Kevin Coughlin

EARLY ACCESS - SMOKEY & THE BANDIT II

Added 2025-05-01 05:13:18 +0000 UTC

Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) is what happens when Hollywood sees a runaway hit and says, "You know what this needs? More crashes, more chaos, and—what the hell—let’s throw in an elephant, too." Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, and Jackie Gleason are all back, and it’s like nobody even considered pretending they were here for any reason other than to cash in and have a ridiculous amount of fun doing it.

This time, the Bandit’s mission isn’t just bootlegging Coors—it’s transporting a pregnant elephant across the country in 24 hours. Because... reasons. And if that sounds like they were making the plot up in real-time, it’s because it absolutely feels like they were. Burt Reynolds still oozes effortless cool, even if he’s clearly operating at about 60% interest this time around, while Sally Field gives it her all despite the fact that the script gives her basically nothing to do except yell at Bandit and occasionally almost leave him again.

Meanwhile, Jackie Gleason somehow cranks Sheriff Buford T. Justice’s rage from “unhinged” to “certifiable,” delivering insult after insult in what feels like one long, glorious improv session fueled by barbecue and spite. Gleason is basically the film’s MVP, once again, dragging the plot along by sheer force of scenery-chewing willpower.

There are car stunts. Oh boy, are there car stunts. Pile-ups, explosions, semi-truck jousting—you name it. The plot barely matters because the movie knows exactly why you showed up: to see cars flip, good ol’ boys wisecrack, and America’s highways turn into demolition derbies.

Smokey and the Bandit II doesn’t have the tight, slick magic of the original. It’s messier, lazier, and way more absurd—but somehow, that’s part of its charm. It's like a second helping at a greasy diner: it might not be necessary, it might not be good for you, but damn it, you’re still going to sit there and enjoy every ridiculous bite.