Rating: 
Summary: For Hardcore Smokey Fans Only
Review: THE GOOD: Smokey and The Bandit was one of the most successful moneymakers of the 1970s, although critics panned it. There are those who love Smokey and The Bandit, as I do, and those who hate it, but most folks loved it when it was first released in 1977 and it continues to win people over to this day. Heck, even Alfred Hitchcock thought it was one of the best movies he'd seen at that time. (This movie alone is the only reason I'd give the "pursuit pack" a rating of two stars.)THE BAD: Smokey and The Bandit 2. As much as I enjoyed the first Smokey movie when it came out in theaters, I was really bummed out about this sequel a few years later. Smokey 2 is simply the result of Hollywood's cold math: "even if this picture stinks, it will make at least a quarter of the first movie's profits on name recognition alone, and that's a heck of a lot of money, so let's do this turkey." Watching Burt Reynolds & Co. phone it in (Reynolds reportedly made $5 million from this picture) is painful, but seeing the Bandit as a drunken lout really bogs the movie down. Not to mention the fact that there's really no joy here. Gone is the fun and action and sense of spontaneous humor from the first Smokey flick; this one will leave you feeling cold and disappointed. (The only vaguely positive thing I can attribute to Smokey 2 is that my pre-teenage sister developed a mad crush on Jerry Reed after seeing this movie.) & THE UGLY: Smokey and The Bandit 3 was the sequel nobody asked for. It's hard to imagine there was an actual screenplay written for this aBOMBination...and if there was a screenplay, it must have been written on a cocktail napkin. Smokey 3 is a lazy retread of scenes from the first two Smokey movies (including an opening "remember when" sequence which merely pads the film to an 80-minute running time) and not even the great Jackie Gleason can save this mess. Originally titled "Smokey IS the Bandit", Gleason played both roles of Sheriff Buford T. Justice and The Bandit. Test screenings (predictably) flopped; the film was reshot and sliced and diced until voila....you have Smokey 3, a disaster which never should have been given the green light in the first place. Burt Reynolds only appears in a brief, tacked-on scene at the end of the film; perhaps he was contractually obligated to do so? All three "Smokey" movies are on this single (double-sided) DVD, and the price is not too shabby. Image quality is very crisp, although there are no extra features whatsoever. However, I'd recommend buying the standalone DVD of the first Smokey movie and skipping this set, as two of the three movies in the "pursuit package" should not be pursued, but given the deepsix.
Rating:
Summary: For Hardcore Smokey Fans Only
Review: THE GOOD: Smokey and The Bandit was one of the most successful moneymakers of the 1970s, although critics panned it. There are those who love Smokey and The Bandit, as I do, and those who hate it, but most folks loved it when it was first released in 1977 and it continues to win people over to this day. Heck, even Alfred Hitchcock thought it was one of the best movies he'd seen at that time. (This movie alone is the only reason I'd give the "pursuit pack" a rating of two stars.) THE BAD: Smokey and The Bandit 2. As much as I enjoyed the first Smokey movie when it came out in theaters, I was really bummed out about this sequel a few years later. Smokey 2 is simply the result of Hollywood's cold math: "even if this picture stinks, it will make at least a quarter of the first movie's profits on name recognition alone, and that's a heck of a lot of money, so let's do this turkey." Watching Burt Reynolds & Co. phone it in (Reynolds reportedly made $5 million from this picture) is painful, but seeing the Bandit as a drunken lout really bogs the movie down. Not to mention the fact that there's really no joy here. Gone is the fun and action and sense of spontaneous humor from the first Smokey flick; this one will leave you feeling cold and disappointed. (The only vaguely positive thing I can attribute to Smokey 2 is that my pre-teenage sister developed a mad crush on Jerry Reed after seeing this movie.) & THE UGLY: Smokey and The Bandit 3 was the sequel nobody asked for. It's hard to imagine there was an actual screenplay written for this aBOMBination...and if there was a screenplay, it must have been written on a cocktail napkin. Smokey 3 is a lazy retread of scenes from the first two Smokey movies (including an opening "remember when" sequence which merely pads the film to an 80-minute running time) and not even the great Jackie Gleason can save this mess. Originally titled "Smokey IS the Bandit", Gleason played both roles of Sheriff Buford T. Justice and The Bandit. Test screenings (predictably) flopped; the film was reshot and sliced and diced until voila....you have Smokey 3, a disaster which never should have been given the green light in the first place. Burt Reynolds only appears in a brief, tacked-on scene at the end of the film; perhaps he was contractually obligated to do so? All three "Smokey" movies are on this single (double-sided) DVD, and the price is not too shabby. Image quality is very crisp, although there are no extra features whatsoever. However, I'd recommend buying the standalone DVD of the first Smokey movie and skipping this set, as two of the three movies in the "pursuit package" should not be pursued, but given the deepsix.
Rating: 
Summary: If you're a fan, a bargain for the money
Review: The original film is one of my all-time favorites and is also one of the funniest films I've ever seen. The second film was a disappointing follow-up, with The Bandit turning into an embittered egomaniac and some truly silly and dumb plot twists. For example, The Great One, Jackie Gleason, playing more than one role. I personally prefer the third film to the second, despite it being universally panned by most critics. I found the third film, while not in a league with the original, to be very funny, especially given that Jackie Gleason has more screentime than in the first two films. His scenes with his son, Junior, are the best things about the film. It was also, sadly, one of Gleason's last films. The only thing I don't like is the double-sided DVD. Other than that, despite no extras whatsoever, for Jackie Gleason and Smokey fans like me, it is still a bargain and is well-worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Price to Acquire the Original Film
Review: The original SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977)was a fantastic film. The forumla was perfect: low budget, simple script, CB radios, car chases, country music, and Hollywood stars. There is a lot of talent in this film. Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, and Jerry Reed head the cast of this CB chase through the Bible-Belt. All of these factors put SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT in league with the top grossing films of 1977. The movie is fun to watch. The dialogue is funny. The soundtrack, primarily written and performed by Jerry Reed, goes along perfectly with film. In fact, the picture's last scene hints at a sequel.
