My review was written in May 1989 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.
"Easy Wheels" is a very cute, throwback to drive-in movies of the early 1970s, with genuine cult potential.
Bearing the trademark slapstick/comic book violence approach of the "Evil Dead" team of Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert, pic limns the adventures on the road of a femme motorcycle gang, Women of the Wolf. Its leader is She-Wolf (Eileen Davidson), a tough cookie raised in the woods by wolves.
Opposing force is a scruffy gand of male bikers led by mystic Paul Le Mat. The sexes clash in several hilarious battles, featuring crazy, violent gags and inspired double entendres.
Direction by David O'Malley is functional but uneven, with too many talky, static stretches to satisfy hard action fans. However, whenever the script is really cooking, which is frequently, the combo of highbrow dialog and lowlife physical shtick is terrific.
With his "Melvin and Howard" background, Le Mat is perfect casting as the hippy-dippy biker, and Eileen Davidson, with her Joanna Pacula-like visage and cool manne, is more than his match. Almost everyone in the deep supporting cast gets a chance to shine as well.
Tech credits are modest. Running in-joke satirizes elements of "Raising arizona", whose creators Joel & Ethan Colen previously were writes ("Crimewave") for Raimi & Co.
