Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983) User Reviews

No tread left on the Trans Am

[Mr-Fusion · 4/10 · 22 May 2017]

The big question here is whether a "Smokey and the Bandit" movie can be done without Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. I guess that's a yes, but you really shouldn't try it. "Part 3" has Buford T. Justice once again tailing the Bandit (now Jerry Reed behind the wheel) and at least they go back to the car chases; that, and the Knight Rider Firebird looks good on the road. It'd be easy to say that Reed is much better as a side player, but really, he didn't have anything to work with here. These gags are terrible.

Urban legend tells of a workprint with Jackie Gleason playing both roles ("Smokey IS the Bandit!") and that I'd like to see. The potential for irony speaks for itself. But this TV-grade movie is a weak effort.

4/10

impossible task

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 30 December 2019]

Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) is retiring despite never having caught the Bandit. Big Enos and Little Enos challenges him to transport a fish sign from Florida to Texas for his beloved badge. After getting hounded, Buford accepts the challenge with his son as his co-pilot. Big Enos hires Snowman (Jerry Reed) for $250k who dresses up to be the new Bandit. Dusty Trails (Colleen Camp) has have enough of her lecherous boss and quits on TV. She hitches a ride with the new Bandit.

This is a mess and I don't care about any of it. Other than the archival opening, Burt and Sally are not even in this movie. It is really Smokey and the Fake Bandit. The movie doesn't even make geographic sense. He leaves Florida for a shortcut through Mexico which is complete non-sense. The first two movies survived on Burt and Sally's charisma and chemistry. That cannot be recreated with Fake Bandit. It's an impossible task.

Smokey and the Bandit

[Scarecrow-88 · 5/10 · 30 July 2013]

Big and Little Enos (Pat McCormick and Paul Williams) decide to have some more fun, with plans to open "fish'n'chips" restaurants, offering $250,000 grand to the "retiring" Sheriff Buford T Justice (Jackie Gleason, trying his damnedest to make the material work despite itself, with lines like "Junior, when this is all over, I'm gonna buy you a nice lobotomy.") if he'll transport a dummy shark with their advertisement from Miami to Austin, with multiple attempts along to way to deter them from their quest. But each time the Enos duo seem to throw up roadblocks, Buford and his oft-ridiculed son, Junior (Mike Henry, as amiable and clueless as ever) just seem to keep going. Buford is relentless, even as the Enos duo elicits the assistance of a "new Bandit", Cletus (Jerry Reed, still plenty appealing and relishing the chance to be in the driver seat for a change instead of second fiddle to Burt Reynolds), to secure the shark himself, offered the same reward if he can make the trip in a few days time. With a tagalong, Dusty Trails (Colleen Camp; I swear this is the poor girl's character's name in the film!) as his passenger, Cletus will further complicate matters for poor Buford, stealing away the shark (he uses a lasso as Dusty takes temporary control of the steering wheel!), and forcing the sheriff to play a game of "take the shark" throughout their journey cross country.

This film seems designed specifically to destroy Gleason's cop car (and, man alive, does that car take a beating!) as it explodes through a milk hauler (that showers the Enos duo who planned to use the truck as a diversionary tactic), takes out the Klu Klux clan (who had been tormenting a black chicken farmer and his father (but the chicken farmers get the last laugh when the Clan is tarred and feathered!), smashes through a flower stand and cartons of eggs, not to mention, a bumper is torn off from a tow truck, the tires are flattened, and the Enos duo drop bombs at the end leaving it a skeletal wreck. Gleason and Reed try really hard to make the comedy work, and that saddens me to no end because the film just does them no favors. The script leaves Gleason trying to make "flea pecker" and "you dumb sht" zingers tickle our funnybone, and after a while I could only feel sorry for him. It isn't for a lack of effort, though. Reed has this one scene where he must go into a bar with Harley bikers hanging around and fall out over and over while asking Camp what all she wants on her cheeseburger, repeatedly returning to eventually vanquish the baddies giving him a hard time…it feels like a daunting task for poor Jerry, having to get laughs out of spilling from a bar, all smiles and flashing the "ah, gee, whiz" attitude despite punches to the face nearly damaging his shades. Camp is given little to work with, trying (bless her heart) to use her bright personality to overcome uninspired dialogue that is more or less chatty back and forth with Reed. I did like Reed allowing Buford the chance to win at the end; it was very "un-Bandit like". The Burt Reynolds cameo still feels as forced as I remembered from childhood. Gleason and Henry got some giggles out of me, and I love Reed even if his role is overwhelmingly reduced in relation to Gleason's. Right from the song sung during the credits sequence, this film was designed around the Buford T Justice character; even the poster for this film has Gleason's face at the forefront. As the film goes, everything from a sex hotel orgy to a colony of nudists is hurled at us, with Gleason reacting exhaustingly, "What has this world come to?!?!" Don't worry, you get to see the Trans Am drive right through an inferno with Gleason following suit, the two cars joining a race, and a dirt hauler dumps a load on poor Gleason's car, helping the Bandit get a little distance from the persistent sheriff. I think the absence of the star power of Reynolds and Sally Field can be felt, but even the previous sequel with them in it proved that the first film probably should have remained standalone. There are times where a film feels like a desperate attempt to keep a dead franchise resuscitated, and this is such an example...also an example of fun actors unable to overcome the odds compounding them. At least you get to see Gleason standing in front of a giant American Flag, dressed as George C Scott's Patton, boring the audience of his law enforcement peers while praising his career and announcing his retirement...

