The Cannonball Run

1981
PG
1h 35m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,461

310

Adrienne Barbeau, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in The Cannonball Run (1981)

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of 'The Cannonball Run,' we're looking back at Hal Needham's star-studded bonanza, including Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Roger Moore, and Jackie Chan.

Play clip1:22

Watch The Cannonball Run | Anniversary Mashup

4 Videos

80 Photos

Car Action Motorsport Road Trip Slapstick Action Comedy Sport

A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, ... Read allA wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, dirty tricks.A wide variety of eccentric competitors participate in a wild and illegal cross-country road race. However, the eccentric entrants will do anything to win the road race, including low-down, dirty tricks.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,461

310

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

Videos4

Trailer 3:16

Trailer

Clip 1:22

The Cannonball Run | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 1:22

The Cannonball Run | Anniversary Mashup

Clip 4:37

How the Best Racing Films Raise the Stakes

Clip 3:13

25 Years After 'Pulp Fiction', Tarantino Delivers a 'Hollywood' Masterwork

Photos80

+ 73

More like this

5.1

Cannonball Run II

7.0

Smokey and the Bandit

5.5

Cannonball!

5.3

Smokey and the Bandit II

6.4

6.2

6.4

4.5

3.5

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3

5.7

Battle Creek Brawl

Cannonball Run

7.0

The Sex Cannon Ball Run

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
This movie was originally planned as an action movie starring Steve McQueen. After McQueen's death, the lead went to Burt Reynolds, and the movie became a comedy.

Goofs
Even though the beginning of the race makes a blatant point of explaining that racers are scored by time, not order of arrival at the finish line, the ending seems to suggest the contrary. Since time is the main factor, any racer who started after the Lamborghini team should still have been able to check-in and beat them. Instead, everyone fights over being the first one to clock in, and the instant she checks in, everyone else simply gives up.

Quotes
Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing: I'm Nikolas Van Helsing, professor of proctology and other related tendencies. A graduate of the University of Rangoon and assorted night classes at the Knoxville, Tennessee School of Faith Healing.
J.J. McClure: You may be a little overqualified for this job.

Crazy credits
Outtakes are shown during the credits.

Alternate versions
For some reason, the video version dubs over some of the language heard in the big screen and pay channel versions. For example, when Bert Convy asks Peter Fonda what he wants, Fonda answers "Your ass" in the original, but is heard to say "You're asking me?" on the video version.

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: Stripes/Eyes of a Stranger/The Cannonball Run/Superman II (1981)

Soundtracks
Cannonball
Written by Ray Stevens (as R. Stevens)
Performed by Ray Stevens

User reviews161

Review

Featured review

6/10

What a pile-up....

If you're looking for a movie loaded with cars, crashes, 1/8th of the Rat Pack, Adrienne Barbeau's best assets... oh yeah, and Burt Reynolds, look no further than "The Cannonball Run".

It was a hit back in 1981 and no wonder: Burt was on top of his game and we were all young and naive back then. Heck, I have a warm spot for all the rampant stupidity, myself.

All the better that Roger Moore plays a deft parody of his own James Bond persona, complete with an Aston Martin.

If you've seen this film way back when, no doubt you remember it with some fondness. Let's face it: it may not have been on par with films like "The Gumball Rally" or even "Death Race 2000", but in its own way and on its own terms, it works just fine.

A word of sage advice: if you watch this film, skip "Cannonball Run 2". It'll only ruin your good memories of the first. And if you didn't like the original, well....

Five stars. Plus one star extra for adding Jackie Chan for what adds up to mostly as a cameo as a karate-kicking racer. And a half star more for Adrienne Barbeau's fancy work with a jump suit zipper. Altogether, six and a half stars.

Wish she would have made it a seven.