MovieChat Forums > Convoy (1978) Discussion > This is WORSE than a family comedy about...

This is WORSE than a family comedy about Hitler presented as a good guy

posted 18 years ago by Gloede_The_Saint
12 replies | jump to latest

I mean jesus christ. The characters in this film beat up innocent cops, destroys gouverment buildings and cars, resists arrest and putting police officers in danger for no real reason and they are the movies "good guys". I mean what the *beep* Ok, the cop in the beginning was hafly dirty but that didn't give any of them the right to punch him, and if so what about the two cops that came to his rescue. They beat them up and for some reason they where made into the good guys of the fight and then we see all those crazie marons supporting them. I mean this is like having a nice family comedy about a nice man called Alolf Hitler and his Nazi friends killing and torturing jews while being presented as the good guys. This film honestly made me sick and the only other films ever to do that is the Devils Rejects. The main difference between these two movies is that the main characters in tDR was presented as "bad-guys" while the bad guys in this film was presented as the good guys. I have always hated the death penalty but Kris Kristoffersons character seriously deserved that and I actually think of the half dirty cop as the good guy. As he said he represented the law and the truckers didn't care. The black guy broke the law and should be in jail and so should all the other truckers. I was seriously hoping they would all get shot and killed, but no the seriously disturbed maniac "good guys" all made it through. And that *beep* up Hollywood ending was just one of the most disappointing things in world history. Its not that I don't like bad guys and often even hoping the bad guys will win or atleast escape but what I can't take is these crazie disturbed bad guys being presented as the "good guy". The god damned freaking "Heroes" with pure motives.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

[–] simarooskimoose 18 years ago

wow.

punching a cop who is screwing you (how is he representing the law by taking your money away and putting it in his own pocket?! he didn't even give them a speeding ticket!) "seriously deserves the death penalty"? and the black guy going to jail and having the crap beaten out of him by racists when he was actually just going home to see his pregnant wife, not breaking any laws at all, he was the bad guy?
that cop had always been a baddie, they made that clear, he was known as "Dirty Lyle" cos he was a bent cop who was taking their money. even the other cops didn't really like him.
and for the most part, the other truckers were protesting what they saw as an unfair speed limit - like they said, they just can't make a living at 55.

punching an openly crooked cop = torturing jews?

and who is "Alolf Hitler" anyway? is the word "lol" in there deliberately?

[–] Gloede_The_Saint 18 years ago

I said that Dirty Lyle might have deserved it but the two other cops didn't and my problem with it was that the people who made this movie made it look like it was the right thing to do.

...and the black guy going to jail and having the crap beaten out of him by racists when he was actually just going home to see his pregnant wife, not breaking any laws at all, he was the bad guy?

No he wasn't breaking any laws then but he already had. He took part in the beating of three cops and destroying gouvernment property and he was fleeding the scene and resisting arrest. And what made you think the guys who captured him was racists. We didn't see the beating or the actual arrest so maybe he tried to fight them.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

[–] Nosferatu6979 18 years ago

OMG dude, how old are you? Have you detached yourself from your mother's teat yet? Lol. Nahhh, they'd never beat the crap out of a black guy in the great state of Texas. Give me a break man. Did you ever hear the true story about the black guy in Jasper, TX that was dragged behind a pickup truck with a rope until he was decapitated? Oh no, that stuff never happens in the politically correct little shell of a world you live in huh? A little history lesson for you here, so pay attention. Back in the 70's, movies with themes like this one were all the rage. I suppose you probably think the Bandit and Snowman from Smokey and the Bandit probably deserve the death penalty too huh? If you're looking for attention, you seriously need to find better causes before you get up on your little soapbox. You act as if this movie would have some sort of negative influence on some poor, feebleminded person. I can see it now. All the truckers on the road go into a full blown rebellion after watching a 30 year old B movie. I would tell you to stick to watching Disney movies, but even they have gotten more ballsy nowadays, so it'd probably be too much for you to handle. BTW, the Devil's Rejects was intentionally made to pay homage to the slasher flicks of the 70's, so that's probably why you couldn't handle that one either. Do yourself a favor and crawl out of mommy's basement, go out and live in the real world for a few years, then come back and tell us how much your view of things has changed.

