Ever amiable Ron Howard stars in this typical enough entry into the chase-and-car-crash genre. He plays Sam Freeman, the young man whom rich girl Paula Powers (Nancy Morgan) intends to marry, against the wishes of her snooty, judgmental father Bigby (Barry Cahill). Bigby, who's running for governor, would rather she marry another rich person, the *really* schmucky Collins Hedgeworth (Paul Linke). So what Paula does is appropriate her fathers' Rolls Royce and take off with Sam for Las Vegas. The story escalates into a circus as Collins takes off after Sam & Paula, Collins's mother Vivian (Howards' 'Happy Days' mom Marion Ross) takes off after *him*, and other assorted greedy individuals join in the pursuit hoping to obtain the awards offered for the return of both Paula and Collins.
Howard had already starred in the thematically similar "Eat My Dust" for Roger Corman, with the proviso that he get to direct their next joint effort. Howard and his dad, character actor Rance Howard, devised this story, in which Ron could technically be billed as the star but not have to be in every scene so that Ron could focus on the direction. Of course, despite the game efforts of this cast (also including Rance, Rons' brother Clint, The Real Don Steele, Hoke Howell, Ken Lerner, and Leo Rossi, with Paul Bartel and Garry Marshall in cameos), the real "star" of course is the intense action; Allan Arkush (who has an uncredited bit as the clown) handled the second unit direction and the vehicle stunts are absolutely first rate. The script by Jr. and Sr. Howard does have some good laughs going for it, to be sure; it's a hoot to see Ross actually flip off a cop!
The music by Peter Ivers is quite catchy, Gary Graver handles the cinematography, and the editor was Joe Dante. Overall the movie is quite noisy and senseless, but that still proves to be a big part of the attraction in movies like this. At least it does have two appealing performances at the core, by Howard and Morgan, and does have a fitting wrap-up as super obnoxious DJ Curly Q. Brown (Steele) finally gets his comeuppance.
Seven out of 10.
Howard had already starred in the thematically similar "Eat My Dust" for Roger Corman, with the proviso that he get to direct their next joint effort. Howard and his dad, character actor Rance Howard, devised this story, in which Ron could technically be billed as the star but not have to be in every scene so that Ron could focus on the direction. Of course, despite the game efforts of this cast (also including Rance, Rons' brother Clint, The Real Don Steele, Hoke Howell, Ken Lerner, and Leo Rossi, with Paul Bartel and Garry Marshall in cameos), the real "star" of course is the intense action; Allan Arkush (who has an uncredited bit as the clown) handled the second unit direction and the vehicle stunts are absolutely first rate. The script by Jr. and Sr. Howard does have some good laughs going for it, to be sure; it's a hoot to see Ross actually flip off a cop!
The music by Peter Ivers is quite catchy, Gary Graver handles the cinematography, and the editor was Joe Dante. Overall the movie is quite noisy and senseless, but that still proves to be a big part of the attraction in movies like this. At least it does have two appealing performances at the core, by Howard and Morgan, and does have a fitting wrap-up as super obnoxious DJ Curly Q. Brown (Steele) finally gets his comeuppance.
Seven out of 10.