A truly bad sequel

[kwheeley · 1/10 · 10 February 2005]

Why can't Hollywood just let good movies die in peace? This 2nd sequel to the original (and quite good) "Smokey and the Bandit" stinks everywhere. The story is lame and the characters have been reduced to caricatures of themselves.

Let's start with the story. The premise here is that those Enos boys are at it again, wanting to have some fun at the expense of someone. That someone is none other than Sheriff Buford T. Justice (key the tuba) who has just put in for retirement. When those retirement plans aren't what he expected, our valiant Sheriff accepts the Enos' challenge: Deliver a plastic shark to the new restaurant the Enos boys opened up. While along the way, those rascally Enos dudes are going to try to stop him at any cost.

Okay, stop right there. In the first Bandit movie, the idea was a simple challenge and bet. The Enos boys were depicted as nothing more than a rich father and son team who were bored so they thought up a good challenge. No real maliciousness involved - just a challenge with some money put up to make people take it seriously. That was fun.

In the 2nd Bandit movie, the Enos reputation (such as it is) is on the line and they want to beat a political rival. Not as strong, but again, nothing terribly malicious involved.

This movie has them just trying to be mean to their new play toy. Namely, Sheriff Justice. So they send him on his way and start trying to sabotage his trip. When Justice beats them at every turn, they figure that they need a professional to deal with him. Since the Bandit isn't around (he's off making "Stroker Ace") they give the job (and the red shirt, belt buckle and hat) to Cledus, our old truck driving buddy.

So, Cledus chases Justice to get the prized shark and fun and laughter ensue. Well, not too much fun and little laughter but look on the bright side - it was a paycheck for Gleason and Reed.

Anyway, from there on out it becomes the now tired old cat-and-mouse game with one side giving chase to the other. But even the chases lack the polish to make you remember back to the ones in the 1977 original. They seem more staged and one dimensional. For example, there's a scene where Cledus and a new buddy "sneak" up from behind and take the shark off of the Sheriff's car. The shot is not technically difficult and it's rather boring. Plus, what law enforcement officer doesn't check his mirror to make sure of what's behind him? I learned that in 11th grade driver's ed.

Anway, to summarize, I think the use of the 1982 (anemic) Trans Am is allegorical to this movie: It's got the right name but is under-thought, underpowered and basically is just a diluted version of its former self.

This is what happens when you make a "Smokey and the Bandit" movie without the Bandit...

[filmbuff-36 · 2/10 · 21 May 2004]

There have been lots of dumb and unnecessary sequels throughout the history of Hollywood, but "Smokey and the Bandit Part 3" was sure a doozy. Really, a second "Bandit" movie was too much, but at least the sequel had the entire cast back and was funny at times. Neither can be said about this film.

Like with most bad movies, the whole central thesis of this film is wrong. Here, the crime is screwing around with story continuity. Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) is entertaining as a foil for the Bandit, but making him the main character is just insane.

The "plot" to this little travesty is that Justice and his simpleminded son Junior (Mike Henry) must transport a plastic shark cross country that's going to be the mascot for Big and Little Enis Burdett's new fast food franchise in exchange for $250,000. However, the Enises intend to make his life miserable by impeding his progress at every turn, and even enlist the help of Cletus "The Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) to impersonate the Bandit and try to steal the fish away.

