Perfectly adorable

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Did you people see the same film I saw?

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Ever since his breakthrough with "American Graffiti", and TV'S "Happy Days", this movie should be making the headlines all the way! Transitioning from actor to director and writer, Ron Howard is at the top of his game. In "Grand Theft Auto", Ron plays Sam, a smart, simple man who runs off with a rich man's daughter named Paula ( Nancy Morgan) , whom her father and mother disapproves completely. They set her up with a wealthy man, whom she doesn't like. In order to put them in their places, she runs off in her father's Rolls Royce. And the chase is on! The two couple go on into a high speed chase all the way to Las Vegas to elope.Unfortunately, the father wants to put a stop to it. After avoided all the roadblocks set by her father, the duo never stopped. Even the fiancé wants her back. But, stealing every car cost everyone their chances to stop the couple from heading to Las Vegas. The fiancé mother (Marion Ross) was in so much trouble with the law from stealing a car, to assault to a policeman, I don't think she''ll ever see the light again. With all the wrecks and totals, the insurance rates have skyrocketed. With so many stars including Happy Days producer Garry Marshall, Marion and Ron weren't very Cunningham like in this movie: the language, obscene gestures, and Marion hitting the officer in the groin. The grand theft auto turned into a media circus for the two, but they ended up instant celebrities at the end. Who says you won't have a happy ending? Make your dream come true. This movie was excellent. I enjoyed it very much. 4 out of 5 stars.

GRAND THEFT AUTO (2+ outta 5 stars)Pretty minor car crash movie from the peak of the car crash movie boom of the mid-to-late-70s. Notable as the directorial debut of star Ron Howard... so producer Roger Corman deserves some credit for the later *good* movies that Howard directed. Actually, this movie isn't bad at all... if you like this sort of thing... cornball plot about 2 young kids in love stealing a Rolls Royce and heading for Vegas to get hitched. Egged on by a loudmouth radio broadcaster who sees the ratings potential, the pair head west... followed by the law and an assortment of comical character actors who want to stop them. Last major film role for Ron Howard... who probably sensed that time was running out on his ability to keep playing these clean-cut teenager roles.

I've always had a soft spot for car chase movies, so naturally this one interested me. I wasn't disappointed. It has the usual elements of a film of it's type, the most prominent being the cast of eccentric characters constantly trying to get the better of each other. SPOILER WARNINGS:In his directorial debut, Ron Howard plays high school kid Sam who is in love with rich girl Paula. Needless to say, Paula's Ma and Pa, rich snobs who care only about their reputations (Her jogging-suit clad dad is running for Governor of California), disapprove. Her dad wants her to marry rich kid Collins Hedgeworth, whom Paula denounces as a 'flake'. Her dad tries to get the better of her by confiscating her car keys, but then she gets the last laugh as she purloins her old man's Rolls-Royce and picks up Sam. The two then set off for Las Vegas to get married.Polo-playing wimp Collins tries to give chase, as does his mother, who is trying to get him back before he hurts himself. Collins calls DJ Don Steele and offers a $25,000 reward for Paula's safe return. His mother then calls up and offers another $25,000 for his return. At this point, the fun begins as a bunch of assorted nutcases join the chase. They include: a pair of horny mechanics, a bunch of bumbling private eyes hired by Paula's dad, a money-hungry preacher, a group of dynamite toting rednecks, a group of Hispanic low-riders and an LA cop looking to bust most of the group for grand theft auto. The pace is frantic, and at times, you forget about certain characters because of the amount of time being focused on certain groups of them. The performances are rather good. Nancy Morgan as Paula seems to be the dominant one in their couple as she does most of the talking. The late Don Steele is great in his role as DJ Curly Q. Brown, which is essentially a reprise of his role of Junior Bruce in DEATH RACE 2000 (also produced by Roger Corman. DEATH RACE director Paul Bartel has a cameo here.). Ron's brother Clint of course appears here as one of the mechanics. He and his partner Pete Isacksen are both great as the sex-mad mechanics. The car wrecks sometimes happen for no real reason, but they are all brilliantly done. Appropriately, the action reaches it's climax at a demolition derby outside Vegas. This film is brilliant and is a must for car chase fans, like me!

This would definitely be it. The only point of the film is to show car chase after one another, on highways and in the desert. Oh yes, they are a few helicopters too. So if you take it for what it is, the film is rather good. Lots of gags, irony, ... And a number of stunts amazing considering it's a Corman-produced movie.. how did they find the money ?