Review of Hooper

After the massive success of "Smokey and the Bandit" (which Alfred Hitchcock considered one of his favorites), star Burt Reynolds and director Hal Needham re-teamed for this forgotten semi-classic. Burt plays an aging Hollywood stuntman who's trying to prove he's still got it when along comes young stuntman Jan-Michael Vincent (interestedly, in "The Mechanic" Vincent's character had a similar relationship to aging hitman Charles Bronson). However, the film is really not about narrative and primarily serves as a showcase for impressive stunts (high falls, car crashes, full-body flames, etc.), goofy low-brow banter (a lot of it fairly non-PC by contemporary standards), and for Burt and real-life girlfriend Sally Field to re-team on screen. Everything about this film is completely lightweight, from the drama to the characters to the humor. There's nothing here that makes it standout, but I do give "Hooper" credit for being the first Hollywood behind-the-scenes film to focus primarily on stuntmen and stuntwomen. Burt and director Needham both got their start in film working as stuntmen, which gives the film a sense of authenticity to the logistics behind the various stunts depicted in the film as well as the cocky showboat attitudes of the stunt people. In some ways, "Hooper" is very nearly a subculture film when it comes to this world of stunt people. Additionally, the likability of Burt Reynolds cannot be understated. He's not a genius actor or even a brilliant comic actor, but he has an onscreen charisma that fills the screen and makes you want to see what he'll do next. Field is equally likable, and although does not have as much screen time as Burt, she lights up every scene she's in. Overall, "Hooper" provides amiable low-brow humor and more interestingly provides a peek behind the curtain into the world of stunts and the people who perform them, even if it's not a very serious examination.