Viva Knievel! (1977) User Reviews

The stunts were great, but I could jump over the plot.

[dwhite-2 · 3/10 · 8 March 1999]

Evel was a great showman, and was incredibly popular in the 1970's. For those who missed that era, or chose to forget it, at least Evel had the skill to back up the hype. There are a few stunt scenes that bear this out, including a great two-person tour around and through a small stadium on Evel's bike.

But that's about it; the plot is pretty simple, and the criminals are as stereotyped as they come. Sit back, enjoy the stunts and flashback to the 70's for a while.

All that, and only three wussy jumps?

[mponce29 · 3/10 · 29 April 2002]

Oooh... Leslie Nielsen is trying to sabotage Evel's bike. Will Lauren Hutton discover the plot in time?

And can Evel convince his mechanic to give up the bottle, and be a good father to the son he has heretofore ignored?

Will Evel and Lauren give up their adversarial flirting and get together?

DOES ANYBODY CARE?!?!

I am a fan of bad, cheesy movies. And even this one had me snoozing. Although I do give it thumbs up on the marvelous transition from the final jump to the closing credits.

"A king of the road with a helmet for a crown, a motorcycle bird who is never coming down."

[The_Movie_Cat · 3/10 · 16 December 2000]

WARNING: REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Viva Knievel! Who could resist a title like that? And who could resist the cheesy Shaft-U-Like funky 70s theme? Especially when that theme is played during the film on what sounds like a paper and comb or a kazoo? Yet expecting a "so bad it's good" experience can only lead to disappointment here

To be honest I'd quite forgotten what Evel looked like, if in fact I'd seen his face at all. I'd imagined he looked like his English rival Eddie Kidd, all black-haired, butch and youthful. As it turns out, Knievel looks like a cross between Garry Shandling, 70's Elvis and my Uncle Derrick. Okay, that last example doesn't have that wide a frame of reference, but it's true nonetheless. And in case the first two make you think this is a dark-haired raven, then Knievel's hair not only recedes, but is also grey, just like ... well, my Uncle Derrick's. How tasty Lauren Hutton is supposed to find a man attractive when he looks old enough to be her father is beyond me. The reality is that Knievel was no more than five years her senior, and hadn't reached forty, though the silver chest hair sprouting from his shirt gives a different impression. Maybe he had a picture of Dorian Grey that worked in reverse. And when the climax inevitably involves Knievel putting his cycle skills to work against crooks, and tackling them in unarmed combat, you think this is less a rugged action hero, more a rather silly old man.

Strangely, Knievel's character is written as an ego-bloated, self-congratulating bore. Or maybe he's supposed to be charismatic, and it's just Evel's performance that has the charm of a rotting carcass. "Honey, I've known what to write to pretty girls like you since I was in Kindergarten" he says in one of his many chauvinist moments. While his ability to give a whiter-than-white sermon every two seconds is annoying in the extreme. Evel spends most of his time around garages and motor displays, which is handy as he carries a permanent spare tyre around his waist. When told by a Doctor that his hospital only accepts American patients, he replies: "Boy, you sound too good to be true." Is this a xenophobic Knievel or him mocking the Doctor? God knows, as his robotic delivery makes it impossible to tell. Even the illegitimate love child of Chris Rea and Keanu Reeves couldn't produce such a wooden performance.

The "plot" involves drug dealers trying to kill Knievel (Not that anyone could tell if he was dead or not) and use his funeral procession to ship drugs. The use of drugs, and Knievel's reaction to them, is as adult and sophisticated as that in Moonwalker... except worse. It's this forcibly wholesome, mom's apple pie, Stars and Stripes attitude to the whole venture that really makes things unbearable. Viva never becomes fully enjoyable for it's awfulness as it's all done so straight. There is no trace of irony or self-depreciation in the script, and with the atrocious dialogue that should have been a necessity. Favourite bad lines include: "That kid was your number one fan, why, he'd take on the Supreme Court for you"; "What is this, judgement day?"; "You're chicken, huh?"; "You're supposed to be the head honcho of this hacienda" and "You're the reason I'm walking, Evel! You're the reason!" Most of these can only be appreciated in context, where their sheer absurdity or ham-fisted delivery makes them killingly funny. Just for example, the last line is a crippled child who throws away his crutches upon meeting Evel.