Along the way, Justice acquires a big, ugly female admirer, gets involved in motor hijinks, and tries to steal back the fish from Cletus and Dusty Trails (Colleen Camp), a former used car salesman who hooks up with the faux Bandit for no discernible reason other than it's in the script.

All right, at this point you're going "WTF?" and rightly so. This whole film is a mess. How can a movie filled with stunts and action scenes be so boring? Very, very easily. Just put together filmmakers with no talent or vision, give them a script that's hackneyed at best, and let 'er rip!

The movie is filled with stupid and pointless scenes. A long sequence feature Ku Klux Klan members attacking two black truck drivers is tasteless and poorly realized, and is indicative of the movie's general theme -- crude sequences thrown together with little rhyme or reason.

The only part of the movie that made me laugh was a brief sequence where Buford and Junior Justice are in a hotel room filled with sexual deviants, and each time they open door Buford comments on the situation. "Looks like a union meeting," he mentions, followed by "Get away from that or you'll get the herpes!" which are both just as stupid as anything else in this movie. An opening sequence spoofing "Patton" made me crack a smile, but that was all.

Reed is simply awful in the role of the Bandit, and plays the role like a third grader who got the part of a lifetime and can't stop gleaming. Maybe someone should have told him that being proxy to a legend isn't a compliment.

And of course, the big question is: WHERE IS BURT REYNOLDS? The answer? AS FAR AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE! Heck, compared to this, "Cannonball Run 2" is a masterpiece. And yes, it did hurt to say that.

Gleason should have known better, but still, any moment he's on screen is a welcome relief in this turkey. His Southern-baked comments are old hat but this time, but at least they remind of you of a time when his character was actually entertaining. And he sure beats the endless amount of screen time eaten up by Paul Williams and Pat McCormick extra corny dialogue as the Enises. They're just bad. Really bad.

In the only inspired moment of the movie, Reynolds shows up in a brief cameo dream sequence near the end, almost like a bone being tossed to the audiences who stuck it out through the whole film. The scene isn't funny, but it shows that there is some sort of epic relationship between Smokey and the Bandit. The sequence belonged in a better movie, but sadly, that will never happen now.

What else? Oh yeah, what can you say about a race movie so bad that even Hal Needham won't direct it? His replacement, Dick Lowry, seems to have no particular talent of his own, and justly returned to directing television shortly after. Screenwriters Stuart Birnbaum and David Dashev worked on one more movie together, the 1987 comedy "Summer School" which is actually pretty good, but never wrote another script. I suppose it's best to bow out with something good on your resume.

One final note -- there is apparently a whole different version of this film where Gleason plays both Justice and the Bandit that test audiences were not very fond of. Reed was added for new footage to fill the gaps, which explains why he doesn't even show up until half an hour into the movie. I doubt the first version could have been worse than the finished product.

The first "Smokey and the Bandit" was at least a fun experience. This is just a third rate rip-off, even going so far as to shamelessly steal scenes from the first movie, only redoing them in horrible fashion. This whole movie is a lifeless, by-the-numbers effort, and completely devoid of any true redeeming qualities. Unless you really enjoyed the first two movies and have some sort of sick curiosity, I suggest you avoid this abortion of a movie at all costs.

Two out of ten stars. A sad waste of Gleason's talent in the final years of his life, and now thankfully a largely forgotten motion picture.

One of the best bad movies ever

[Mitch-44 · 2 January 1999]

Call me weird, but I love bad movies. I just get a kick out of seeing what a couple of million dollars really means to Hollywood. In this case, it doesn't mean much. Smokey 3 is one of the biggest stinkers ever produced by a major studio. Besides asking the obvious questions that this movie poses (Why would "The Great One" actually star in this disaster and how could Universal create, release, and advertise this movie and still be able to sleep at night?), you have got to wonder one thing...where in the heck did all of these ramps come from? One example (out of too many to count) is how Jerry Reed (Snowman posing as Bandit) actually jumps his Firebird out of his garage...from a dead stop...huh?? The plot is putrid, the supporting cast is horrible (Jerry Reed used to be lovably annoying as Snowman...all he can do here is utter obnoxious one-liners and triple-speak while hooting and hollering about getting to pretend to be Burt Reynolds), and there is actually a point during all this mess when the pity for Gleason lifts, and you actually want something to fall from the sky onto Buford T. Justice and end it all. But watch this movie...I beg you...this is the worst bad movie ever made, and it is worth the rental money to spend 1 and 1/2 hours being embarrassed for the families and friends of everyone who had a hand in this disaster.

