

Hooper

Legendary stunt man Sonny Hooper remains one of the top men in his field, but due to too many stressful impacts to the spine and the need to pop painkillers several times a day, he knows he should get out of the industry before he ends up permanently disabled.
Interesting time-capsule.
Burt and Hal Needham made a few flicks that became staples of pop culture. I was raised on Cannonball Run's slapstick madness. Smokey & The Bandit didn't resonate as hard but its impact can't be denied.
This one is a fairly strong dramatic turn wrapped up in a series of practical stunts and comedy farce. But Reynolds is really telling a version of Hal's story here. Most films of this age are largely unwatchable now yet this one had enough charm to keep me entertained.
That charm is the charisma of Burt Reynolds. A born movie star.
The story is a little drawn out. The final stunt not milked enough. And the ending lacks any real destination if I'm being brutally honest.
And to see Sally Fields and Burt Reynolds onscreen is always a strange but gripping view. How much of each's account of their romance is to be believed?
6.75/10