Former stock car driver, heroic military vet, and ex-police officer Kowalski delivers cars across the country. He's driving a white Dodge Challenger to San Francisco on little rest and drugs to stay awake. He has a run-in with a couple of motorcycle cops which sets off a dragnet by Colorado State police. Blind radio DJ Super Soul (Cleavon Little) follows the chase listening to police radio.
This is only about the car chases. The characters aren't that engaging. Barry Newman needs something more. He doesn't have the darkness or the leading man charisma. The story needs tightening. Kowalski needs a consistent foil right from the start. As for the car stunts, they run off the road a lot and get plenty dusty. There is some interesting driving. They're not filmed quite at the excitement level of the iconic chase scene in its compatriot, The French Connection. One can see the evolution of the car chase but the filming style is a little static. There are a string of intriguing encounters from the snake man to the gay couple to the naked bike chick. They kept me interested despite not being that interested in the story. The chase never seems to be about anything deeper than a chase.
This is only about the car chases. The characters aren't that engaging. Barry Newman needs something more. He doesn't have the darkness or the leading man charisma. The story needs tightening. Kowalski needs a consistent foil right from the start. As for the car stunts, they run off the road a lot and get plenty dusty. There is some interesting driving. They're not filmed quite at the excitement level of the iconic chase scene in its compatriot, The French Connection. One can see the evolution of the car chase but the filming style is a little static. There are a string of intriguing encounters from the snake man to the gay couple to the naked bike chick. They kept me interested despite not being that interested in the story. The chase never seems to be about anything deeper than a chase.