Michael_Elliott Gator (1976) ** (out of 4) Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) is asked by the Federal government to help them track down and get evidence on Bama McCall (Jerry Reed), a bad man doing bad things and not paying taxes so it's the one way to bust him. The only thing is that Gator and Bama used to be good friends.This sequel to WHITE LIGHTNING was the directing debut for Reynolds and for the most part it's a mildly entertaining movie, although there's no question that it falls well short of the entertainment value of the first. There's basically one major problem with this sequel and that's the fact that it's pretty much like every other "chase" picture that came before it. It's almost as if the writer had a checklist he went down to make sure everything you'd expect from a picture like this was here.This film does offer up some nice performances, which certainly help the extended running time. Reynolds is pretty much playing that lovable "good ol' boy" and he was certainly a pro at that. He manages to make the Gator character a fun one and one that you could root for. Lauren Hutton is good as the love interest and Jack Weston really stands out in his role as the agent. Jerry Reed also deserves a lot of credit for his turn as the bad guy as he actually made for a good and menacing villain. And yeah, he sings the pretty good title song as well.The problem with GATOR is that it's pretty much a "been there, done that" type of movie as everything we're seeing is something we've seen countless times before and there's just nothing fresh here. Reynolds direction is good but there's nothing overly great about any of it. I'd also argue that there's not as much comedy that works here. With that said, there are some good stunt work and especially towards the end with a certain jump onto the beach.

magellan333 What a disappointment this film was. I was pleasantly surprised with the film's predecessor, White Lightning. While no master piece in film, White Lightning was an enjoyable film set in the deep south. Gator on the other hand leaves so much to be desired. The film opens with one of the most ridiculous chase scenes I have ever seen. There is little improvement as the film goes on. Jerry Reed plays a kingpin and does not do it very convincingly. Burt Reynolds, as Gator, does not seem nearly as tough this time around. Perhaps his second stint in prison made him soft? It seems Gator is not as confident this time around. The remaining cast members are most forgettable. Most forgettable was the slob/federal agent that Gator is in cahoots with. There was one good shot the entire movie. Gator visits with a 15 and a half year old prostitute and the part of the scene is shot in the reflection of a music box mirror. Somebody else must have suggested this to Burt Reynolds as the rest of his directing in this movie is deplorable. The film's failings can't lie solely on bad directing, most every film making element of "Gator" falls short. What a shame, Burt Reynolds seemed to be such a promising talent in White Lightning.

shipes_j one of the most endearing qualities about this movie is the fact that it brings the seventies back to your memories...it was filmed in 1976 and it shows it often....the scene where jerry (reed) enters the "southside shuffle "topless" bar...nails the period completely... as well as other fashions, lingo, and of course burt himself...who "owned" the seventies....due to this movie and his other good ole boy films of the south....coupled with the overwhelming popularity of smokey and the bandit (yet to come a year later)...established burt as a seemingly permanent fixture in cinema back then...I always thought burt would stay on top I guess...he seemed invincible as the #1 box office attraction...he is definitely an icon of the seventies time capsule...his swagger and his sense of humor put a brand on me as I remember many times in my life (silently) asking myself...what would burt do in a situation like this?....as pure acting goes...the film had one of the best supporting actors around and due to his lack of experience I guess you would just have to sum up jerry reed as being a "natural".....he played the villain so well you wanted him to stop...and go back to the good ole boy that you knew he could be (later as cletus snow in smokey and the bandit)gator is/was one of my all time favorite films...from a time period that I thought would never end...I miss it and this film will help you reunite with it if you are nostalgic at all...

curtis martin "Gator," Burt Reynold's feature film debut shows very brief flashes of twisted dark-comedy, but the vast majority of it just plain sucks the big one. I mean, Reynolds took the gritty, funny, sweaty, realistic character from "White Lightning" and completely threw him away, replacing the original Gator McClusky with the slick, mustachioed, urbanized, Hollywood Burt Reynolds we'd seen cracking wise on talk shows. No character, no grit, no acting--just Burt doing a caricature of himself. On top of that add a lame script that could have been adapted for any actor and any lead character, static direction, and virtually no continuity from the first hit film (now Gator has a son and no mother?). Only Jerry Reed rises above the lame-itude, beginning an acting career he was never allowed to fully develop beyond being Burt's sidekick. A waste of time. See "White Lightning" twice and you'll have a better time than watching this sequel.