Stand on It!

I recently came across "Stand on It!" on YouTube, and although I didn't sit through the entire movie, I saw enough while skipping through scenes to get a solid impression-and unfortunately, it wasn't a good one.

Right away, the film's production quality is distracting. The camera work is subpar and often feels shaky and amateurish, like it was shot on a low-end device. It doesn't resemble something ready for release-more like a rough first cut or a student project. Even more jarring were the clear signs of green screen usage in certain scenes. These moments completely pulled me out of the viewing experience and made the film feel even more cheaply made. There may have been some low-budget CGI involved too, which only adds to the artificial, unpolished atmosphere.

The storytelling is hard to follow-not just because I skipped around, but because the narrative feels disjointed even in the scenes I did watch. It lacks flow and cohesion, making it tough to care about what's going on. There's no real charm or wit, which makes this especially disappointing for a movie that's meant to pay tribute to the 1977 classic Smokey and the Bandit.

Speaking of tribute, the characters here fall completely flat when compared to their iconic counterparts. Tim Phillips, who plays the Bandit-like role, does give a somewhat decent performance. He has a bit of screen presence and occasionally channels the charisma you'd expect from a Bandit figure, so I'll give him that. However he doesn't resemble the Bandit as his and Burt Reynolds eyes and facial structures don't match. Also, the Sheriff Bufford T. Justice character-originally made legendary by Jackie Gleason-is a major letdown. Matthew Cutter's portrayal lacks Gleason's over-the-top energy, and his accent doesn't come close. It's a failed imitation of a larger-than-life character, and it stands out in all the wrong ways.

As someone who loves the original Smokey and the Bandit, this film felt more like a parody gone wrong than a genuine homage. It doesn't capture the excitement, humor, or heart that made the 1977 film so memorable. If anything, it undermines the legacy with a lazy, thrown-together effort.

It's honestly kind of funny that Universal Pictures hasn't taken any legal action-maybe they saw Stand on It! For what it is: a harmless, low-budget imitation that poses no threat to the original's legacy. In that sense, ignoring it might be the wisest move they could make.

If you're a diehard fan of the original and are hoping to relive the fun, I'd recommend steering clear of this one. Unless you're morbidly curious or in the mood to see how not to do a tribute, there's really no reason to spend your time on Stand on It!

Coming from a long-time fan of Smokey and the Bandit, I just have to say that this movie really hit home for me. Not only that, but this really felt like a true combination of Smokey and the Bandit and Dukes of Hazzard. Of course they couldn't make it the tribute they wanted it to be with the budget they had, but John still somehow managed to make it loveable and memorable. The music of this movie is just incredible. The songs really felt like true country songs right down to the instruments and singing. Every song in this film truly felt special in its own respective way while being true to legendary country music. The acting is also really good for a movie with a tight budget. John Schneider may have played as the star of the movie, but the best acting in the movie definitely goes to Tyrus for playing Jackie Gleason's role as the sheriff. Tyrus not only managed to make the dialogue still funny, but he also incorporated new, original dialogue that was not in Smokey and the Bandit. Tyrus really played his part well, and it even looked like he had fun while doing it. But nothing in the movie could top the good stunts and crashes. The crashes were really spot-on to the movie it was tributing while being original in its own, creative way. They even somehow managed to make the backwards car jump into the pond more satisfying by jumping a police car, specifically a Crown Victoria, through a old, abandoned trailer at John Schneider Studios. But the big epic stunt of the movie took place at the Tickfaw River where they jumped the star car, a 2017 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, 100 feet over a demolished bridge right over the Tickfaw River to recreate the famous Mulberry Bridge jump in Smokey and the Bandit. Also, this movie was filmed during the 2020 Bo's Extravaganza event at John Schneider Studios in Holden, LA in July. John allowed anyone to be a part of the movie as an extra character. Not to mention that the upcoming sequel, Poker Run, was filmed at the 2021 Bo's Extravaganza event in April. Now, this movie is not perfect, but this was still a memorable film that I will surely watch over and over again. This really hits home for me, and if you're looking for a great family film to just kick back and enjoy, then this is definitely the one.

I thought that Smoky and the Bandit 2 and 3 were bad. They are masterpieces compared to this. This film is an insult to the cast, crew, fans of Smoky and the Bandit. A crowd funding campaign turned into a paid dream for John Schneider. I've worked with him on other films and he takes most of the money from low budget projects. Super nice guy but greedy and arrogant. This movie looks like it was shot on a 1997 consumer camcorder. The actors are most likely aspiring actors that paid for their roles. It attempts to be funny but it's not. I paid to support this project and am embarrassed as I really had high hopes but it is truly an embarrassment and an insult to fans of Smoky and the Bandit and Dukes of Hazzard.

Why would you watch a cheap rehash?

There's really not much else to say. I'm sure someone's heart was in it but like...just make your own movie. This is unimaginative.

I'm sorry, but I did not like this movie at all and that is coming from a huge fan of Smokey and the Bandit fan and Trans Am enthusiast. It was pretty much a low-budget remake of Smokey and the Bandit, but different character names and different locations and setting. It didn't feel like a tribute at all, but more of a wannabe Bandit movie.

The Good: I will say the car stunts were decent, but should've been better filmed. Also there is a scene with Bandit and Buford impersonators which I felt was the closest this movie had to paying tribute and respect for the original.

The Bad: The Dodge Challenger was a bad choice as a blocker car as it should've been a Pontiac Trans Am to honor the original or a black and gold General Lee as a tribute to the TV show. You can't combine both cars and pass it off as a Bandit car. The Challenger used in the movie has a fake t-top roof that is filled with expanding foam, a bird on the hood, gold stripes and gold wheels. Basically a Dodge Challenger that likes to dress as a Pontiac Firebird which I feel is sacrilege. Its not even a real Hellcat like John states, but it is actually a V6 base model. The movie uses WAY TOO MUCH greenscreen which was off-putting and unrealistic. The movie was filmed very cheaply as if it was shot on a cell phone. The songs were not that good nor fun to listen to compared to the original which was fantastic. The acting was poor and much of the dialogue was lifted from the original, which is a shame since the original was mostly improvised. I'm surprised that Universal hasn't copyrighted this movie. If John was on the set, why not make a movie based on that event or a more original storyline that included a few references here and there to set it apart? Also if the budget was so low, why make the movie at all? There should have been a lot of heart, thought, and effort put into this to make it good and pay respect to Burt and Hal, but I feel that very little heart and effort was put into this and it should've been better handled.

Save your time and money and just go watch the original Smokey and the Bandit and the sequels. Way more fun to watch and that is the proper way to honor Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. Hopefully Universal Studios will do a better job with their tv show in development.