Lame excuse for a movie

[TheOtherFool · 2/10 · 13 April 2004]

Smokey and the Bandit (part one, that is) was a really funny movie with a great Burt Reynolds. But this time around, almost everything goes wrong. Almost...

Because there is this one scene at the beginning of the movie as Jackie Gleason spoofs 'Patton', and I loved that part (as I love Patton), but that's about all the joy this movie gave me...

Cledus 'the snowman' is the bandit in this one, as Burt Reynolds turned it down (and rightfully so), but he's so awful it's hard to describe. If he'd said 'I am the bandit, I am the bandit' one more time I would've slapped him in the face.

As everybody deserves a good slapping after making this one. One question left: What were they thinking?

2/10.

Pitiful.

[AaronCapenBanner · 1/10 · 4 September 2013]

Despite Burt Reynolds only agreeing to be in a cameo part at the end(and no Sally Field at all) studio went ahead and made this pitiful, embarrassing sequel that has Sheriff Buford T. Justice retiring, only to be called back one last time by Big Enos & Little Enos, who defy him to catch the Bandit. Despite the "real Bandit" being elsewhere, his friend Cledus decides to become the "new Bandit" and Buford(with his son in tow) chase him instead.

With no plot to speak of, and a distressing number of lame, crude gags, this utterly pointless film was one of the worst films of its decade. Hard to believe this went into production at all, and remains a jaw-dropping experience.

This really stinks!

Absolutely sucked...

[charliec1989 · 1/10 · 5 January 2005]

This absolutely sucked...and I'm still wondering how in the world it got a PG rating. The first Smokey was great, and the second one was still pretty good...better than most sequels anyway. I thought that Smokey 3 would be a fun movie simply because of the first two. I am also very pleased to know that Burt Reynolds had no part in this film; if he did, I would be ashamed. What really got me though was all the nudity and sexuality. It was completely ridiculous and could have been completely taken out of the movie, and you wouldn't have missed a thing. Unfortunately, it appears that Smokey and the Bandit too had become subject to the raunchy sexuality of the times. It truly was a waste of my time, and I wish it had never been made.

Dreadful

[themusclecarguy · 1/10 · 16 April 2016]

If you were to show this nightmare to death-row inmates and offer them either this or lethal injection, 9 out of 10 would take the injection. The 10th would have their sentence commuted to remain in an asylum for the criminally insane. But after watching this turd, Stephen Hawkins could be cured of his ALS long enough to throw himself from the space shuttle into a black hole into a universe where this vision of horror doesn't exist. How bad was it? I think I have just seen the worst sequel in movie history. Smokey and the Bandit 3. How bad was it. Burt Reynolds wasn't in it and Jerry Reed played the bandit. In fact it was so bad, Jerry Reed didn't even sing any of the horrible songs in it. The Trans Am was so under powered, it made a Yugo look like a Lamborghini. Granted, Burt would come to the opening of a door for a buck and was in a weird cameo in the TV version. Egad...

Terrible in every way

[utgard14 · 1/10 · 6 November 2013]

There's absolutely nothing redeeming about this embarrassment of a sequel. No Bandit equals no fun. Why they thought they could make a Bandit sequel without the Bandit is a mystery for the ages. While it does have Jerry Reed and stars Jackie Gleason, it just isn't fun at all. Colleen Camp is a poor substitute for spunky and charming Sally Field.

The plot is about Buford T. Justice (the villain in the prior films, now the protagonist) transporting a large stuffed fish from Florida to Texas. I feel stupider for just having typed that. I can't believe someone thought this sounded like a good idea. Apparently the original idea was to have Gleason play two roles, Buford and a new Bandit character. Test audiences hated it so much they re-shot the "Bandit" scenes with Jerry Reed's character Snowman. The original idea sounds equally terrible, if not more so. It seems there was never any chance Smokey 3 would have been anything but god-awful.

HIGHLY flawed but still a good time.

