Stroker Ace (1983)

Burt Reynolds Film Fest Movie #8 (Wow – this would have been perfect for my salute to Driving Really Fast back in January, 2013….)

Synopsis: Stroker Ace is a 95-minute car chase. Will he win the race? Take second place? Wind up in a neck brace? Or vanish from racing without a trace? [Folks, this is why I don’t write poetry for a living.]

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Great times with the good ol’ boy! Burt Reynolds takes the wheel in Stroker Ace, a roaring stock-car-racing comedy co-starring Loni Anderson and featuring real-life Daytona International footage.” 

What Did I Learn?: According to the protagonist, all actors are “egotistical, hypochondriac sissies.” 

You Might Like This Movie If: You admire Stroker's integrity, and know that he would never, ever sell out for a fast buck. 

 

Really?: 1) Stroker…Burt agreed to play a character named “Stroker.” I guess “Wanker” was too obvious? 2) Gee…  for a tee-totaling Sunday School teacher, Pembrooke (Anderson) sure succumbs to Stroker’s advances rather easily, doesn’t she? Never saw that one coming… 3) You know, if Stroker really wanted Torkle to fire him, couldn’t he have just trashed a few hotel rooms, or get caught hiring a prostitute, or something? 4) I realize Stroker and Lugs (Jim Nabours) are a couple of Southern good ol’ boys, but come on – wouldn’t they know the meaning of the word “scrotum”? 

Rating: Stroker Ace is by far the weakest of the three Burt Reynolds films that were included in the Warner Brothers Triple Feature; the humour is pretty juvenile, the racing scenes aren’t terribly exciting, and much of the material (Burt is a charming daredevil; he has a nebbishy best friend; the boss is an oily son-of-a-bitch; Burt develops a rivalry with a younger daredevil that develops into a grudging respect, etc…) seems to have been lifted from another – and far superior – Hal Needham film, Hooper. I cannot recommend this movie. 5/10 stars. 

Would it Work For a Bad Movie Night?: Maybe – take a drink every time Stroker preens in the mirror. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086379/?ref_=nv_sr_1