a_chinn The original film version of the coast-to-coast illegal Cannonball Run race is better than 1981's "Cannonball Run" but lacks the star power of that film. It does have a solid cast with Michael Sarrazin, Tim McIntire (who did the voice of Blood in "A Boy and His Dog"), Raul Julia, Gary Busey, J. Pat O'Malley, Nicholas Pryor, Vaughn Taylor, and Colleen Camp. Still, that's nowhere as cool or fun as Burt & Dom and Sammy & Dean (not to mention Jack Elam). This version of the illegal race unfolds pretty much the same as Cannonball, with a quirky group of diverse characters racing from the east to west coast in a series of comedic episodic events. Directed by Chuck Bail, this film features more exciting of chase sequences, with lots of effective low-angle car POV shots and some exciting editing, but the film's overall tone is just about as light as breezy as Cannonball. There's fun sequences involving the racers getting past police roadblocks and other obstacles, and Gary Busey doing a rebel yell is pretty irresistible. Overall, "The Gumball Rally" isn't a classic, but it's a fun breezy car chase film that you'll enjoy while watching, but will probably forget about 10 minutes after it's over.

mark.waltz 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.

wlb Just seeing these cars when in 1976 they were still "cheap" enough to not simply be garage queens - a Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster, 427 Cobra, Ferrari Daytona Spyder, E-Type Jag...This is based loosely on a true race, Brock Yate's original Cannon Ball Run - in which, if I am not mistaken, was in 1971 and like the movie, left Manhattan but ended up in Redondo Beach. Yates and Dan Gurney won in a Ferrari Daytona Coupe at 35:54, and surprisingly a Chevy Van was second some 50 minutes later.Like the actual race there was some contestants who had a specially rigged van with a huge gas tank that was supposed to take them across the country without need for a fill up - nothing said on bathroom breaks.If you are looking for a movie with some deep social message this isn't the one but if you like cars (and listening to the wonderful noises of the Cobra and Ferrari) this is the movie...

MartianOctocretr5 Gumball Rally is an unauthorized race between a bunch of rich folks with high performance cars that periodically issue each other spontaneous race challenges through the private invitation code, "Gumball!"The race starts in the New York City auto shop garage of one of the competitors, as the racers embark on a wild trek west to Long Beach, CA, using any route they wish. An obsessed New York cop somehow knows about these races, and provides an obstacle to escape (but usually he ends up being the victim of practical jokes). No money is involved in winning, just pride and the trophy: a gum ball machine.The movie is action packed with the mindless fun you would expect from this premise. With a variety of screwball characters encountering wild situations as they tear down the road at intense speeds, the action is continuous. Occasional bizarre mishaps eliminate a few cars from the running, and each of these events are highlights in the story. There are ten unique teams, including the defending champion (Michael Sarrazin), a wild Italian "ringer" (Raul Julia), two fake cops, two beautiful women, a maniacal motorcyclist, and several others.The only fault was the absolutely unnecessary subplot of some stupid guy driving an expensive car across the country for his rich boss. The story is completely irrelevant, and makes no sense as he's driving at low speeds (as directed by the car owner) yet maintains the same progress across the continent as the racers. When I run the movie, I fast forward through the scenes of this story--it really does detract from the fun of the race story.That portion of the movie notwithstanding, this movie is an example of popcorn entertainment. No cerebral activity required, just have a good time watching the silliness.