Hal Needham's last theatrical feature as director is a grab bag. It gives a star role to Dirk Benedict who I loved in Battlestar Galactica and The A Team and who plays a role for which he is perfectly cast - cocky smooth talking promoter - but he isn't as appealing on television. I think because he carries the load on his own whereas in his two TV hits he bounced off an ensemble or co star. He was also as Starbuck able to convey sensitivity and he isn't given the chance to do that here.
Presumably Needham was hoping for a young Burt Reynolds, and it's a Reynolds type role (old Reynolds could've played it) - but Burt is relaxed, confident and sly, whereas Benedict doesn't quite work. He's too intense or something. In his defence he doesn't have the same quality people to bounce off - he's best in his scenes with Tanya Roberts but too often he's operating in a vaccuum.
The story is a weird hodge podge. Benedict is a band manager in debt who winds up managing wrestlers. He winds up taking both on the road. Rock'n'roll wrestling. Wow. That's low concept high concept.
Everything feels added as if they went "oh lets add that". His wrestler, Roddy Piper, has a cute kid, Benedict has this romance with Tanya Roberts that's kind of... there, there are convenient villains (Korean debt collectors) who pop in and out. The film doesn't build to any sort of emotional climax it just rolls along and Piper and his partner win the big game and... yeah I guess that's it.
This feels very haphazard and dumb.
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