![]() ![]() This ranges from fist fights to a couple shoot outs, but they’re not graphic at all. By the same token, blood is minimal but there is some violence from time to time. There are quite a few women with that special 70s style beauty, but they remain clothed here. You won’t see any nudity in White Lightning, as ole Gator is focused on revenge over getting his beak wet. I know this doesn’t seem like the typical movie I’d cover here, but this kind of “hicksploitation” can be a lot of fun, even when the pros try their hand. Solid production values, authentic locations, and just an overall immersive atmosphere help push White Lightning higher than perhaps the simple story deserves. The story is solid and while not deep or complex, it moves at a nice pace and never slows down much. I have a soft spot for deep south moonshine running movies, so White Lightning hits that mark quite well. The cast is great and seems right at home in the roles, from Burt Reynolds in the lead to Ned Beatty as the crooked sheriff to Jennifer Billingsley as the flirty and fun Lou. When things between Gator and the sheriff turn very personal, can a simple man like Gator take down the powerful sheriff?Įntertainment Value: This is not a blood soaked or sex filled kind of movie, instead it drips with Southern texture. So he shifts focus and decides to go after the sheriff alone, driven to do whatever it takes to take him down. ![]() As he gets closer to his goal however, he realizes that handing over the information he’s collected will put a lot of good people in trouble. ![]() Soon Gator, Roy, and Lou are out on runs and all the while, Gator is making notes about the moonshine routes. He is released and heads out, where he meets up with a hesitant helper named Dude, a veteran runner named Rebel Roy, and Roy’s “friendly” girlfriend Lou. After an escape fails, Gator pitches a plan to help catch a corrupt sheriff (Ned Beatty) in exchange for his freedom. It's a real shame that movies with this kind of theme aren't made anymore.Plot: While he sits in jail for running moonshine, Gator McClusky (Burt Reynolds) learns his little brother has been killed. "Gator" is definitely a good movie, once you get past it's faults. I'm giving this film a 7/10 because, despite it's flaws, it's a hell of a lot of fun and Burt gives the kind of performance that you've come to know and love. But being as it is, the whole thing has a very truncated feel. Maybe, had the film been edited and trimmed a bit better, all of this would have been a bit more believable and things would have ran more smoothly. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but it's all very cofusing. His performance was top notch but the film's pacing makes him go from good buddy, to mean, crooked, bad ass way too quickly. That is why I had such a hard time believing Jerry Reed as the bad guy. ![]() So this leads to my big bitch: Why in the HELL did everything go from lighthearted to cold and violent in the last act? Why did everything have to go down-hill in such a hurry? Maybe it's because the film spends too long meandering in pointless situations and then, when time comes for something significant, it happens lightning-quick. There are a lot of laughs in this film and almost all of the characters are likeable. There is plenty of comedy, in fact, from watching the first ten-minutes, you're going to think this is "Smokey and the Bandit" done in the swamps with Jack Weston playing a New York Smokey. This is a PG-rated flick that was most-likely marketed as a comedy. This was Burt's first shot at directing and, for the most part, he does okay. Needless to say, Gator goes with option A and eventually, all hell will break loose. Double cross a lifelong friend or go back to prison and lose custody of your daughter. Infiltrate a group led by childhood friend, Bama McCall (Jerry Reed), get enough evidence to bust him, or go back to prison for making moonshine. He's currently spending his days moonshining with the old man, when the feds come to him with a proposition. Here's a quickie on the plot: Swamp rat, Gator McClusky is living the life after just being released from the State Penn. Basically, what you're getting is a a continuation of the Gator McClusky character. This allowed the sequel to be a bit looser, where it didn't have to deal too much with what happened in "Lightning". First off, this was made mostly for the drive-in crowd who may not have caught "White Lightning". While this might be a strange sequel, I can understand why it is so different from the first. Did anyone ever see the good ole boy flick "White Lightning"? Well this is the sequel. He's been a hero of mine for most of my life and I've grown up loving his movies. People can say what they want about him, he's certainly no quitter and he usually comes out on top. The man just won't go down, no matter what odds are stacked against him. ![]()
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