Stroker Ace

Stroker Ace (Burt Reynolds) grew up with moonshining Seegles being chased by the cops in the backwoods. He is a reckless arrogant womanizing three-time NASCAR champ. Aubrey James (Parker Stevenson) is his ambitious young rival. Lugs (Jim Nabors) is his crew chief. He is taken with virginal Pembrook Feeney (Loni Anderson). She's Clyde Torkle (Ned Beatty)'s new employee. When Stroker loses his sponsor, he signs up with untrustworthy Fried Chicken king Torkle as The Fastest Chicken in the South. He grows to hate his contract and tries to get out of it.

This is Burt Reynolds at his most Burt Reynolds. As a kid, I didn't really mind the bad writing and didn't get some of the jokes. It wasn't my favorite racing movie but I didn't know the critical panning this received. I love Cannonball Run and I knew this is inferior. Watching it again recently gave me a few more problems. Loni is a big robotic problem. Her innocent act does not work. The writing is not that funny either. It's just a lot of camp from the cast. I don't actually hate this but it's not good.

Stroker Ace isn't a bad movie - it has some fun moments and a bit of charm - but it's not exactly Burt Reynolds at his best either. I'd say it's slightly better than Smokey and the Bandit II, but still nothing too memorable.

It makes sense why this film didn't do much for Burt's career, especially since he famously turned down Terms of Endearment to make it. That choice really puts this movie under a harsh light.

There are a few interesting touches, like the use of real TV broadcast footage of race car crashes, but it almost feels like that was thrown in to give the film more intensity - and it doesn't really work.

I borrowed the DVD (2018 Warner Brothers Archive Collection Reissue) from the library, and the technical quality was honestly pretty rough. The mono audio mix lacks energy, and the music doesn't add much excitement. The subtitles were especially bad - out of sync and didn't match what was being said at all.

Overall, it's kinda a good movie for a casual watch, especially if you're into NASCAR or Burt Reynolds. But it's not one I'll be rushing to revisit.

Normally I find myself defending Burt Reynolds' supposed lesser works but in this case I have to agree with the majority that this one's the pits. I want to like it much like I love the Cannonball Run and Smokey movies but this just isn't very funny. Jim Nabors has no comedic chemistry with Burt. Every line he utters I'm kind of annoyed. He actually makes me miss Dom Deluise which I never thought I'd say. Loni Anderson looks nice but brings nothing else to the table. I enjoyed her on WKRP so I know she's capable of better with a decent script. Ned Beatty is doing his best Charles Durning and failing miserably. As for Burt he's sleepwalking through this role, which he reportedly only took as a favor to director and friend Hal Needham. If true that he turned down Terms of Endearment for this then wow George Raft is no longer the actor with the worst decision-making skills in Hollywood history. If you like Burt's other 80s comedies then give it a shot but be warned it's not as much fun.

Ever notice how in his later movies Burt Reynolds' laugh sounds like screeching brakes?

Must have been hanging out with Hal Needham too much.

And from the looks of "Stroker Ace", WAY too much.

Can you believe this was based on a book? Neither could I, but it was. And probably not a best-seller, I'll wager.

Burt's another good-old-boy in the NASCAR circuit who hitches up with Beatty as a fried chicken magnate with designs on his team. Anderson provides what love interest there is and Nabors does his umpteenth Gomer Pyle impression as faithful mechanic/best friend Lugs.

A lot of people here are friends of Burt's or Hal's. Others must have needed the work. And even real NASCAR drivers get in on the act, and look to have more talent than those with SAG cards.

As far as laughs go, Bubba Smith (pre-"Police Academy") gets them as Beatty's chauffeur. And Petersen, in full Elvira mode, gets lots of appreciative leers as a lady who wants to get to know Lugs real well. REAL WELL.

It's a shame that Burt threw away as much time and effort in a film like "Stroker Ace" where it didn't matter whether he bothered to act or not. They didn't bother to write a character for him, why bother to act?

Two stars. Mostly for Petersen, and for the out-takes at the end. Now THEY'RE funny.

Burt Reynolds goes through the motions as an absurdly-named stock car driver in this dull, deeply unfunny 'comedy' directed by long-time buddy Hal Needham. Nonsensical plot concerns Reynold's efforts to get out of a sponsorship contract (what, he doesn't want to be on a competitive team?) while trying to woo Loni Anderson's PR flack/Sunday school teacher, over the course of a seemingly endless racing season.

Big hair, cornpone accents and superficial performances abound, with particularly annoying turns from Jim Nabors (as Reynolds' crew chief) and Ned Beatty (as a fried chicken magnate). Only potential points of interest are the period racing scenes (including some of the top NASCAR drivers), and the vast cleavage displayed in the few female roles: Anderson, Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson, Debbie Casperson and the legendary Linda Vaughn.