Stroker Ace

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.

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.

For racing movie fans, "Stroker Ace" is hard to beat. It's definitely better than Driven and far less effective than Days of Thunder. It offers a comical, honest view of the sport through the life of Stroker Ace, who has secured a ride from a novice car owner intent on leveraging every ounce of Stroker's fame to sell chicken. It's the only race film to cover sponsorship honestly. Few know, Burt Reynolds was a stunt man before making it as an actor. He has always had an affinity for stunt men and this is homage to these icons that entertain us at grave risk to themselves. Hooper is a stunt packed film that is entirely over-the-top in scope from Westerns to bar brawls to cars, you've never seen all of this in one flick. It's a solid movie after all.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Stroker Ace,a film directed by Hal Needham (the same director of such souped-up hits,like Smokey and The Bandit and Hooper),is a real surprise for the audience!it offers a lot of fun and laughs,all of this accomplished by dangerous and incredible scenes of action,which make Speed look like a boring movie!the character was made for Burt Reynolds,and combines with his own personality and way of interpretation!it's a nice movie,that everybody should discover,specially because it symbolizes a time when what really counted in the box-offices was the protagonist's charisma,and not stupid special effects!good times,when Burt was the best...and this time is going to be back!

NASCAR driver Burt Reynolds signs a contract with Ned Beatty to drive his car and hates it. He also courts nice girl Loni Anderson and has an on-track rivalry with Parker Stevenson.

Burt Reynolds was a fine actor, but you'd never know it from his career choices. He passed on the Jack Nicholson role in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT because he had a handshake agreement with director Hal Needham to make this; it seems it didn't occur to him to ask Needham to wait. Instead he made this lazy movie, with no dramatic tension and no energy in the comedy bits. It looks like Needham assembled all his friends, made a movie, and cut in some race-track sequences, with no one putting in much effort to learn their lines. If you want to see Reynolds in a chicken suit, or Loni Anderson lying on a bed in her clothes, her eyes shut, and looking like a Barbie doll, this is the movie for you. Not for me.