For acting, Leslie Neilson playing it straight is far funnier than Leslie trying to be comical. Only Gene Kelly produces anything approaching a competent performance, though all have their presence sapped by the lifeless direction. For this one's IMDb "goofs" entry, the goof should have read: the film being made in the first place. Ultimately, Viva comes across as a TV movie, or one of those kitsch action shows of the eighties. Sort of like The Fall Guy, but with your overweight dad playing the part of Lee Majors. Neilson's car crash is hilarious, but generally this isn't so bad it's good... it's just bad, plain and simple. Avoid.

The Curse of Irwin Allen is evident here!

[ddc300 · 2/10 · 29 October 2006]

No one noticed the influence of Irwin Allen in this wretched production? The "Poseidon Alumni" of Red Buttons and Leslie Nielsen? The casting of Eric Olsen and Cameron Mitchell (two holdovers from Allen's poorly received "Swiss Family Robinson" series)? And the "Allen Tradmark" of casting over-the-hill has-beens -- in this case Gene Kelly -- in a 'throw away' role? Allen even threw in one of his old 'stand-bys', Albert Salmi (Captain Tucker, the space pirate from two episodes of "Lost In Space").

Almost the entire production crew is from the Irwin Allen camp including legendary special effects man L.B. Abbott (what for you ask -- I didn't see any 'special effects?). Even Allen's costume designer, Paul Zastupnevich, is along for the ride. Allen's wife played the Mother Superior in the famed scene where the orphan throws his crutches away at the sight of seeing Evel as he sneaks into the orphanage in the middle of the night(!).

The story behind this film is that producer Sherrill Corwin (who was the head of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences during the '70s), was a major financial contributor to Irwin Allen's "Poseidon Adventure" and "Towering inferno." Allen needed backing because the studios baulked at the high production costs. But, by the mid-70s Irwin was 'The Man' and now it was 'pay back time' for Corwin when he wanted to hype Knievel, who by that time was a superstar among the teen-set. True, Evel Knievel WAS bankable when it came to packing arenas, selling lunch boxes, action figures and toy motorcycles. Problem was that in the acting department Evel was as wooden as a tree trunk and this movie shows it.

Not helping matters was the horrendous screenplay by Norman Katkov and Antonio Santillian (whoever he is), and the ingredients for a GRADE A Turkey were assured. It is surprising that Katkov co-penned such a bad script since he was also responsible for the famous "Blood and Orchids" mini-series of the early '80s. But then again, he was also one of the primary contributors to the screenplay for another Irwin Allen travesty: "The Return of Captain Nemo" (aka "Amazing Captain Nemo"), a mini-series produced or should I say released the following year.

"Viva Knievel" is best enjoyed by those suffering from insomnia or otherwise get their kicks from bad-movie marathons.

The Greatest and Bravest Showman in the World!

[billymac72 · 24 November 2000]

I LOVE this movie!! Ok, it is a terrible, terrible film, but that's what makes it so great! Back in high school, I can't begin to tell you how many beers my buddies & I downed whilst laughing our tails off at this movie. We would rewind scenes so many times that even years later, when we reunite, we can still recite some of these scenes verbatim. It's a classic. First of all, just consider this plot: a mob boss, played straight by Leslie Nielson of all people, wants to assassinate good ol' Evel in Mexico so he can use his stunt trucks to smuggle drugs back to the U.S., because no one is going to stop a "funeral procession for a hero." Try to follow THAT logic!! Another priceless moment comes when Evel delivers an anti-drug speech warning kids that if they use dope - just like race car drivers who use nitro in their cars - they too, will "blow all to hell!" (well, at least after "5 or 10 years" by his estimation anyway). I've never seen Gene Kelly looking so disgruntled and tired, and what would be complete without a way-over-the-top Red Buttons (classic line delivered to a groggy Evel: "What is this, Judgement Day!?). Where's Charro when you need her? And let's not forget that kid at the orphanage who literally throws his crutches to the floor and says, I kid you not, "you're the reason Evel! You're the reason I'm walkin'!" Evel Knievel: miracle man...ordained healer. And then of course there's that catchy theme song. I can't figure out why it was never a hit.

