Il rally più pazzo d'Africa

"Safari 3000" has all but been forgotten today, and I don't think that MGM will be releasing it on DVD any time soon. It doesn't take long when watching the movie to figure out why this movie has drifted into obscurity. True, the movie has a notable cast - Carradine, Channing, and Lee. Carradine and Channing are somewhat likable and generate a little chemistry, but the surroundings seem to be restraining them from making really memorable characters. It's bizarre to see Lee ham it up, wearing a Darth Vader helmet and singing opera. I hope that he only took on this role to get a free trip to Africa. Speaking of Africa, while the movie shot on location, much of the movie looks surprisingly generic, almost as if the movie actually shot in southern California. The racing elements and vehicular stunt work are completely unexciting, and the comedy is childish slapstick. Change the channel should this come on your television.

"Safari 3000" is a movie which was shelved for two years before it was ultimately released. This usually is a very bad sign, as most of the time it means that the folks at the studio have no faith in the movie...or the production was small time and they ran out of money. Neither is a great alternative. And, after watching the movie, I can say the big problem with it is that it isn't sure WHAT it should be...a drama, a comedy or a romance. In some ways, the film is like combinging "The Gumball Rally", "Death Race 2000" and "The Cannonball Run"...which a tough of "Spaceballs"! Why do I add "Spaceballs"? Well, look at Christopher Lee's character, the Count...he looks like Dark Helmet's brother!!

Eddie Miles (David Carradine) works for Count Borgia (Lee). But the Count is a jerk and fires him right before the big race acress Africa...and Eddie is in need of a car. At the same time, an idiot reporter (Stockard Channing) has bought a terrible used car and plans on finding someone to use it in the race. Eddie agrees but the car is a mess...and it needs a new engine. So do they stand a change against the unscrupulous Count as he drives in the race?

I wish the film had chosed to be a comedy...period. But it's not especially funny...other than Christopher Lee's ridiculous outfit in the race. It could have also worked as a drama...but the dialog and helmet ALSO work against that. And, as a romance, it doesn't work especially well either as the chemistry between Carradine and Channing is poor at best. Overall, not a terrible film and it probably didn't deserve to be shelved...but it is NOT a good one by any standard.

This must be one of those "5 or 6 films" Stockard Channing is too embarrassed to mention having worked on in interviews. Which is partly a shame - because, with some serious tinkering ("How about tinkering us up a new engine?" complains David Carradine early on), SAFARI 3000 could've been a genuinely enjoyable ride.

Harry Hurwitz' comedy-adventure takes more than a little inspiration from SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and Paul Bartel's DEATH RACE 2000 and CANNONBALL - as well as a bit from Blake Edwards' THE GREAT RACE, Disney's THE LOVE BUG, and even Friedkin's SORCERER. You get the picture. The primary difference here is that Hurwitz transposes the action - a treacherous, long-distance auto race, involving varied, eccentric participants - to sub-Saharan Africa.

The main issue with SAFARI 3000 is the script. Four writers (three for story, and one for screenplay)... that's rarely a good sign. The dialogue, in particular, is unusually stilted at times, and the story undoubtedly required a few more rewrites. Running barely an hour and a half, it appears significant portions of the film were also truncated, further harming the picture... or serving as a stroke of mercy, depending on one's outlook. Finally, for something so ambitious, the movie could have used some additional car stunts and the like.

However, SAFARI 3000 does have its charms, and doesn't quite deserve the obscurity it has always suffered. Admittedly, I do say that as a Channing obsessive. The film was gloriously shot on-location, and there are several encounters with wildlife that are alternately intense and wonderful. The widescreen cinematography (by Adam Greenburg, and badly hurt by pan & scan - when isn't it ever?) is nicely evocative of the surroundings (including some beautiful scenery), and Ernest Gold's jovial score isn't bad.

Furthermore, there's an amusingly hammy, Darth Vader-looking Christopher Lee, as villain Count Borgia, who pretentiously claims to be a descendant of that most infamous of families, and is accompanied by a ridiculously masochistic sidekick (Hamilton Camp).

And, of course, there's the palpable chemistry between Carradine and Channing, who presumably do better when ignoring the script and begin ad-libbing and interacting instinctively with one another. Carradine featured in both DEATH RACE 2000 and CANNONBALL, so this is familiar territory for him. And Channing once again proves herself to be as accomplished a comedic actress as a dramatic one. The woman can do it all. Scenario-wise, some of the comedy works on a farcical level, while other parts are simply farcical.

If you're a fan of Stockard Channing, David Carradine, Christopher Lee, safari rallies, and/or slapstick-type comedy, it really wouldn't hurt to check out SAFARI 3000. It would even be perfectly suitable for children were it not for one brief sex scene (unfortunately not involving Stockard!)

About the only item worth noting on this lackluster film was the chemistry between Stockard Channing and David Carradine. It seemed as if the two actors were reading off each others reactions rather than a script. Perhaps that was part of the problem with this movie.

At times this film reminded me of the Disney film "The Love Bug." Of course "Safari 3000" is no where near as good a movie as "The Love Bug," and that isn't saying very much. Absolutely skip over this movie and be glad you haven't given up two hours of your life.

My review was written in December 1984 after watching the movie on MGM/UA video cassette.

Once upon a time, stuntman Chuck Bail directed "The Gumball Rally" for Warner Bros., Pual Bartel directed David Carradine in "Cannonball" for New World and later on, Hal Needham piloted Burt Reynolds and friends in the "Cannonball Run" pictures. "Safari 3000" comes midway during this car-racing trend, with the novelty of location lensing in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Minor pic, inoffensive but not very stimulating, was originally titled "Rally" and "Two in the Bush", filmed in 1980, test-booked by MGM/UA in 1982, surfaced later on pay-cable and is now a home video entry. Carradine toplines as a former Hollywood stunt driver ("I'm a real Burt Reynolds" he cracks) competing in the African International Rally against Count Loenzo Borgia (Christopher Lee), a descendant of the murderous family, and other teams from around the world. A gung-ho Playboy Magazine reporter J. J. Dalton (Stockard Channing), tags along as Carradine's navigator.

Up until its who-cares, end-of-race ending, pic offers mild humor, effective camaraderie between the pleasant leads Carradine and Channing, and attractive visuals of the African landscape and fauna. Unlike the Reynolds' pics, the cast is thin, with other teams barely in evidence.