[billybrown41 · 10/10 · 30 November 2001]

I'm going to be nice here and try not to diss this movie. I've seen it probably a dozen times and, No, it doesn't come close to matching the first one but it does beat part 2 by a mile. Part 2 was a very odd sequel. It's very weird when a movie comes out claiming to be a sequel and none of the characters act the same. The Bandit was just an all-out jerk in that one and it's a wonder the writers ever got a paycheck. I would have sued.

Bandit 3 should have been an apology for the second and while it wasn't exactly that, it sure was a lot of fun. It's certainly got it's share of faults. The whole thing feels very slap dash, kinda like Director Dick Lowry was in a hell of a hurry to get it made and released as quickly as the characters were trying to transport the plastic shark. For some reason or another, Junior has gotten even dumber and the Snowman has been on a major diet (think anorexia) and has also discovered hair dye. If you liked Snowman in the first two, well this is your movie. He takes over the wheel in the TA this time and he even dresses like the Bandit.

As many people know, Jackie Gleason was supposed to be playing both, Smokey and the Bandit (what the hell?) and the original cut of this film, was shot just that way (what the HELL were they thinking?!) as Smokey IS the Bandit. I don't know who was to blame for that enormously stupid idea, but I thank God that the test audiences felt the same way as I do about it. When everyone failed to see the humor in that, the director went back to work. He called Jerry Reed to be the Bandit and re shot a bunch of scenes, interweaving them with scenes that he'd already shot. If anyone's curious about the overabundance of continuity errors, well, there's your answer.

What you see here is the finished project. If things are a bit confusing, now you know why. Knowing all of this, I still enjoy watching it. I'm not sure why, but it's just good light-hearted fun. Maybe with a better director at the helm, it would have done a lot better and wouldn't have such a tarnished reputation. Still, being as it is, I would still reccommend it. 7/10.

Not a great film, but a fun film!

[BrickNash · 7/10 · 2 July 2018]

Just becasue a film may be the worst in the franchise doesn't automatically make it bad - words to live by when approaching this movie.

Really, Smokey and the Bandit 3 is a decent laugh with car chases aplenty, and the charm of Jerry Reed. It's all silly, like why would Snowman even pretend to be the Bandit in the first place? Regardless, it's a hugely enjoyable piece of trash that is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, or even just a Smokey binge in general.

The star of course is the magnificent Jackie Gleason, and quite frankly he's just as good here as in the previous two films. The banter between him and Junior combined with Gleason's delivery is still great, and he can carry the film perfectly well for what it is.

Yes there is a noticeable lack of the Hal Needham touch, but really, don't let the purists drag you down. It's not a great film, but it's fun and there's plenty here to keep you entertained for an hour and a half.

Smokey and The Bandit as a franchise isn't high cinema (not even the first one). It's low brow, grassroots entertainment made for fun and excitement, and this film fits in nicely with that.

Just when you thought it could not get any worse?

[mm-39 · 1/10 · 9 August 2017]

Just when you thought it could not get any worse? Smokey and the Bandit 2 was lame, and the answer is yes part 3 was worse. Part Three had no Bandit! No Burnt Reynolds! Smokey and the impostor would be a better title. Beside no Reynolds part 3 had no plot. Grabbing a plastic shark off Buford T Justice car was the story. Lame and more even lamer the story became.. The adventure has cheap gags, T & A, and lame comic skits. The only positives out of Part 3 was a few cool stunts involving fire and the ending were Buford would rather chase the Bandit the go back to retirement. 1 or 3 out of ten. Depends what mood I'm in!

Smokey And The Flop

[panavision-1 · 7 November 2007]

By Joe Simiana Sydney Australia I was disappointed that Universal did not wait for Burt To Finish making "Best little whorehouse in Texas" instead they went on ahead anyway and made this flick, they only had to wait 10 months, i hated that darn fish on the roof of the sheriffs car all the way through, sort of took away the authority and stature of Sheriff Buford T Justice.

The Main thought that stuck in my mind with Sheriffs Character from the previous Films was that he was from the old school of law enforcement, stood tall and proud and took no crap from any foe, and was always entertaining watching his confrontations with others during the earlier films Smokey 1 and 2.

This seemed to diminish and the character changed somewhat, venturing into strip clubs, nudist colonies, Fetish motels, very unnecessary.

I would have thought "The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo" would have made a better film, with Claude Atkins, Jackie Gleason, Bj and Bandit joining forces.