God's only begotten sky-cyclist

[ajm-8 · 1/10 · 10 August 2003]

In VIVA KNIEVEL, the daredevil foils a drug shipment, charms a Mother Superior, reunites a long-estranged father and son, inspires crippled children to walk, woos a feminist news photographer and makes a 150-foot jump over a cage full of lions. Not all at once, however.

Robert Craig Knievel was one of his era's most singular pop culture figures, an endless self-promoter whose failures (e.g. his aborted 1974 Snake River Canyon jump) drew more media hype than almost anyone else's successes. A well-marketed, low-budget Knievel biopic starring George Hamilton did great at the box office in the early 1970s, so it was assumed the real Evel would also pack them into the theaters. But Knievel, unlike a Babe Ruth or Muhammad Ali, has no genuine on-camera magnetism and many of his line readings are horrid; trying to get Red Buttons to pay up on a debt, Evel says flatly, "You stole from me (long, long pause)... PROMOTER."

A quintessential 1970s cast (in fact, three POSEIDON ADVENTURE survivors appear here) includes a poorly-wigged Gene Kelly as Evel's alcoholic mechanic, a pre-AIRPLANE! Leslie Nielsen as the drug kingpin, Marjoe Gortner (take my word for it, kids, he was big in the 1970s) as Evel's protégé-turned-druggie and Lauren Hutton as the women's lib photographer who F-stops her way into Evel's heart.

Crash and Burn!

[Squonk · 1/10 · 8 March 1999]

Viva Knievel has to be one of the worst movies ever made. But like like Plan 9 From Outer Space, it is so bad that it makes for a hilarious night. If you like bad movies, this is a must see. In the film Knievel is presented as some sort of cross between Elvis and Jesus. One scene at the front of the film even has Evel seeming to heal crippled children by presenting them with Evel Knievel model kits. He's shown as being a beacon of hope in a dark world, yet he's also shown nearly threatening the life of Red Button's character because Red hasn't paid him his money yet. By the way, how on Earth did people like Red Buttons, Gene Kelly, Lauren Hutton, and Leslie Nielson end up in this turkey?!? If you can't appreciate an incredibly bad movie, stay as far away as you can!

Delicious 70's trash.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 3/10 · 24 December 2007]

Oh, what an incredible trashy bad movie from the '70's this is, starring none other than Evel Knievel himself and Hollywood celebs from the 'old' days Gene Kelly, Red Buttons and Leslie Nielsen as a villain.

The movie has a real shaky plot that doesn't make an awful lot of sense. I don't know it has something to do with an evil Leslie Nielsen wanting Knievel death so he can smuggle drugs with Knievel's death body as a cover. Meanwhile there are also several side-plots that makes you wonder why they are even in there. It makes the movie often disjointed to watch and halve of the time you don't know what is going on, also because there is often very little actually happening in the story.

The movie was an obvious attempt to launch Evel Knievel a movie career. He was known for his daring motorcycle jumps stunts but he is perhaps even better known because of his inability to land. He crashed- and broken more bones during his stunts than a regular race-car driver would in his entire career.

Evel Knievel is in this movie presented as an all American hero. He is loved everywhere, he gets the girl and also does charity. Meanwhile he also gives important life lesson's to kids. by telling them they will eventually blow up once they start using drugs. He gets a standing ovation as well from the crowd after this inspiring speech.

The only last month deceased Evel Knievel just wasn't much good as an actor. It also didn't really helped him that he had Hollywood-cannon's Gene Kelly and Red Buttons opposite him. He turns all the more pale in comparisons to them. It's true that Kelly's and Buttons' careers already had their best time and the same goes for Leslie Nielsen, who in this movie plays one of his last 'serious'. This is basically also the only reason why those three appear in this movie. It was a bit weird to see Kelly as an 'old' man, mainly of course since I'm used to seeing him in only just '40's and '50's movies.

I can name at least a dozen movies out of the top of my head that are way worse than this one. So perhaps this movie is not entirely deserving it's title of 'one of the worst movies ever made' but nevertheless, this is a great example of bad movie making, which at the same time also makes this movie some delicious bad trash from the '70's to watch. Viva Knievel!

3/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Viva Knievel!

