Somewhere in the film's second act, Sally Field pinpoints why the Bandit is such an unlikable prick: he's not having any fun. And she sums up my experience watching "Smokey and the Bandit II" perfectly.
A sequel to "Smokey and the Bandit" was inevitable, and the original set the stage quite nicely. But this movie opens with the gang scattered and the actors seem to be playing cartoon versions of their characters. None of the charm or humor of the first movie is present this time around. It just lumbers from one contrived gag to another, and I often wished the movie would go somewhere. Anywhere. I've seen bad sequels, but I don't think I've seen one that squanders the promise of the original so badly. It's like the first movie never happened. A car chase doesn't make or break a movie, but putting the Bandit in a Trans Am without getting to see him floor is just wrong.
This was awful.
4/10
A sequel to "Smokey and the Bandit" was inevitable, and the original set the stage quite nicely. But this movie opens with the gang scattered and the actors seem to be playing cartoon versions of their characters. None of the charm or humor of the first movie is present this time around. It just lumbers from one contrived gag to another, and I often wished the movie would go somewhere. Anywhere. I've seen bad sequels, but I don't think I've seen one that squanders the promise of the original so badly. It's like the first movie never happened. A car chase doesn't make or break a movie, but putting the Bandit in a Trans Am without getting to see him floor is just wrong.
This was awful.
4/10