In Smokey and the bandit part 3 the woeful actress if that named (Colleen Camp), who teams up with Jerry Reed as bandit throughout the film wears a bad wig, bad dress sense, and really cannot act, she can be noticed really trying to put on fake laughs throughout this film, and her whining voice, i mean i always remembered the true Burt Reynolds bandit with the hottest girls ever, you can't tell me there was no other better looking women hanging around the Universal back lot that could of been used instead,or where they all taken up and sent over for filming "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", i was wondering when she would be thrown out of the car, Jerry reed getting all excited parading around as bandit with that car and hat and he reels in Colleen Camp????...Getting Desperate in his old age, and Jerry Reeds Character (snowman) is married with Children, and Fred the dog, so whats he doing ??? and why with Colleen Camp for heavens sake?? Im Sorry but every film (Colleen Camp) has been in she plays the same obnoxious, in your face, character resembling a caffeine addict, or suffering some sort of withdrawal symptoms in the attitude and whinny voice she has in her acting desperately in need of a fix.

One stunt woman turned actress named (Faith Minton) is a remember able looking sort, tall, leggy, and a face to match any fantasy, plays the dragon lady who is smitten by the Sheriff who forces her way into hitching a ride with the Sheriff....i don't know why the sheriff is running away from her as she is more of an eye full better than bandits colleen camp seat cover.

Watch this movie if you are a fan of Jackie Gleeson....or Faith Minton remember this film was shot in the years where CB Radios where dying out and truckers fighting cops were all said and done, even BJ and The Bear was axed 3 years before, "The dukes of Hazzard" and "The A-Team" were on the rise so i guess Universal wanted In on the Zany Madcap Sheriff Car Crashing Icon that was a big hit in the early 1970's But this was 1983, and it just didn't stick with other films out that year like "Ghostbusters" "Gremlins" "Two Of A Kind" and "Twilight Zone The Movie" and another Universal comeback "Jaws 3" they must have fired a scriptwriter that year....or Hal Needham wasn't available.

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3

[phubbs · 5/10 · 11 July 2015]

Why is this sequel called 'Part 3'? beats me, sounds strange really, like an old fashioned tale. Other than that its business as usual for a third time accept for the fact that the Bandit is no longer with us on this road trip. Yep for this third movie Reynolds has flown the coop leaving Gleason to hold the fort on his lonesome. The only other returning cast member is Reed as the old Snowman.

The plot once again sees the ultra rich Enos duo offering a wager to (this time) Sheriff Buford T. Justice. The rather pointless aim this time is to transport a large stuffed fish on their car, from Florida to Texas, within the time limit. Why a stuffed fish? well it makes no difference really, its just a stupid visual gag. So Justice accepts the wager and drives off with his dim witted son played again by Mike Henry. The little twist or gimmick in this story is after the Enos duo fail to slow down Buford on his new quest, they attempt to hire the Bandit to help them. But as we know Reynolds isn't in this movie so instead they have to opt for the Snowman for assistance.

This entire idea is somewhat tired really it must be said. The original movie was a great slice of hokey, Dixie bound tomfoolery with a cool car. The second was an utter shameless rehash of the first which literately didn't even bother to try and be remotely different, accept for the cargo it was virtually identical. Now with this they have turned the tables and tried a new angle by making Buford the mule, which I must give small kudos too. Alas they still can't escape the lure of the original flicks plot and simply have to make the movie into another big chase sequence.

Unfortunately that small element of originality with Buford goes out the window, the reason being the Snowman manages to slow Buford down by stealing the large stuffed fish on his car. Buford needs this stuffed fish to win the wager. Thusly this once again sees Buford on the chase, after the Snowman and the large stuffed fish. The twist concept of Buford being chased doesn't last long I'm afraid. Heck even Cledus the Snowman manages to pick up a female sidekick in virtually the same fashion as the Bandit did way back in the first movie. It appears that these movie characters have requirements, Buford always chases and the protagonist always has a female sidekick...and drives a Trans Am.

I don't actually know what Buford is in his police attire for this really, he is on the brink of retirement and once again is completely out of his jurisdiction the whole time. I understand being a police officer in a police car would have its advantages in high speed chases but he's out of his jurisdiction! In America you can tell that easily from the car model, colour, body wrap layout and of course the badge on the side. It doesn't matter of course because we all know its just for the movie, Buford has to be in his police garb, with his son, driving a wrecked police car, otherwise its not Buford T. justice.

