The Gumball Rally (1976)

Good movie but grossly overrated

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

A definite popcorn picture, this farce of the "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" variety is funny but forgettable. How forgettable? Well, having seen it 40 years ago, I remembered a lot of it. Does that make it a good film? No. Does that make it funny? Definitely! Famous car racers from around the world get together for an unofficial and unauthorized race cross country, chased by the law, and outwitting them at every turn. Sound like "Smokey and the Bandit", which came out the following year? Well, close, unique enough to stand on its own.This features a huge cast of familiar and not so familiar faces, each getting moments to get funny moments or outwit the law or the other racers. Michael Sarrazin is the official lead, racing out of a boring budget meeting when the "gumball" message comes his way. Raul Julia gets to steal the most scenes as an Italian lothario who has very unique ways of making passes. Harvey Jason is the Inspector Clouseau like motorcycle driver, cursed from the start. Soap diva Susan Flannery follows her fiery jump from "The Towering Inferno" as one of two women drivers, but really doesn't do much but look blonde for the camera. J. Pat O'Malley is one of two British drivers, a lot long in the tooth, but still biting and gnawing.Of course there are others, but I can only mention Norman Burton as the cop out to stop them, and looking like the coyote to the rest of the driver's road runners. It's the cartoonish look and theme of the film that makes me rate it lower than I actually enjoyed it, but it does have more laughs for its absurdities. I also just love the bouncy score, usage of location footage (obviously Manhattan on an early Sunday morning) and some references that only road travelers with appreciate.

It's kind of hard to describe The Gumball Rally because it's one of those plot less affairs that makes absolutely no sense, but can be enjoyed for some comic moments. Michael Sarrazin heads the cast here and clearly The Gumball Rally was just a preview of things to come before both Cannonball Run movies with bigger name stars were involved.The Gumball Rally is an illegal cross country race in which various people of all kinds of backgrounds get together once a year and race across country, illegally and secretly kind of.Clearly The Gumball Rally had its thunder stolen, plagiarized as it were by The Cannonball Run films. But both of them had so much better casts and a free spirit that this one lacks.

When you see this you'll immediately notice the similarities to Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run.With Smokey and the Bandit you'll recognize the plot line about the can't catch anyone police detective. He tries and tries but just can't get the dastardly illegal speedsters.This was obviously a first attempt and recreating, on film, the Cannonball Run road race of the early 70's. Imo, this film is a lot funner than the original Cannonball Run film of the early 80's. There are no stars and a lot fast and really cool cars. A lot of the situations in this have 0 plausibility but I think that wasn't a major focus when this was made. The cars are the stars of this film..and there are some seriously cool ones to say the least.There's no doubt that this film influenced the two 2 above mentioned films in this review so if you want a little fun in your day and fast cars are what gets you going', try Gumball Rally and hang on to your seats...It's gonna be a fast ride.

Usually, the 1970s have been known as the nadir of culture. But in movies like "The Gumball Rally", the Me Decade looks mighty fine. As to the subject of whether or not this movie was particularly characteristic of that era, I don't know specifically (although 1976 also saw the release of "The Big Bus", another wacky vehicle-related flick).Anyway, this movie portrays an illegal, secretive cross-country car race involving folks from just about every walk of life, and the prize is a gum-ball machine; meanwhile, a grouchy cop wants to arrest every participant. The nominal star is Michael Sarrazin ("They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"), as current champion Michael Bannon. Probably the only other recognizable faces in it are Gary Busey and Raul Julia. But of course, the real stars are the cars themselves, all as souped-up as was possible at the time.Of course, it wouldn't be a car race comedy without some crashes. And believe you me, there are some funny ones here! Moreover, every group has some tricks up their sleeves; it really makes one nostalgic for the days when everyone felt the need to ditch the rules, especially with what happens to the cop.All in all, it's a movie that you're sure to love. A real comedy classic. And to think that just the year before, Michael Sarrazin had starred in "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud", which in my opinion deserved more than almost any other movie to get shown on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". So watch this movie, and watch "The Big Bus" with it. You're sure to get a kick out of both.