Viva Knievel! (1977)

Sorry, this movie sucks

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This is one of numerous movies that were featured on Video On Demand from Rifftrax and it's easy to tell why. I didn't even know that was the real Evel Knievel. I was probably just so taken back by how dumb and boring this movie was, I didn't notice. This film features guys who want to take Knievel's body to smuggle cocaine. I couldn't even comprehend this plot. I was able to understand the jokes as he really did attack someone with a baseball bat before this film was released. The riffing was great with some of my favorite bits being, "We were told there'd be Christians to eat!". An easy one was "Evel!" with "I'm not referring to your name. It's just evil that you're here!". I loved, "I'm going to sit here and regret "Dracula: Dead And Loving It"." I also liked, "It was easy" followed by, "And hugely wasteful of helicopter fuel". You really have to find the Rifftrax version. *1/2

Staring Knievil himself,a gang of drug smugglers try to use his custom rig to smuggle drugs from Mexico to America.This is a neat,anti drug movie. It goes to show to never say never. Did Knievel ever marry Lauren Hutton?Cameron Mitchell drives the White - Freightliner big rig.Cameron Mitchell was a permanent A list actor.Ernie Orsatti drives the Peterbuilt big rig.Ernie Orsatti is a permanent A list actor.Laureen Hutton is hot!!---One Truck Drivers Opinion---erldwgstruckermovies.com

I recently bought a video tape of this film expecting it to be somewhat funny...it turned out to be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. And that's saying alot since it was made as a dramatic vehicle for the one, the only, EVEL KNIEVEL.I can't believe all of the negative comments that have been posted for this film. Sure the acting is bad and the plot is subpar, but overall, this movie is destined for cult status! This 1 hour and 40 minute film turned into a three hour viewing experience for me since I was laughing so hard at everything, and I knew I was missing more great dialogue and acting...I'd have to stop the video, rewind it, and watch again...and I'd laugh just as hard the second time. Even now, while writing this review, I'm laughing to myself just thinking of certain scenes...especially the "drug speech."I won't spoil anything for those reading this...Just pop this baby in your VCR and "sit down and take a load off!"And who the hell did Frank Gifford have to sleep with to get his name mentioned so many times in this film?PUT THIS FILM ON DVD in WIDESCREEN!!

Evel Knievel is the world's leading motorcycle jumper. When he is asked to accompany his friend Jessie (Marjoe Gartner), the second best motorcycle jumper, on a tour of Mexico he accepts. However Millard, the tour's organiser (Leslie Nielsen) plans to use Knievel to smuggle drugs back over the Mexican border, using Knievel's fame to escape detection.This is very much a star vehicle of it's time - it screams 70's all the way through - from the clothes to the attitude, from the stars to the cheesy theme song it's all very dated. However we should allow this to put us off - although it is hard to see past the terrible flares and big collars. This is actually a reasonable plot - if a little far fetched - but the 70's definitely produced worse crime thrillers. This manages to be quite clever and have an exciting chase conclusion. That's not to say that it's brilliant - but for an Evel Knievel movie anything that is better than OK is good. There is a side plot involving Knievel's mechanic Will and his estranged son - but this doesn't really add any value to the plot.The main weakness of this is that it is a Knievel vehicle (pardon the pun). Several times the film slows down and loses the main plot so that Knievel can be kind to kids, or lecture about the dangers of drugs etc. If the part had been played by a "normal" actor then it wouldn't have stolen as much of the focus as Knievel did. That said - there are times that this doesn't seem like a star vehicle. Knievel overall is played as a kind man who is good to kids etc, but quite often during the film he is an unpleasant man - arrogant, rude, selfish and, in one throwaway remark, racist. It just surprised me that he would let himself be portrayed in that way - unless of course he is like that and didn't see it in the finished film. For the most part though this is a star film that shows him as a moral, kid loving, God-fearing American.The rest of the support is quite surprising, Gene Kelly plays Will quite well, but overdoes the emotions in his subplot. Leslie Nielsen is good as the bad guy, pre-spoof days, and plays it straight (read boring) and steady. Even Red Buttons pops up momentarily as Knievel's organiser. But most are sidelined as the story focuses on Knievel.Overall a good 1970's crime movie, but both Knievel and the other subplots slow the plot and take away from the film. For what it is - it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.