Any Which Way You Can (1980)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good movie but grossly overrated

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It's hard to offer up too much of a defense for this movie, but I'm going to try. It's not high art, but it's still more fun than a lot of what's going on these days. Of course, this is the sequel to Clint Eastwood's big hit, Every Which Way But Loose, and it's just the continued story of a bare knuckle prize fighter and his orangutan, Clyde. The first one was actually pretty good as lightweight entertainment, but there's hardly enough meat there for a really good sequel. However, with that being said, if you enjoyed Every Which Way But Loose, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. It looks and feels mostly the same as the first one. Big Bill Smith is on board as a professional fighter brought in by the mob to take on Phyllo Beddoe. He's usually great to watch, and this movie is no exception. There's some good fisticuffs, and the Black Widows are back as well. I've seen better sequels, but then again, I've seen a lot worse as well.

First off, do not see this movie unless you have already seen "Every Which Way but Loose", as this film is a sequel to that.Now, the first film was known to have a pretty shallow story. This one has the same problem - in fact, the story seems even weaker than the first. The plot doesn't go anywhere; it sits there and watches as the film's comedy takes the wheel.The film is definitely intended to bring up laughter, but I'm not sure if it's sole purpose of production was to be a comedy. The laughs are good, but too rare to make the movie's lack of a story acceptable. The humor is very similar to that of the first film, only, like this film's story, never jumps to the point of surpassing anything we've already seen.However, despite these flaws, the film was overall enjoyable. There's not much you'd miss if you skip this one, but if you enjoyed "Every Which Way but Loose", you're probably going to like "Any Which Way You Can" - just probably not as much as you enjoyed the first. Like the first film, the ape "Clyde" is the source of all true amusement, with "Ma" charging up a scene or two of good laughter in this one. Clint Eastwood's performance may feel a bit weaker or equal to his in "Every Which Way but Loose", but it definitely adds to the experience.Overall, a good film to see if you really enjoyed the first. The two films are very similar, so much so that if you stumbled upon one on television, it may take you awhile to figure out which one you're watching. Many of the scenes take place in the same places: "Clint's house, the bar, etc.", and there are only a few slight additions to the cast. Really nothing too "new" in this film, but a surely entertaining viewing if you enjoyed "Every Which Way but Loose".I give the film a 6/10. I gave "Every Which Way but Loose" a 7/10, and this one lost a point as although it was a bit funnier than the first, the story wasn't as thought-out as the firsts at all, and I seemed to loose my interest a bit more easily on this one. Nonetheless, incredibly similar to the first film in all sorts of ways, so if the first one left you wanting more, definitely check this one out!

Clyde stole this movie even more than he stole EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE. But it's still a fun little ride. Clint and Sondra are involved in more dangerous situations, but the resolutions are entertaining and satisfying. We have the old gang back with Ruth Gordon, Geoffrey Lewis, and the motorcycle gang who just don't know when to quit. The ending is sad because you know that it is the end of an era. People who have been together for a long time are now going their own separate ways and living different lives. Still you can't help smiling at the end of this movie. 7 out of 10.RIGHT TURN, CLYDE. (Man, he was one horny ape, wasn't he????)

Crude, sophomoric, irreverent, silly, stupid, overly macho, etc., etc. - yet, an endearing and very enjoyable film for a lot of people. I wouldn't put myself in that category any more, calling it "endearing," but when I was a lot younger and more less discerning, I laughed a lot at this. I enjoyed this as much, if not more, than the original film, "Every Which Way But Loose." Now, it's a bit too seedy and I don't care for all the abuses of the Lord's name in vain, especially in comedy. However, this is an entertaining film. No one falls asleep watching the antics of the orangutan or Clint Eastwood and his fighting opponent or the irascible Ruth Gordon. The villain in here - Eastwoood's boxing opponent "Jack Wilson" (William Smith) was a good guy and the bare- knuckle was something to see!It's low brow stuff, but a lot of that kind of humor was big in the '70s and early '80s.