must cope with both a younger rival and his own body's limitations. It's interesting for its look inside the world of the Hollywood stuntman, but overall it lacks any kind of cohesiveness. Field is completely wasted, although she had yet to become a top-tier Academy-recognized actress at this point, and the excellent Brian Keith also seems to just be filling space here. Jan-Michael Vincent is very good as the younger stuntman and the film does manage to involve some drama along with it's good ol' boy antics, but unfortunately it appeals only to those who would be impressed with a film on that level, namely kids and die-hard Burt Reynolds fans. The only truly memorable performance is turned in by Robert Klein as the movie-within-the-movie's dictatorial director.

All Movie Guide - Dan Friedman