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The plot here is standard enough stuff: small town football hero "Poke" Jackson (an amiable Timothy Bottoms) arrives back in his home town after a five year stint in prison. The crooked sheriff Duke (Bo Hopkins, in a standard type of role, but doing a solid job) may have had something to do with that. He's also claimed Pokes' girl Mary Lee (Brit beauty Susan George, doing a creditable Southern accent), now taking care of Kevin, the son that Poke sired. What we do know for sure is that Duke is behind the assassination of a congressional hopeful, and Poke is a witness. Duke spends the rest of the picture trying to take good ol' Poke down.Director / actor Jack Starrett, a specialist in this kind of '70's fare, does typically good work. The picture moves at a pretty consistent pace; it's touching at times (the relationship between Poke and Mary Lee is nicely handled) and humorous at others. Best of all is the action-oriented climax, which includes some mighty fine vehicle stunts. A solid supporting cast gives it all they've got: Morgan Woodward as crooked fat cat C.J. Crane, John Karlen and Clay Tanner as the deputies Lenny and Junior, Art Hindle and Hank Rolike as Pokes' good buddies Boogie and Cleotis, and last but never, ever least, the ever endearing George "Buck" Flower, as the hayseed "relative" who gives the heroes a lift (as well as giving the picture a lift) late in the game.Fans of the drive-in oriented B pictures of yesteryear should enjoy it. It's an entertaining bit of "hicksploitation" escapism.Starrett has a cameo as the drunken redneck shooting at his own truck at the beginning of the movie.7/10
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