Hooper
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Movie Reviews of Hooper
Movie Review: Utterly Enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are looking for deep meaning in a film, look somewhere else. This movie is all about stuntmen having fun, hanging out, making movies, and drinking beer while driving backwards down the Pacific Coast Highway.The plot centers around Sonny Hooper(Reynolds), the greatest stuntman alive, who is virtually identical to Reynold's hero from Smokey & the Bandit(not surprising since the two movies came out within 6 months of each other). Hooper is coming to the end of his career, and he knows it, which gives the character far more depth than expected.
The plot, while not too intricate, portrays three generations of stunt men. The late Brian Keith plays the older stuntman who was once the "top dog" around the studios before Hooper came along, and watches with barely contained amusement as Hooper realizes he's about to be de-throned by a new young hotshot stuntman played by Jan-Michael Vincent.
Along the way there's alot of stunts, alot of beer drinking, a really long car jump, and some insight passed along by the older generation("You aughta drink more. Nothing hurts when your numb").
All in all, a very enjoyable romp that will leave you with a smile. Look for a wonderful cameo by Terry Bradshaw, complete with a full head of hair.
Movie Review: Reynolds at his gum-smacking, wise-cracking, laugh-cackling best!
Summary: 4 Stars
Burt Reynolds was bigger than big in the late 1970s and this 1978 Action-Comedy, coming off the success of Smokey & the Bandit the previous year, put Reynolds in the stratosphere after additional 70s hits like: Deliverance, The Longest Yard, Gator & Semi-Tough.
Reynolds plays Sonny Hooper, an aging, but not yet over-the-hill Hollywood stunt man being faced with the challenges of young, upstart Ski Chinski, played by Jan-Michael Vincent. The two play off one another and learn to "play together" and make nice while making life difficult for arrogant movie-director Roger Deal (a brilliantly obnoxious Robert Klein) to perform the worlds biggest car jump... ever!
This is probably Reynolds best role-- better than Bandit-- and Reynolds at his gum-smacking, wise-cracking, laugh-cackling best! Hooper is loaded with famous faces-- Sally Field, Brian Keith, then NFL Quarterback/now Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw, James Best & Adam West.
In addition to a story that still holds together almost 30 years later, are the wild & crazy stunts that precede the movies fantastic final finish.
Movie Review: Just Entertaining
Summary: 4 Stars
Burt Reynolds has had a varied career. The Smokey & The Bandit series were well done and provided a lot of laughs.
HOOPER,on the other hand, had some excellent scenes, Jackie Gleason stole every scene he was in. Jerry Reed not only wrote the title song in less than 24 hours, he played a wonderful 'sidekick' to Burt. Fred the dog (who came from a local dog kennel) was a scene stealer without knowing he was doing it.
Hal Needham out did himself with the direction.
Good entertainment without one real swear word and nobody took their clothes off!!! Golly Wompers! Why don't other producers and writers give it a try.
Movie Review: Innocuous, passable entertainment for Reynolds fans
Summary: 3 Stars
As many of the other reviewers here stated I too saw 'Hooper' when it was first released in 1978. I probably liked it much more back then; watching it all these years later I was only mildly amused by the film. I didn't remember much about it except that Reynolds and Michael-Vincent do a memorable stunt near the end and of course the extended & comical bar fight sequence.
If you're not familiar with the movie here's the plot in a nutshell: Hooper (Burt Reynolds) is the most renowned stuntman in Hollywood with the credits to prove it. While performing in his current film he becomes acquainted with a young up-and-comer (Jan Michael-Vincent) who threatens to challenge his prowess as a stuntman. Ski, the new kid, ingratiates himself to Hooper and gets hired to do some stunt work in the same film Hooper is working on. The pompous director of the film also is impressed with Ski and substitutes him for another stuntman in a dangerous stunt overriding Hooper's decision. Hooper is initially upset but determines that Ski did perform the stunt better than the person he originally selected. The director then changes the end of the film to include a death-defying stunt to be done by Hooper and Ski; Ski however suggests redesigning the stunt to be even more thrilling and dangerous. The design is too dangerous though and Hooper balks at taking the chance. Eventually Ski and Hooper's longtime friend and film producer talk him into it.
Well that's the bare threads of the plot anyway. There are subplots built into the story as well including Sally Field as Reynolds's live-in girlfriend Gwen who isn't crazy about his risk-taking and wants him to retire; Brian Keith as Field's father who suffers a debilitating stroke after a life-long career as a stuntman; James Best is Hooper's best friend and confidant who keeps the percocet and Coors coming; Robert Klein plays the egomaniacal director who finally gets his comeuppance; Adam West appears as himself being cast as the star of the film within a film here "The Spy Who Loved Danger"; finally there's Terry Bradshaw who picks a fight with Reynolds and his buddies in the movie's fight scene. And of course there are the stuntmen, to whom this movie is made to glorify, who are portrayed by various unrecognizable faces shown performing every stunt imaginable. It's all quite laid back and easy to take with a minor emphasis on the film's serious tones and the comedy in the forefront throughout. The final stunt is well worth seeing and there are other exemplary stunts as well such as Ski rappelling down a high-rise and shooting his way through a gauntlet of 'bad guys' while filming a sequence and Hooper free-falling from a helicopter from 224 yards - that's because the record is 223 he discovers. The most memorable scene is when Reynolds drives his pickup in reverse down the highway, getting pulled over by the state patrol - leading to yet one more shenanigan by the brash and impulsively practical joking stuntmen entourage ever present with him.
Fans of Burt Reynolds will no doubt rate this higher than I did and that's understandable. Compared to the rest of his films though this rates as above average only and mainly because of the excellent supporting cast and the stunts within the film. And as far as comparisons go this is probably the "jewel in the crown" for director Hal Needham whose directorial credits include the other Reynolds' films 'Stroker Ace' and 'The Cannonball Run' and 'Smokey & The Bandit' films. There are no extras on the DVD but the picture is as sharp as it could possibly be. 'Hooper' might not be deemed worthy of adding to your collection but it's definitely worth a rental for all Reynolds fans.
Movie Review: Reynolds, Fields & Needham... need I say more?
Summary: 3 Stars
All my life I've been fans of Hal Needhams other movies such as Smokey & the Bandit and the Cannonball movies. I had seen this movie around before, but it has taken to this point in my life to actualy pick it up and rent it and i'm glad I did. I probably wouldnt have given it a second glance if it wernt for me watching a bonus feature on the Dukes Of Hazzard DVD where James Best (Roscoe) said he had just done this film before he started on the DOH, and I'd never seen him in anythign else, so I thought i'd give it a wurl.
I'm glad I did, now. I wasnt sure if I was gonnah liek it or not, but I soon was laughing and enjoying a great little comedy. It had a lot of familuer faces in it... alot of familuer faces from Cannonball and Smokey movies.
And seeing this movie now, I didnt notice any dating.. I mean there is if you purposly look, but it still holds up well for me in this day and age, I enjoyed the film and urge you to at least rent it if you havent seen it. It's just as much a classic as any other Needham movie.