Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- breezy
- irreverent
- witty
- lazy weekend
- road trip movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as an inoffensive but low-ambition road-race comedy whose celebrity cast and occasional gags could not overcome repetitive material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Cannonball dash brings together multiple teams played by Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.
The contestants pursue an explicitly illegal, anything-goes transcontinental race across the United States.
Director Hal Needham foregrounds the race through fast cars, an ambulance disguise, an Aston Martin, and stunt-driven highway action.
The film uses an all-star cast and show-business self-display as major attractions alongside its highway-race premise.
Films like The Cannonball Run, and why
Smokey and the Bandit
shared road movie structure, broad action comedy, celebrity ensemble, and escalating automotive competition
The Gumball Rally
shared 1980s star-driven comedy, illegal cross-country driving, slapstick, and car-centered spectacle
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
shared road movie format, comic rivalries, episodic detours, and high-speed ensemble escapades
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Needham
- Release Date
- 1981-06-19
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (731)
Cast
- Burt Reynolds
- Roger Moore
- Farrah Fawcett
- Dom DeLuise
- Dean Martin
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Jack Elam
- Adrienne Barbeau
- Terry Bradshaw
- Jackie Chan
Common questions
- What is The Cannonball Run about?
- A flamboyant pack of drivers deploys disguises, bravado, and reckless ingenuity in a madcap illegal race across America.
- What is The Cannonball Run like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Cannonball Run as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Cannonball Run violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Cannonball Run as mild.
- What did critics think of The Cannonball Run?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as an inoffensive but low-ambition road-race comedy whose celebrity cast and occasional gags could not overcome repetitive material.
- Which films are like The Cannonball Run?
- Films with a similar feel include Smokey and the Bandit, The Gumball Rally, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
- How long is The Cannonball Run?
- The Cannonball Run runs 95 minutes.