[jboothmillard · 2/10 · 5 April 2011]

I saw the documentary with Richard Hammond where he met the world's most famous motorcyclist stuntman, I wasn't sure what to make of him, and then I saw he appeared in his own film, so I tried it. Basically legendary stuntman Evel Knievel has come to Mexico to perform one of his greatest stunts, and while there preparing he gets to know some of his fans and catch up with old friends. This includes helping a bunch of orphans, getting his alcoholic mechanic Will Atkins (Gene Kelly) to put things right with his son Tommy Atkins (Eric Olson), and getting to know photographer and journalist Kate Morgan (Lauren Hutton). While all this is going on, villainous drug lord Stanley Millard (Leslie Nielsen) plans to have Evel killed in his stunt so that he can get a replacement biker and smuggle a massive supply of drugs through. Evel is seen to do one jump prior to the main one, but when it comes to the big one he finds out about this plot, goes ahead with the jump, and after recovering there are some chases and stuff to which he saves the day in the end. Also starring Red Buttons as Ben Andrews, Frank Gifford, Sheila Allen as Sister Charity, Cameron Mitchell as Barton, Albert Salmi as Cortland and Dabney Coleman as Ralph Thompson. The critics rate this film two stars, the extra star is probably just from the fact that it is Evel Knievel and there are two stunts in the film, but the supporting one or two big names are wasted, especially Kelly and Nielsen, the story is ridiculous, over the top cheesy and predictable, I can never see myself watching this garbage again, a stupid action thriller adventure. Pretty poor!

The song's the best thing about it

[zetes · 4/10 · 2 August 2009]

Ill-advised starring vehicle for the king of motorcycle jumping, Evel Knievel. It's pretty campy, and can occasionally be amusing. But overall it's quite the bore. Evel Knievel is hired to do a jump in Mexico, and his promoter, Leslie Nielsen, plans on getting him killed so he can smuggle a boatload of cocaine into the US in Evel's coffin (which he assumes the border guards will be too respectful to ransack). There's almost no action until the last 20 minutes. At least the action at that point is decent (though apparently Evel was forced to use a stuntman to perform most of the riding). To classics fans, the film is probably more notable because it contains the penultimate performance by Gene Kelly (Red Buttons is also in it). His final performance was in Xanadu. Viva Knievel! is the only film Kelly appeared in which is even more lowly rated than Xanadu. Actually, much of the plot revolves around Kelly, as the son whom he sent off to be raised elsewhere is reunited with him. Kelly kind of ignores the boy because his wife died in childbirth, but Evel eventually sets him straight. There's also a romantic subplot involving a feminist photographer, Lauren Hutton, who is sent to photograph Evel's "last jump". Of course she ends up falling for the uber-masculine motorcyclist.

Evel the actor

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 3 November 2019]

Evel Knievel delivers toys to orphans one day and makes a death defying jump the next. Will Atkins (Gene Kelly) is his drunk manager. Kate Morgan (Lauren Hutton) is a photojournalist. Ben Andrews (Red Buttons) is a greedy crooked promoter. Stanley Millard (Leslie Nielsen) has an evil plan luring Evel to Mexico.

Evel, the character, does not come off that appealing. He's a bit misogynist towards Kate. He's a bit callous towards Will. If he's really worried about his drinking, he would keep all booze away from him. He needs to make small calibrations to his character which he already does with the orphans. He stops the momentum when he makes the anti-drug speech. He's trying to project machismo which doesn't look good like a middle age salesman with a fast sports car. He would be better off being humbled since his real life stunts already speak for his manhood. He may not be capable of projecting much else as an actor. His acting needs to round out the rest of him and I doubt he has it. He is self-righteous when he doesn't deserves it. As for the evil scheme, it's mostly non-sense and meaningless. It's bad writing and it needs to be explained well ahead of time. The flash photography premise is silly. Overall, Evel is a limited actor even if he is not the worst. His character has unappealing flaws. The story has unappealing flaws. It is bad but it could be worst.

He'll jump right into your heart (and funny bone)!

[lustron1 · 9/10 · 20 August 2004]

I recently bought a video tape of this film expecting it to be somewhat funny...it turned out to be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. And that's saying alot since it was made as a dramatic vehicle for the one, the only, EVEL KNIEVEL.

I can't believe all of the negative comments that have been posted for this film. Sure the acting is bad and the plot is subpar, but overall, this movie is destined for cult status!

