Wonderful Movie

hyped garbage

Absolutely Fantastic

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It's kind of hard to describe The Gumball Rally because it's one of those plot less affairs that makes absolutely no sense, but can be enjoyed for some comic moments. Michael Sarrazin heads the cast here and clearly The Gumball Rally was just a preview of things to come before both Cannonball Run movies with bigger name stars were involved.The Gumball Rally is an illegal cross country race in which various people of all kinds of backgrounds get together once a year and race across country, illegally and secretly kind of.Clearly The Gumball Rally had its thunder stolen, plagiarized as it were by The Cannonball Run films. But both of them had so much better casts and a free spirit that this one lacks.

The Gumball Rally is directed and written by Charles Bail. It stars Michael Sarrazin, Norman Burton, Raúl Juliá, Tim McIntire and Gary Busey. Music is by Dominic Frontiere and cinematography by Richard C. Glouner. Plot sees an assortment of car enthusiasts embark on a no holds barred coast-to-coast race from New York to California……with irate LAPD Lieutenant Roscoe and the force out to apprehend them. Upon its release The Gumball Rally would have seemed fresh and exciting, leading off a sub-genre of car race films based on the exploits of auto eccentrics racing coast-to-coast, its impact has been diluted by those that followed it. However, as sure as it isn't as much fun as the most popular of them all, The Cannonball Run, it certainly has the better stunts, better location work and a plethora of better cars. Clearly helmed with love and affection by Charles Bail, film isn't about story (vis-à-vis Cannonball Run), it's an ode to speedsters and excitement, to freedom and camaraderie, all splendidly package by Bail and his team. A ream of good character actors file in for the roles, with Julia and McIntire particularly standing out, while Bail uses his camera with skill for aerials, close ups and tracking shots to put the viewer right into the heart of the action. The comedy is well placed within the heart of the drama, and crucially those sequences are funny.An enjoyable speedy romp that never lets its foot off the pedal, The Gumball Rally is essential viewing for car fans and fans of 70s care free abandon. 7.5/10

Just seeing these cars when in 1976 they were still "cheap" enough to not simply be garage queens - a Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster, 427 Cobra, Ferrari Daytona Spyder, E-Type Jag...This is based loosely on a true race, Brock Yate's original Cannon Ball Run - in which, if I am not mistaken, was in 1971 and like the movie, left Manhattan but ended up in Redondo Beach. Yates and Dan Gurney won in a Ferrari Daytona Coupe at 35:54, and surprisingly a Chevy Van was second some 50 minutes later.Like the actual race there was some contestants who had a specially rigged van with a huge gas tank that was supposed to take them across the country without need for a fill up - nothing said on bathroom breaks.If you are looking for a movie with some deep social message this isn't the one but if you like cars (and listening to the wonderful noises of the Cobra and Ferrari) this is the movie...

Usually, the 1970s have been known as the nadir of culture. But in movies like "The Gumball Rally", the Me Decade looks mighty fine. As to the subject of whether or not this movie was particularly characteristic of that era, I don't know specifically (although 1976 also saw the release of "The Big Bus", another wacky vehicle-related flick).Anyway, this movie portrays an illegal, secretive cross-country car race involving folks from just about every walk of life, and the prize is a gum-ball machine; meanwhile, a grouchy cop wants to arrest every participant. The nominal star is Michael Sarrazin ("They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"), as current champion Michael Bannon. Probably the only other recognizable faces in it are Gary Busey and Raul Julia. But of course, the real stars are the cars themselves, all as souped-up as was possible at the time.Of course, it wouldn't be a car race comedy without some crashes. And believe you me, there are some funny ones here! Moreover, every group has some tricks up their sleeves; it really makes one nostalgic for the days when everyone felt the need to ditch the rules, especially with what happens to the cop.All in all, it's a movie that you're sure to love. A real comedy classic. And to think that just the year before, Michael Sarrazin had starred in "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud", which in my opinion deserved more than almost any other movie to get shown on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". So watch this movie, and watch "The Big Bus" with it. You're sure to get a kick out of both.