I think we all know what to expect with this movie by now. There isn't much time to blink without possibly missing something as the entire movie is literately one big chase and crash sequence after another. There is very little actual plot or character building going in between the chaos. We see one chase and crash, Buford suffering some kind of humiliation and his car getting more beat up as it goes, then move on the next chase and crash. The slapstick and pratfalls are on a grand scale with this one, perhaps even more so than before, where as the stunts are pretty predictable really, you can see what's gonna happen the second the scene starts. They even throw in some motorboat chases this time, just to mix it up a bit...a tiny bit.

On the whole its more like watching banger/stock car racing on the streets, the mayhem is through the roof with gravity defying, unrealistic nonsense that is impressive in an odd way (gotta admire the stunt work). Its not really funny though, more childish and insane than anything, kids might like it but geez...even 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and 'Knight Rider' are more realistic. Put simply, it kinda works better than the second movie because they try something different, but it still doesn't work entirely because there is no Reynolds as the Bandit and Reed is no leading man. The Snowman on his own just doesn't hit the mark even if he is driving the famous black Trans Am Firebird.

Definitely only for people who like these specific late 70's/80's madcap car chase genre movies. If you like to spot all the old cars, pickup trucks and big rigs, whilst seeing a good old crunch up with solid stunts etc...well you know already this is the movie for you.

5/10

Easily the least (and most silly) of the Good Ol' Boy series, but has the most car thrills

[Wuchakk · 3/10 · 8 June 2018]

RELEASED IN 1983 and directed by Dick Lowry, "Smokey and the Bandit Part 3" is a car chase comedy about Big Enos and Little Enos (Pat McCormick & Paul Williams) betting Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) that he can't drive from Miami to the Enos ranch in Texas in a short period of time. The Sheriff is joined by his dimwitted hunk of a son (Mike Henry). Meanwhile Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) takes the place of The Bandit, teaming up with a woman who just quit her job at a used car lot (Colleen Camp).

Burt Reynolds and Sally Field are absent in this third entry of the Good Ol' Boy series, except for Burt having a glorified cameo at the end. Gleason takes the lead with Mike Henry's support. The latter is so effective in his inane role that you completely forget that he played a serious Tarzan in three movies from 1966-1968, not to mention the formidable corrupt Sheriff in "Rio Lobo" (1970). At 46 during shooting, you'll observe that he certainly kept in shape.

Car chase comedies like this are meant for leaving your brain at the door and having fun, but this inferior sequel makes me want to up my rating for the original "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977). There's an amateurish vibe, particularly with the writing and editing, which prevents it from attaining even the low level of "Cannonball Run 2" (1984). Still, it's the most action-packed (and goofy) entry in the series and it has its points of silly amusement.

Colleen Camp is serviceable essentially replacing Field on the female front, although not enough is done with her. If you're not familiar with Colleen, she played the Indian playmate in "Apocalypse Now" (1979) and the hot French maid in "Clue" (1985). Anyway, this segment arguably features the best women in the periphery. Faith Minton is on hand as a 6'1" Amazonian who takes a liking to the Sheriff.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 25 minutes and was shot entirely in Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, Ocala, Clearwater and Miami).

GRADE: C-/D+ (3.5/10)

Smokey and the Band-Aid

[internationaldave · 1/10 · 3 March 2013]

Where to begin? I have yet to be able to watch this bomb for more than 15 minutes. What was "The Great One" (Gleason) thinking? I just don't get it. I know he loved to drink and he would have had to have been bombed to DO this bomb.

This was probably made during the peak of cocaine abuse in Hollywood. The drug obviously affected the judgment of all involved except Gleason who was just doing it for the easy money. He even admitted it. Anyway, if you thought Smokey II was bad, this somehow is worse. Even if you are a fan of bad movies, this isn't worth the time. It's not "bad". It's "useless"!

I want to see Smokey IS The Bandit.

[kittenkongshow · 3/10 · 25 July 2022]

Somewhere in a vault is the original cut of this and I'd love to see it.

The released film is very obviously a re-edited mess.

Jerry Reed was brought in to remake the Gleason as bandit scenes, Sadly at no point does he seem to be the Snowman of the first 2 movies

The plot is really just scenes sown together to fill the run time, massive gaps of logic and story.

Simply a poor film but what was the 1st cut like...Sadly we'll never know.