This 1 hour and 40 minute film turned into a three hour viewing experience for me since I was laughing so hard at everything, and I knew I was missing more great dialogue and acting...I'd have to stop the video, rewind it, and watch again...and I'd laugh just as hard the second time. Even now, while writing this review, I'm laughing to myself just thinking of certain scenes...especially the "drug speech."

I won't spoil anything for those reading this...Just pop this baby in your VCR and "sit down and take a load off!"

And who the hell did Frank Gifford have to sleep with to get his name mentioned so many times in this film?

PUT THIS FILM ON DVD in WIDESCREEN!!

This Is My Last Jump

[ehrldawg · 6/10 · 10 October 2011]

Staring Knievil himself,a gang of drug smugglers try to use his custom rig to smuggle drugs from Mexico to America.

This is a neat,anti drug movie. It goes to show to never say never. Did Knievel ever marry Lauren Hutton?

Cameron Mitchell drives the White - Freightliner big rig.

Cameron Mitchell was a permanent A list actor.

Ernie Orsatti drives the Peterbuilt big rig.

Ernie Orsatti is a permanent A list actor.

Laureen Hutton is hot!!

---One Truck Drivers Opinion---

erldwgstruckermovies.com

Great theme song.

[Hey_Sweden · 5/10 · 13 December 2020]

The first - and only - attempt to launch real-life daredevil Evel Knievel as a movie star is patently cheesy, silly stuff. Evel, beloved by many adoring fans, gets mixed up with a mobster (Leslie Nielsen, in one of the last few "serious" roles of his career) who's putting lots of money into a drug-smuggling operation for which he needs Evels' huge van. But fear not: Evel will take on Nielsen and all of his goons (including Cameron Mitchell, Albert Salmi and stuntman Ernie Orsatti) and work hard to save the day, all with the assistance of his ace mechanic (an ageing and amusingly cranky Gene Kelly, in a real character role).

Ultimately leading to some pretty decent action scenes (among them, a leap by a motorcycle onto a moving van), "Viva Knievel!" is pretty goofy. It begins as Evel sneaks into an orphanage and distributes gifts to the children, whereupon one kid is so inspired by the guy that he is able to throw away his crutches! The movie never gets better from there, but it's so gosh-darn dumb that it's hard to resist. Evel himself is rather charisma-free as an "actor", leaving heavyweights like Kelly, Red Buttons (as a sleazy but still likeable promoter), and Nielsen to carry the acting load. Evel also has no real chemistry with Lauren Hutton, who plays a big-time photographer whose assignment is to take pics of his jumps just on the chance that the current jump might be his LAST one. But Evel does get to utter one hilarious, "inspiring" speech where he warns his admirers about the dangers of putting "nitro" into their bodies.

The daft plot, the (unintentionally?) funny dialogue, the priceless attempt to go for pathos when detailing Kelly's strained relationship with the son (Eric Olson) whom he hadn't seen for 10 years all add up to classic bad-movie entertainment. Obviously just another gig for the solid journeyman director Gordon Douglas, this is nevertheless a hoot to behold, complete with supporting performances by the likes of Frank Gifford (as himself), Dabney Coleman, and ever-grinning Marjoe Gortner as a friendly rival. Plus, that theme song is so insidiously catchy that it sticks in your head for a while.

Five out of 10.

Viva Knievel Indeed!!

[General Urko · 30 April 2002]

Evel Knievel, the greatest thing on two wheels (despite the fact that he had immense trouble with actually landing!) is on the attack! Truth, justice & the American way are under threat from some nefarious drug dealers out to use Evels fame as a way to smuggle drugs into the U S of A & then into the innocent hands of the nations youth no doubt!

From the opening bars of the theme tune to the closing credits this is non-stop-two-wheeled-high-octane-death-defying-cinema! You will witness the sheer power of Evel as his mere presence causes crippled children to walk - "You're the reason I'm walking, Evel! YOU'RE THE REASON!" Feel the love as he woos a captivating female reporter, what a dame! See the horror as his best friend is turned into a drug crazed dope-fiend by the bad guys, then rejoice as he is saved & reunited with his estranged son by the one & only Knievel!

In the grand, suspense filled rubber burning finale let out a mighty Huzzah as Evel foils the bad guys & saves the day for all the innocent children of the free world! Viva Knievel indeed!!