Unfortunately, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT II (1980) followed. The only redeeming feature of this film is that the original cast was reunited. The storyline is horrible. Jackie Gleason's character was the only individual to show some sort of continuity between the two films. The Bandit, we find, has become an alcoholic. Frog leaves Junior at the altar a second time to seek fortune with the Bandit. Cletus has apparently abandoned his family in search of truck driving adventures. Big and Little Enos Burdette are up to their old tricks. This time it is personal as they bribe the Bandit to smuggle a quarantined elephant from Florida to Texas. What follows is a series of loosely connected car chases and crashups. Burt Reynolds' crony Dom DeLuise joins the cast for seemingly no reason. With the exception of Jerry Reed's opening song, TEXAS BOUND AND FLYING, this movie is a bomb.
It came as a surprise that SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT III made its appearance in theaters in 1983. There was very little advertising afforded this third installment of the BANDIT series. The main characters have been reduced to Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Junior, Cletus, and Big and Little Enos Burdette, though Burt Reynolds also makes a cameo dream sequence appearance at the end of the film. Even the gaudy tractor trailer was not included in this picture. Big and Little Enos are obsessed with the Bandit and Sheriff Justice. As such, they contrive yet another contest to draw Justice out of retirement and into competition with the Bandit. The Bandit is not available, so Cletus decides to fill the role.
If you thought BANDIT II's elephant premise was dumb, then BANDIT III's icon is down-right stupid. Justice and Bandit spend the entire movie stealing a plastic shark from each other. The winner is the person who is able to deliver the life-sized fish to the Burdette plantation. The film becomes a cliche of earlier films. There are car chases, a bizarre boat chase at Silver Springs, FL, and the usual recycled Buford T. Justice dialogue. In fact, Jackie Gleason carries most of this movie. The picture would have been better had the Bandit been cut from the film entirely.
On the other hand, buying this set is your opportunity to acquire the original BANDIT at a price that is less than I originally paid for the solitary DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad!
Review: This is a great deal for anyone who is a Completist as I am. I dont much care for part 3 but 1 and 2 are worth the price here. I don't care much for the double sided disc format but it's a way for the company to cut costs. The first film is a classic and this set is not bad. Final rating is a 3 1/2!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Collection,needs a surround sound makeover
Review: This is a great trilogy,the picture is pretty crisp,however it is still in mono sound,beef it up by remastering all three of these in doldy digital surround,we are talking about 3 redneck classic movies here that deserve high quality audio as well!4 stars to the dvd only because of the mono sound,other than that.good job!
Rating:
Summary: A decent collection at a solid price
Review: Three stars overall, five stars for the first film, 3 stars for the second, two stars for the third and 0 stars for Universal skimping on extras.
Part of Universal's "Franchise Collection", this collects all 3 "Smokey and The Bandit" movies on one double sided DVD at a reasonable price.
I'm one of those people who don't automatically run to see a sequel of a movie that was wildly popular, especially if it was of one I enjoyed, for I'm in fear of being let down. "Smokey and The Bandit" was one of those movies. I let my friends see the sequels and give me their one sentence reviews. Usually they'd reply with a long drawn face and say it wasn't as good as the first one. That was good enough for me.
The first "Smokey" was a true classic as well as being a big money maker for Universal. The second highest grossing movie of the year 1977 (something called "Star Wars" was first), it was pure fun with Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed and a few chases and wrecks. It's still fun and fast paced today and has aged quite well. It's a true 70's movie though with the hairstyles, the cars, the wardrobes and CB radios. It's worth owning just for this movie.
It was with hesitation that I sat down and watched the two sequels. "Smokey and The Bandit II" was a bit darker especially with Burt Reynolds' character. Dom DeLuise was a good addition to the cast, the story was ok although I wasn't fond of ALL of Jackie Gleason's characters and I wasn't happy with the ending. Still, a decent follow up.
"Part 3". Shame on Universal for trying to eke out the last bit of money from the public on this one. Jerry Reed - I think you're great, but not in this one. You were no Bandit, and that mustache. If you're a Jerry fan, try "Concrete Cowboys" for something a bit more fun. This was recycled scenes, recycled bits, and even recycled dialogue. The Sally Field role played by Colleen Camp was excruciatingly painful. Not even Fred the dog was around too long! Not even any songs by Jerry Reed in this one! I kept watching this movie for something good and the saving grace was being able to watch Jackie Gleason take the spotlight. And that's how I'll remember this last of the trilogy, with the Great One making one more great stand.
Kudos to Universal for the widescreen and the best available sound and for a decent price. Boo hiss to Universal for no extras (except for trailers for the first two films). I know I'll watch the first one again, and if I'm in a Jackie Gleason frame of mind, maybe the third installment. And I'm happy to be able to have some outstanding stunt work directed by Hal Needham in my collection. Now if they'd only release the soundtrack to "Smokey and The Bandit" on CD!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally The complete Trilogy On One Disc
Review: When I found out about this Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit
Pack containing all 3 movies on one disc I knew that I would have to have it. I have been waiting for Universal to release
All three Movies as a Trilogy pack. In My opinion this pursuit
pack is well worth the money.. if you enjoy all three movies
and are thinking about getting this pack don't think anymore
just get it.
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