Safari 3000 (1982)

Overrated and overhyped

Better Late Then Never

Admirable film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Made in the wake of THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981), this racing-car comedy actually features David Carradine in the lead, who had starred in the similar (but more violent) DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) and the unrelated CANNONBALL (1976). The heroine, then, is Stockard Channing and the villain Christopher Lee – appearing here in a silly Darth Vader get-up, albeit claiming to be a descendant of the Borgias and irritatingly prone to opera singing, not to mention being flanked by an unfunny and long-suffering "navigator"! The African setting allows both ample travelogue footage and, ostensibly, added peril for the contenders; that said, the race itself is curiously lacking in excitement and, besides, while we are told there are as many as 93 participants, we only ever see a handful of stereotype members (Brits, French, Japanese, Australians and one female team) apart from the central rival duo…who, needless to say, end up neck-and-neck near the finishing line but, unsurprisingly, Carradine and Channing emerge victorious in spite of Lee's every attempt to thwart their progression. Incidentally, this could have taken a leaf from the "Wacky Races" cartoons of the late 1960s, itself inspired by THE GREAT RACE (1965) – that is to say, it should have been broader, but perhaps the film-makers did not want to go the route of THE CANNONBALL RUN…which rather let the result fall between two stools, hence s virtual obscurity since its year of release! While it is watchable enough for what it is, especially as the picture runs for a mere 86 minutes, there is hardly anything memorable going on for the entire duration – which makes the involvement of renowned producers Jules V. Levy and Arthur Gardner (their last effort) and Oscar-winning composer Ernest Gold all the more baffling!

Yes, Carradine's at the wheel again. This time the race is through Africa which makes you fully appreciate the scenery. Journalist Channing, from the Gazette, the romantic lead here, comes along for the hairy ride. The wonderful Christopher Lee plays the villain, Count Borgia, a riding legend, who dresses the part, dead set determined at winning the race that hardly seems feasible with his nincompoop assistant. Channing provides the humorous touches, and when she gets scared, even if it is overacting, it makes her funny and enjoyable, especially when she notices a pack of lions behind an oblivious Carradine. But all in all, this one falls below par to Carradine's other race movies. Channing has a terrible habit of losing her cameras or trading them. For Carradine fans of this fare mainly, or even the kids too.

Another unforgettable cinematic trend that was particularly popular during the late 70's/early 80's were the illegal Grand Prix race and carsploitation movies. There were a whole lot of exhilarating titles varying between extremely violent and hilariously gleeful, but they all had a few trademarks in common. Impressive stunt work and flamboyant vehicles, of course, but also all-star casts that practically always featured David Carradine. Ever since the tremendous success of "Death Race 2000", Carradine starred in numerous more car movies including this latecomer "Safari 3000". This is basically a very mundane and derivative race movie, but with one unique selling proposition namely its African setting. The race in question takes three days and covers over 2.500km of routes full of obstacles, wildlife and sabotaging danger. Eddie Mills is a former movie stunt man who likes to drive the race, but he doesn't have a car. JJ Dalton is a quirky Playboy journalist who'd like to report live from inside a race car, but she doesn't have a driver. They team up, fall in love in between all their bickering and combine forces against their biggest rival; the obnoxious but cheating Italian multimillionaire Count Borgia. The screenplay of "Safari 3000" is a non- stop series of clichés and stereotypes, but luckily enough it's all very charming and amusing. The lesser important competitors in the race can easily be recognized by their exaggeratedly amplified nationality facets. The French only talk about wine and cheese, the Brits about London and the Australians talk in … well … incomprehensible accents. The most impressive sequences in "Safari 3000" all feature, and I suppose most of it is stock footage. There are extended images of galloping zebras, gazelles, giraffes as well as lions, elephants and buffaloes. The chemistry between David Carradine and Stockard Channing (most known for her role in "Grease") is excellent and Christopher Lee obviously had a good time playing the textbook villain Count Borgia. There are a few notable moments of action and stunt work, like a Peugeot diving into a lake in slow-motion, but overall this is a rather tame movie that primarily revolves on scenery. If you want dazzling action and loads of crashes, I suggest you check out "Cannonball!" instead. *Note: Given the (completely meaningless) number in the title, it's not coincidentally that I selected to watch "Safari 3000". This is review number three thousand that I have written for IMDb. Thanks for reading.

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.