Gator

Gator (1976). Directed by Burt Reynolds.

If you need any proof that Burt Reynolds is a lousy director then look no further than the film Gator. This is the dreadful sequel to the White Lightning. The plot is thin — this time Federal agents convince Gator McKlusky to bring down a dangerous criminal named Bama McCall (Jerry Reed).

The direction is aimless, loose and ends up being a complete mess at times. Add to that some of the worst cinematography that I’ve ever seen on DVD and you have a disappointing film. Some of the scenes are completely out of focus on the DVD version that I watched. How could MGM release this and ask people to pay for it?

To make things worse, most of the film is pan and scan except for the opening and closing scenes that were shown in a letterbox format (2.35:1).Try to watch this on cable or satellite where some have reported that is show in its original widescreen format.

Jerry Reed does a good job of playing a homicidal crime boss with his sawed-off shotgun but Burt hams it up a little too much and the film slowly loses its way. Reynolds and Reed are much better in the Smokey the Bandit films.

There are a couple of odd characters that you’ll find amusing — a weasel named Smiley and a giant named Bones played by 7’ 3” William Engesser. Unfortunately this is weak film that is slapped together with stunts, explosions and a few cheap gags.

Posted in DVD Reviews at 1:16 PM