A slog

[jellopuke · 3/10 · 7 March 2020]

Never mind the fact that Evel can't act, the preposterous plot, or the lack of any really cool jumps (though there are a couple of okay ones), this movie dies on just being slow and tedious. You take a famous stunt jumper and make him deal with Gene Kelly's family troubles? Give him a love interest reporter gal? Make him the target of drug dealers? Such a missed opportunity to exploit a real character by putting him in a dumb situation.

"You're the reason I'm walking, Evel" said the cute kid!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 26 February 2022]

"Viva Knievel!" is a vanity project that really seems odd and wrong-headed in hindsight. After all, Evel wasn't exactly a saint and yet here he's portrayed as the ultimate nice-guy...a guy who (creepily) sneaks into an orphanage at night to bring toys to all the kids! And, he's also a crime fighter and social worker, too! Considering what he was like in real life, this is ridiculous....but it also would have been ridiculous for anyone!

Another interesting aspect of this film is the cast. It's hard to imagine that the studio could secure Gene Kelly, Red Buttons, Lauren Hutten, Leslie Nielsen and Cameron Mitchell for the movie...but they did! Obviously someone thought this film had a lot of promise...too bad the film was a flop..mostly because of Knievel's off-screen behaviors which were NOT very Santa-like! If you are confused, read up on his attack with a baseball bat he made on a guy around the same time the movie debuted...which effectively killed the distribution of the picture!

The picture purports to be a behind the scenes look at Evel and his life doing crazy stunts. Of course, while it's played by Knievel and he's called Evel by everyone, it really is a highly fictionalized version of him...to the point of being ridiculous. I mentioned above his breaking into an orphanage but it got worse when he went to practice for a jump the next day and some cute kid came up to him. Evel was surprised becasue the kid had been in a wheelchair but the kids proudly announced "You're the reason I'm walking, Evel!!"....at which point I could help but to laugh out loud!

So is the film any good? Good grief, no....at least not in the traditional sense! But it is good for two things....as a strange time capsule in which we see one of the stanger celebrities of the 1970s AND it's good for a few laughs.

One of the least realistic portrayals of a real life celebrity with the POSSIBLE exception of KISS in "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park" and William Bendix in "The Babe Ruth Story"...two other unintentionally bad and hilarious films!

Classic Motorcycle Movie

[crystara64 · 5/10 · 1 March 2022]

What's not to like about about motorcycles, stuntmen, drugs, Gene Kelly and Leslie Nielsen and the beautiful Laren Hutton. It's got a corny plot and the acting from Evel is pretty wooden but I actually enjoyed it, worth a look.

Holy Crap is this awful! So much fun tho...

[kimbpaul · 1/10 · 1 November 2019]

All the big name actors and actresses must have been really, really good friends of Mr. Kneival. And yes, awful though it is, I watched every stinkin' minute of it and had a blast

Who thought an Evel Knievel movie would feature such an overly complicated drug plot...

[Aaron1375 · 3/10 · 21 July 2021]

Yes, I have heard of the man and I know of some of his feats; however, these days the idea of a person making big dollars jumping things is absurd. The real money is being on Youtube putting on makeup or otherwise doing mundane and boring things. So, the poor guy grew up in a time where you had to kill yourself to get the dollars and was not alive long enough to see the proliferation of people getting money for nothing and their checks for free (I'm pretty sure the line is 'chicks' for free, but I've always heard checks...). Apparently, a movie featuring George Hamilton as Evel Knievel was box office gold earlier in the 70's, so they took it a step further and have the actual man in this one, the result? A very bizarrely paced film featuring drug dealers that are a bit too imaginative for their own good.

The story, Evel breaks into an orphanage after hours and brings the kids his action figure and inspires kids to walk again, yes, that is true. He then is on to his next big jump where Marjoe Gortner drugs Gene Kelly to take pics and Red Buttons is Evel's agent! It's a mad world, one in which Leslie Nielsen is a drug dealer who wants to use Evel to disguise his drug deal while Evel is jumping over lions and tigers and winning over a stone cold gal who wants to photo Evel dying. Occasionally you get to see jumps on a bike, but not as often as you'd think...

