Retrospective: Smokey and the Bandit 3 (1983)

[Jerry Saravia]

SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT 3 (1983)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Zero stars

In the last few months, I have watched Jackie Gleason at his very best
as the irascible busdriver Ralph on TV's classic series "The
Honeymooners." Every time I watch, I never tire of seeing Ralph's
wild antics, bizarre schemes, fighting with Norton or enduring fat
jokes and being one-upped by his wife Alice. But in the 1980's, with
the exception of "Nothing in Common" with Tom Hanks, Jackie Gleason
was badly used and showed little of his blazing, larger-than-life
charisma that made him such a star in his prime. 1983 might have been
the unkindest year for Gleason starring in two rotten sequels. One was
the lifeless "The Sting II." The other was the far more execrable
"Smokey and the Bandit 3," a truly moronic and wasteful use of
celluloid. You know it is bad when Burt Reynolds doesn't even agree to
star in it, except for a useless cameo at the end (I don't mean to
ruin it for anyone).

According to Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide, the initial
preview screenings for this movie showed Jackie Gleason as Sheriff
Buford T. Justice and as the Bandit, hence the original title of the
film was "Smokey is the Bandit." Then they changed it completely with
Jerry Reed as the Bandit since the audiences were initially confused.
True or not, it deserves further investigation into what might have
been.

I wish not to spend more time on "Smokey and the Bandit 3" except to
say that Jerry Reed is indeed the Bandit, overplaying it without the
smooth charm of Burt Reynolds. All the gags fall flat on their face
and there is not one chuckle to be had from any of this - Burt and
Sally Field are sorely missed. Jackie Gleason has a nifty scene at the
beginning where he is dressed as a general in front of an American
flag (just like in the opening moments of "Patton") and talks about
his past adventures trying to capture the elusive Bandit. The audience
is barely awake listening to this man. Nuff' said.


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