MovieChat Forums > Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) Discussion > Why Was This Movie Hated?

Why Was This Movie Hated?

posted 8 years ago by sonofbeach-sheet
4 replies | jump to latest

I saw it in theaters when it first came out and didn't see the first one and was laughing out loud at the drunken Burt Reynolds, every scene Buford T. Justice was in, and the ridiculous car chases. And I was 11-12 years old. So what was hated? Sure it's a stupid movie, but so was the first one. The first one was never meant to appeal to enlightened people

My best interpretation are the dumbing down (by 1980 standards) and some rather bizarre scenes. As for inconsistencies, Carrie meeting the Bandit down near Miami, Florida at a seedy hotel room just hours after walking out on Junior a second time in Texarkana, Sheriff Justice confronting the Bandit at the warehouse in Miami, Texas being a complete and total desert as soon as they enter, the brothers of Sheriff Justice, Bandit meeting Carrie at a bus stop out of nowhere, the subplot of the attachment to the elephant, etc.

Any discussions welcome. Just trying to figure it out

[–] bigden1962 8 years ago

My Mom hit it on the head it should have been when they went to Boston for the Clam Chowder

[–] BPD1586 8 years ago

That's what I thought part II would be, the trio racing to Boston in Big Enos Burdette's Cadillac for some clam chowder with Sheriff Justice in pursuit.

[–] McQueen1980 8 years ago

it wasnt as good as ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN but its still a fun watch

[–] jnoble11 8 years ago

because it's got a bad script, lazy writing, characters that arent acting like the same people they did in the first, it's not nearly as fun as the original, theres barely any action in it up until the last ten minutes, pointless cameos by Hal and Burts Hollywood buddies, Jackie Gleason's Buford almost seems to be shoehorned into the film as an afterthought, the lead character is now an unlikable violent drunk who takes swings on his best friend, Sally Field clearly only did this for the money (she even admits it in the film as sort of a 4th wall break)....I could go on and on why this sequel was such a let down