SummaryGet ready to tear up the highway with the Bandit (Burt Reynolds), a fun-loving, fast-talking trucker who takes on his craziest haul yet - delivering 400 cases of beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in just 28 hours. With Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) hot on his trail and eager to teach him some respect for the law, the Bandit joins forces... Read More
Directed By:Hal Needham
Written By:Hal Needham, Robert L. Levy, James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer, Alan Mandel
Smokey and the Bandit
Metascore
Mixed or Average
50
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
17% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
67% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
17% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
70
Smokey and the Bandit is an unexpected good time, a playful, wisecracking and curiously revealing example of All-American escapist entertainment. [29 July 1977, p.B1]
60
The direction, by a former stuntman, concentrates on the action and happily leaves everyone to their own devices, with almost nothing to do. Field shows what natural acting is all about, and Reynolds' send-ups of himself are, despite repetition, becoming more likeable. Here his kidding around is exactly in tune with this fast-moving but essentially lazy vehicle.
User score
Generally Favorable
62% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
38% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Feb 19, 2024
10
God's gift to mortal men such as us. Burt carries the world on his shoulders, is it no wonder that he could carry a movie such as this into the stratosphere. From the witty banter with a burning yet simmering romance from the jump, this is a def. watch for any movie fan! Jerry Reed is the icing on the cake, no wonder I want to name my dog Fred!
Sep 17, 2024
7
A classic of the auto-smashup genre, with about as much depth and intelligence as an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. And that's totally okay by me, as that's basically the name of the game with this type of film: enjoy the mayhem and try not to overthink anything. Burt Reynolds is at his laid-back best as a legendary bootlegger, coolly skirting the law and forging new trails in his mighty Trans Am, kicking up his feet to casually go with the flow around every obstacle. He makes the whole thing work, really, and the cavalier air of confidence he exudes soon rubs off on the rest of the cast. Jackie Gleason is loads of fun as his nemesis, a particularly persistent Texas sheriff, but he can also fly way off the handle, chewing up scenery like a tacky cartoon character. The driving is great, inventive to the end, and the carnage is satisfying without being mean-spirited. A good flick to throw on whenever you've got a spare hour to fill, though it's better if it doesn't have your undivided attention.
50
While the joke wears thin very quickly, there are a number of amusing sequences, which are combined with some exciting road action to provide a mildly entertaining — and totally mindless — film.
50
There is a parade of roadside set pieces involving may different ways to crash cars. Overlaid is citizens band radio jabber (hence, the title) which is loaded with downhome gags. Field is the hottest element in the film.
50
With Mr. Reynolds playing it cool and Mr. Gleason doing his burns and investing the film with a certain raunchy humor, the rest is up to the vehicles. And they don't do anything that hasn't been seen before.
25
The stunts in Smokey are excellent but the comedy is numbing, and the acting is on a par with a junior high school production of Our Town. Even Gleason comes across badly, and that's a major feat. Adolph Coors and Sons must have been very happy to have a 97-minute commercial for their brew.
Jul 7, 2025
4
Oh mais c’est une comédie routière avec Monsieur Moustache ! l’inénarrable Monsieur Moustache et sa fameuse Pontiac Trans Am 6,6 L, rien que ça… (à ne pas confondre avec l’autre Monsieur Moustache qui dépassait du pare-brise de sa 308 GTS…). Quelle gueule en tout cas et quel bruit sauvage ! et en plus, elle peut aller (presque) partout, car ce coupé (imposant néanmoins pour nos standards… non américains) peut aussi faire du rallye improvisé, si, si… Il faut dire qu’il est poursuivi par les péniches de la police, très promptes surtout pour aller à la baille… ou faire quelques tonneaux. C’est du classique. Le shérif est hargneux à souhait, retors et opiniâtre. Il mange trop de hamburgers et son fiston est un débile mental. Pour faire la potiche (la pauvre), on remarque la remarquable et mignonne Sally Field : elle n’a pas l’air rassurée dans cette bagnole sans ceintures de sécurité… Une bagnole qui fait toujours plein de fumée sur simple demande : il suffit d’appuyer sur l’accélérateur… On a donc quelques jolies poursuites disséminées tout au long du film… Hélas, ça ne suffit pas vraiment pour maintenir un réel intérêt pendant un peu plus d’une heure et demi, la faute à un scénar de nanar indigent, ainsi qu’à des dialogues souvent navrants… Sans compter la musique country à se tirer une balle : il vaut mieux être sourd que d’entendre ça !! j’allais oublier l’autre débile dans son bahut, qui trimbale un clébard à son image (ils vont vraiment bien ensemble). Quelques baisses de rythme vers les deux tiers ou les trois quarts, je crois, sont à noter, notamment lorsque Monsieur Moustache et son chapeau drague allègrement Sally. Qu’est-ce que c’est chiant, bête et maladroit… On embraye ensuite sur la fin, sans grande conviction : il s’agit d’une sacrée pantalonnade en fin de compte. Or, le compte n’y est pas, bien que le film sache rester grosso merdo presque divertissant, selon l’indulgence et la tolérance de chacun… et selon l’expression américaine, comme on dit là-bas, « your mileage may vary ».
Production Company:
- Universal Pictures
- Rastar Films
Release Date:May 27, 1977
Duration:1 h 36 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:Time to take to the road, for a quiet little drive in the country...or not.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Photoplay Awards
• 1 Nomination
