MovieChat Forums > Gator (1976) Discussion > Doesn't hold a candle to the original

Doesn't hold a candle to the original

posted 14 years ago by standrkm
5 replies | jump to latest

But it's not that bad a film. Gator is still the good guy, the south is still hot, and it's a halfway continuation. I just wish it would have left off where the first one ended. It seemed too different and the mood was all wrong. I liked scenes where Gator would see something he didnt like and it affected him powerfully but there was too much cheese so it kinda lost its effect. Love when Burt got drugged, loved the boat, loved Reeds performance. Hated the goofy giant bodyguard, the lack of car chases, the mustache, and the cheesy feel. It should have been more serious like the original, that was a beautiful film. But I guess this was just that cheesy era for Burt since Smokey and the bandit came right after. Not to say thats not a great film, because in that one they actually got it right. This one was a little roadhouse and a little whore house, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

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[–] peaquod 13 years ago

whats the original called mate?

[–] standrkm 13 years ago

white lightning, gator is the sequel

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[–] freudified_n_funkified 12 years ago

Gator is kind of that halfway mark, the film that bridges the gap between White Lightning and Smokey and the Bandit - but because it can't commit to being fully one way or the other it ends up flat.

It's hard not to blame Reynolds' directing -- he has some good moments (when Jack Weston gets shot, for instance) but it's such a disjointed hodge-podge of visual ideas and schizophrenic tones. Burton Gilliam is way underused, the atmosphere is a little too urban once they leave the swamp (I missed White Lightning's backwoods feel) and the comedy is mostly lifeless, the characters and story both pretty bland. There's no real engine pushing this film. It just kind of meanders.

That said, a few small scenes stand out for me - the scene where Gator makes his first collection for Jerry Reed and interacts with the people he's taking money from is a wonderfully understated and subtle bit of business; and the scene where Reed leaves Gator with the underage prostitute shows Reynolds' chops. Those scenes culminate in the drugging scene, which is great stuff, but the movie just kind of clumsily falls apart after that build-up. However, the stunt work throughout is pretty awesome -- the boat chase, Gator mowing down Burton Gilliam's character and then the final fight are all crazy. They just don't do practical stuntwork like that anymore.

[–] JrnlofEddieDeezenStudies 11 years ago

It has a different tone--it's more of a comedy for one, but in my view it's not inferior to the first film, it's just different.

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[–] blackknight273 10 years ago

I think the difference is that White Lightning was a damned dark story and Gator just added humor to what would be a similarly dark story and it throws people off.