Evel may have been a good stunt man and promoter, but the man was not an actor as he does a horrible job and he is just playing himself! One writer already mentioned it, but Marjoe Gortner was in this and he was big in the 70's. I think when he was a kid, there was a cult or something literally formed around him, its complicated. Not sure why he stopped doing films, perhaps he was only allowed to do movies in the 70's then his contract expired. Leslie is more out of place in this one than he was as the crazy dude in Day of the Animals.

So, this film is a movie...a movie that overstays its welcome and has way too much padding when it did not need it. The whole orphanage at the beginning could have easily been cut, for example. Not the worst movie by any means though, they just should have streamlined it or something, perhaps even went in another direction. The whole lets kill Evel Knievel so we can smuggle drugs was just too absurd...

Never held up to begin with

[ericstevenson · 3/10 · 2 July 2018]

This is one of numerous movies that were featured on Video On Demand from Rifftrax and it's easy to tell why. I didn't even know that was the real Evel Knievel. I was probably just so taken back by how dumb and boring this movie was, I didn't notice. This film features guys who want to take Knievel's body to smuggle cocaine. I couldn't even comprehend this plot. I was able to understand the jokes as he really did attack someone with a baseball bat before this film was released.

The riffing was great with some of my favorite bits being, "We were told there'd be Christians to eat!". An easy one was "Evel!" with "I'm not referring to your name. It's just evil that you're here!". I loved, "I'm going to sit here and regret "Dracula: Dead And Loving It"." I also liked, "It was easy" followed by, "And hugely wasteful of helicopter fuel". You really have to find the Rifftrax version. *1/2

Embarrassing Garbage

[mcjensen-05924 · 1/10 · 27 November 2023]

This festering heap of manure has lots of familiar faces that had or eventually had some measure of success. This movie did absolutely nothing to help them in their careers. I can't believe how stinking awful this was. From the acting to the dialogue to the ridiculous plot contrivances you will be rolling your eyes from start to finish. Evel is the most uninteresting, uncharismatic and talentless one in this movie. He's as bland as bland gets, and manages to redefine awkward and stupid at the same time. Even the 3.5 rating here seems insanely high, as there's nothing remotely entertaining in this film.

Ridiculous and awesome

[BandSAboutMovies · 8/10 · 30 July 2019]

Evel Knievel steps up to the mic and addresses his fans: "Before I make the jump, there's something I'd like to say to you, that's been bothering me for a long time.

I go to Indianapolis every year to see the Indy 500. I go there with friends to drive and race. Every year when they go there to qualify, they usually have to go as fast as they possibly can to get a front row position. They put nitro in their cars sometimes, instead of the fuel that is intended to be in the cars so that the cars will go faster ... and they do, for five or ten laps. And then they blow all to hell.

And you people, you kids, if you put nitro in your bodies in the form of narcotics, so that you can do better, or so that maybe you think that you can do better, you will for about five or ten years, and then you'll blow all to hell."

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the alternative universe that was the 1970s, when Irwin Allen would produce a film all about Evel Knievel and his exploits, while neglecting to mention that Evel was married with three kids, all so that a subplot where a reporter (Lauren Hutton) can romance our daredevil in stars and stripes.

Let me tell you right now - this movie is everything that I love. It's an earnest production that goes all out behind a cultural phenomenon that is moments away from spectacularly flaming out, bringing along a cast of Hollywood near A-listers. It's one of those films that you'll incredulously yell, "How the hell did they get him to be in this?"

Any movie that casts Marjoe Gortner as Evel Knievel's stuntman rival is a movie that I'm going to write a few thousand words about, let me tell you that much.

This movie came out in June of 1977, just three months before Knievel and his associates violently assaulted promoter Shelly Saltman with an aluminum baseball bat. With Evel losing his sponsorship deals as the result, the film suffered, only opening in four foreign markets.

But that Evel - the one that would scream "I'm going to kill you!" while breaking defenseless men on Hollywood backlots - doesn't appear here. Instead, Evel almost seems like a supernatural force of nature, randomly showing up in the middle of the night at orphanages bearing gifts for the children, inspiring a crippled boy to walk again and even charming Sister Charity, the toughest of the nuns (Allen's wife Sheila).

