Viva Knievel! (1977)

You won't be disappointed!

Truly Dreadful Film

Just perfect...

Boring

Staring Knievil himself,a gang of drug smugglers try to use his custom rig to smuggle drugs from Mexico to America.This is a neat,anti drug movie. It goes to show to never say never. Did Knievel ever marry Lauren Hutton?Cameron Mitchell drives the White - Freightliner big rig.Cameron Mitchell was a permanent A list actor.Ernie Orsatti drives the Peterbuilt big rig.Ernie Orsatti is a permanent A list actor.Laureen Hutton is hot!!---One Truck Drivers Opinion---erldwgstruckermovies.com

Oh, what an incredible trashy bad movie from the '70's this is, starring none other than Evel Knievel himself and Hollywood celebs from the 'old' days Gene Kelly, Red Buttons and Leslie Nielsen as a villain.The movie has a real shaky plot that doesn't make an awful lot of sense. I don't know it has something to do with an evil Leslie Nielsen wanting Knievel death so he can smuggle drugs with Knievel's death body as a cover. Meanwhile there are also several side-plots that makes you wonder why they are even in there. It makes the movie often disjointed to watch and halve of the time you don't know what is going on, also because there is often very little actually happening in the story.The movie was an obvious attempt to launch Evel Knievel a movie career. He was known for his daring motorcycle jumps stunts but he is perhaps even better known because of his inability to land. He crashed- and broken more bones during his stunts than a regular race-car driver would in his entire career.Evel Knievel is in this movie presented as an all American hero. He is loved everywhere, he gets the girl and also does charity. Meanwhile he also gives important life lesson's to kids. by telling them they will eventually blow up once they start using drugs. He gets a standing ovation as well from the crowd after this inspiring speech.The only last month deceased Evel Knievel just wasn't much good as an actor. It also didn't really helped him that he had Hollywood-cannon's Gene Kelly and Red Buttons opposite him. He turns all the more pale in comparisons to them. It's true that Kelly's and Buttons' careers already had their best time and the same goes for Leslie Nielsen, who in this movie plays one of his last 'serious'. This is basically also the only reason why those three appear in this movie. It was a bit weird to see Kelly as an 'old' man, mainly of course since I'm used to seeing him in only just '40's and '50's movies. I can name at least a dozen movies out of the top of my head that are way worse than this one. So perhaps this movie is not entirely deserving it's title of 'one of the worst movies ever made' but nevertheless, this is a great example of bad movie making, which at the same time also makes this movie some delicious bad trash from the '70's to watch. Viva Knievel! 3/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

The strangest part about this movie is the apparent idea that all kids loved Evel Kneivel. I was 15 when this came out and considered myself somewhat knowledgeble about the exploits of Evel but in our household we pretty much thought he was stupid. It was neat to do those jumps but I like to apply the figure skating rule of if you dont hit the landing the jumps does not count. I could shoot myself out of a trebuchet and flop on the ground but is that really a properly executed jump? Sure, it would be entertaining but I dont think it will heal my polio or reunite the drunkard Gene Kelly and his son. Why would Evel trust that drunken idiot with his motorcycles? isnt there some other task he could do that would not involve safety issues? This is a great movie though and is a good reminder of the whole AMF/Harley era. It reminds me of the old God Bless America ride at Disneyland. Same cheesiness but still fun.

I LOVE this movie!! Ok, it is a terrible, terrible film, but that's what makes it so great! Back in high school, I can't begin to tell you how many beers my buddies & I downed whilst laughing our tails off at this movie. We would rewind scenes so many times that even years later, when we reunite, we can still recite some of these scenes verbatim. It's a classic. First of all, just consider this plot: a mob boss, played straight by Leslie Nielson of all people, wants to assassinate good ol' Evel in Mexico so he can use his stunt trucks to smuggle drugs back to the U.S., because no one is going to stop a "funeral procession for a hero." Try to follow THAT logic!! Another priceless moment comes when Evel delivers an anti-drug speech warning kids that if they use dope - just like race car drivers who use nitro in their cars - they too, will "blow all to hell!" (well, at least after "5 or 10 years" by his estimation anyway). I've never seen Gene Kelly looking so disgruntled and tired, and what would be complete without a way-over-the-top Red Buttons (classic line delivered to a groggy Evel: "What is this, Judgement Day!?). Where's Charro when you need her? And let's not forget that kid at the orphanage who literally throws his crutches to the floor and says, I kid you not, "you're the reason Evel! You're the reason I'm walkin'!" Evel Knievel: miracle man...ordained healer. And then of course there's that catchy theme song. I can't figure out why it was never a hit.