Buford T Justice for mayor

[slightlymad22 · 5/10 · 1 June 2005]

i only used to watch this movie as a kid because it was a smokey and the bandit film,sure it was the worst one with no Burt Reynolds(who i was and still AM a massive fan of)but it was a smokey so purely out of nostalgia i bought a copy, never to watch for a long time, upon watching it i noticed one thing!! Gleason is the only reason to watch this movie, with his perfect performance of Buford T Justice and a catchy song in his honour!!! the worst of the series but Gleason deserved a full film to himself after stealing every scene in the first two movies!!! Burt Reynolds used to call Gleason the "great one" and i could not agree more he is hilarious as Sheriff Buford T Justice sure the film is full of continuity errors(some are even funnier than the movie itself) but ignore them and watch (and enjoy)Sheriff Buford T Justice show the same grit and determination as the cyotee trying to catch the road runner

what were they thinking... (contains spoiler)

[jgreen8824 · 1/10 · 22 July 2004]

What were they thinking when they made this film? It's just yet another example of how in many cases that sequels don't work. Now of course there are exceptions to that rule of sequels that do just as well, if not better than the original film.

This third installment of Smokey and the Bandit has little in the way of redeeming qualities. It seems that the studio wanted to milk the Smokey and the Bandit franchise for all it was worth, which resulted in this flop being made.

(Here's the spoiler). Other than a small cameo role right at the end of the film, Burt didn't have anything to do with this film. Sally Field was nowhere to be seen. With them missing, there wasn't much left to hold this film up. While Gleason and Jerry Reed tried their best, without Reynolds and Field the film was a house missing a large part of its foundation.

I still enjoy seeing the first film, and the second film has its moments. But not this third film.

One Of The Worst Comedy Films I`ve Seen

[Theo Robertson · 2/10 · 22 October 2002]

This film is pitiful in its lame attempts at trying to get me to laugh. I can`t for one moment believe that the makers of steaming pile of horse manure didn`t realise that this was going to be an absolute turkey . I will admit that I`m not a fan of comedy films and " Spectacular " comedy never works . I hated THE BLUES BROTHERS but do admit some people loved it , I hated 1941 but concede some people liked it , I hated this film and don`t believe that anyone will like SATB 3 which consists of slo mo car crashes , car chases , the KKK , bikers , a Basset hound , CB talk and nothing in the way of funny scenes . How bad is this film ? Burt Reynolds turned it down . That says it all

This movie` s bad

I know son . I can smell it

Awesome

[nutmegandcynicism · 10/10 · 27 October 2017]

This movie's the best. I loved the first two, but seeing Jerry Reed as the Bandit is a real treat. I love how they humorously had Cledus take over the Bandit's role. That was the perfect way to use a different It actor and keep with the humor of the first two. I know people complain about sequels, but I'm really happy they made a third picture show. I bet this one is like the original they planned. . . before Burt Reynolds signed on and when Jerry Reed was still cast as the bandit.

slapstick with Buford T. Justice

[trashgang · 6/10 · 15 October 2013]

Things go really wrong here, Burt Reynolds isn't in it(only at the end) to play the bandit so the production decided that Cledus (Jerry Reed) becomes the bandit. But they also knew who's the most important part in Smokey, yes, Buford T. Justice. So this time he's on for a bet.

There's more of chasing cars here but what we had in part one I didn't found here. The only thing we do have is more erotic parts and here and there even some nudity. But even then, it's more about the jokes then the chasing.

After Smokey and the Bandit part 3 there were 4 other entries and nowadays available in a box, but that was more B-flick movie style. So strange that universal spent money on part 2 and 3 even as part 3 was better then part 2, just agree, part 3 is a slapstick.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 0/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 1/5

Boring!

[knutt · 2/10 · 28 May 2007]

My wife and I had a great time watching the first movie and the second one was fair. This one, however, was nearly embarrassing to watch. Bad acting, stupid gags - and recycled jokes from the first movie remade and adapted for this one. This is truly a worthy candidate for "50 worst movies ever made" as I have been told it is featured in.

I must say, however, that some of the gags were truly funny, but they did not justify an entire movie. Leaving Burt Reynolds ("The Real Bandit") all out of this one was probably Mr Reynold's best move, but it made the movie even more WRONG. If you can't get the main character to stay, drop it.

Halfway through the movie we started wondering "Will this never end?" and "Are we there yet?" - and finally we could flip this yawner out of the DVD player - never to be played again.