When he's not miraculously appearing to help the downtrodden children of America in a leisure suit, he's travelling around the country jumping over mountain lions and fire to bring entertainment to the real people of the U.S. of A. His charity even continues on the people he surrounds him with, like promoter Ben Andrews (how did they get Red Buttons?) and alcoholic mechanic Will Atkins (how did they get Gene Kelly?).

Evel tells the press like it is, making quips at everything they ask him. And when he's ambushed by photojournalist Kate Morgan (how did they get Lauren Hutton?), he snaps at her too. After all, if Evel dies trying this jump, it'll make for a big story. Well, if you know anything about Evel, he totally bites it on this big jump, announces his retirement, flips out at the promoter and goes to the hospital.

While Evel is in the hospital, a bizarre plot against his life is hatched. His one-time protege Jessie (I know how they got Marjoe Gortner) is trying to convince him to do an incredibly daring jump that he'll definitely die trying. Then, Stanley Millard (I kind of understand how they got a pre-Airplane! Leslie Nielsen) will hide $3.6 million worth of nose candy in the walls of Evel's tour trailer. The border patrol will all be too sad that Evel is dead and not search his truck and then, they'll all profit.

Meanwhile - as if this movie can grow any stranger - Will's estranged son Tommy returns from boarding school. Will can't deal with the kid, who reminds him of his dead wife, which is the reason he's drinking. That leaves Evel to basically become Tommy's new magical father.

Will learns of the plot against Evel and is sent to a mental hospital where the evil Dr. Ralph Thompson (how did they get Dabney Coleman?) keeps him under lock and key. And when Evel gets to Mexico - along with real-life pal Frank Gifford (how did...oh, you get the joke by now) - Jessie gets all zooted and knocks out our hero, steals his bike and really does make the impossible jump before he dies thanks to the bike being sabotaged. His body is taken so that the drug deal can continue and everyone in the rest of Mexico now believes that Evel is muerto. Amazingly, this is real crash footage of Evel's May 1975 Wembley Stadium jump.

For all of the other stunts, professional stuntman Gary Charles Davis was hired. His role was kept hush hush to avoid questions - and possibly insurance concerns - about Knievel himself performing his own motorcycle stunts.

Evel breaks Will out of the hospital and they discover that Tommy and Kate have been taken hostage. Of course, everything works out. The drug lords - which also count Cameron Mitchell, God bless him, amongst their number - are defeated, Leslie Neilsen drives off a cliff, Lauren Hutton falls for Evel and father and son are reunited. Then, Evel jumps a put of fire and the credits roll.

Silent partner Irwin Allen ended up directing eighty percent of this movie after original director Gordon Douglas (They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, In Like Flint) fell ill. I could make a joke about how he specialized in making disaster movies, but that joke is way too simple. Much like Evel, I only take on the most dangerous of writing stunts.

This movie is literally everything that I love all at once. When I finally die jumping over a pit full of snakes, please play it on a loop at my funeral. Thank you.

Garbage Day

[michle53 · 7/10 · 22 August 2023]

My embarrassment knows no bounds. I died a little while watching this, then hid my face for almost a day for having watched this. The squirming it brings on, oh my God, who wrote this dialogue? The opening scene with the stupid Christmas presents for the orphans, the chuckleheaded nun. The sadness of seeing Gene Kelly reduced to this. Dabney Coleman and Leslie Nielsen were B movie guys, but to see Gene Kelly "acting" with someone who was, by todays standards, the equivalent of someone on YouTube who eats disgusting things and then throws up on camera, is absolutely heartbreaking. And then, of course, there's Marjoe Gortner. Wow.

Muerte a esta pelicula!

[Movie-Robot · 13 March 2002]

Daredevil Evel Kneivel (just say his name out loud - ridiculous) stars as himself. The movie seems to portray Kneivel as some sort of wheelie-popping Christ figure.

You can't see it enough to fathom how truly bizarre it is. Kneivel says he's never taken a drug in his life, which is good so there was plenty enough to go around for the writer, the director and love interest Lauren Hutton.

And Kneivel's not even the weirdest guy in the movie! That honor goes to poor old Gene Kelly who plays Evel's sad excuse for a mechanic. His performance is quite possibly the worst captured on film; Kelly was playing this either as senile or retarded, though I suppose it doesn't matter which.

It's rough when the most convincing actor in the film is from Frank Gifford.