[–] doctorbiobrain2005 18 years ago

While I don't agree with everything that guy wrote, I also fail to see how the "good guys" in this movie were actually any good. They hurt a lot of innocent people, including the two cops in the fight scene towards the beginning. And they wasted a lot of taxpayer money, as well as the money of the companies unfortunate enough to hire these drivers. And why? Because Spider Mike got upset because Dirty Lyle insulted him and was threatening to lock him up. But they could have gotten out of that situation without violence. I'm not trying to be a killjoy, as I understand that Convoy was a fantasy film made to appeal to the twelve-year-old in all of us, but let's be real. The "good guys" did a lot of bad things which were not justified. And Spider Mike screwed them all over by punching Lyle. And he should never have left the Convoy.

BTW, Devil's Rejects wasn't even close to being a slasher flick, so I don't know what you're talking about in that regard. If anything, it was closer to being an homage to the type of film Convey is; ie, a bad guys on the run film. House of 1000 Corpses was the homage to slasher films, but Devil's Rejects was an entirely different type of movie. One thing I liked about Devil's Rejects is that they made clear that the "good guys" really were truly bad people, but you wanted them to win anyway. That's classic. Convoy blurred that distinction and made it seem as if they were doing something honorable, when all they did was beat up three cops and run away. And two of those cops hadn't done anything wrong.

And does your "real world" in any way look like the one in Convoy? Really?? Or was it Devil's Rejects that you find matches your world? Either way, make sure to stay the hell away from me. I don't want the world of either of these movies to come my way. Especially not Devil's Rejects. It was a fine film, but that's the kind of stuff I'd like to keep on-screen.

[–] whatda-3 18 years ago

Please...Dirty Lyle deserved that punch for his comment about Spider Mike's wife and the paternity of her baby.

[–] doctorbiobrain2005 18 years ago

But it was just a joke. Had Spider Mike or Rubber Duck made a similar joke about Dirty Lyle's kids (assuming he had any), we would have been expected to laugh. And had Dirty Lyle punched Spider Mike or Rubber Duck for making the joke, we'd think he was a dirty jerk for doing it. And if Dirty Lyle's cop friends proceeded to beat-up Rubber Duck's friends and sabotage their vehicles, we'd think they were extra-bad.

So the only reason why the "good guys" actions were considered acceptable was because they were the "good guys". But I don't think violence is a proper response to jokes and I don't see how they really did anything honorable. The only honorable thing they did was to rescue Spider Mike, who had beaten-up cops and broke many laws...and all because a cop made a joke.

Again, I'm not trying to be a killjoy, as I don't think this movie should be taken seriously. I'm just saying, the "good guys" really weren't very good in this movie.

[–] simarooskimoose 18 years ago

they didn't gas any jews though. the OP seemed to have the idea that punching someone who insults your wife is worse than killing a few million people. which is an...interesting viewpoint...

[–] doctorbiobrain2005 18 years ago

While I thought the Hitler reference was a bit strong, he was referring to a family comedy based on Hitler, and not comparing to Hitler himself. Presumably, a family comedy would not mention genocide. But I also thought the comparison was a bit much.

And they did a lot more in Convoy than just punch a cop. Besides attacking three cops, sabotaging their cars, and destroying a truckstop, they also drove like madmen and endangered many lives (particularly with Rubber Duck and his explosive cargo). And while they didn't show anyone getting killed by their antics, I find that to be just part of the fantasy in this movie. But when you're crashing through buildings, bashing cop cars with trucks, and all kinds of other dangerous activities, you're endangering the lives of lots of people. But again, that's why I put this film in the same sort of fictional world as the A-Team, where you can shoot machine guns and throw explosives without ever killing anyone. But were this movie more reality based, we would have seen the real damage these guys did; and all to protect someone who had punched a cop.

In fact, now that I think about it, I never have problems with films like Smokey & the Bandit, who do similar dangerous antics. But I thinks that's because those films were outright comedies, while Convoy was clearly trying to be serious and realistic. I think that was a mistake. The idea behind Convoy was always a bit silly and the song was just plain fun. They shouldn't have tried to make it anything else. It should have just stayed as fluffy fun, and not tried to have a message or taken itself seriously.

[–] Gloede_The_Saint 18 years ago

I agree with you doctorbiobrain2005. I also like movies like Smokey and the bandit for the same reasons you gave. I also usually love "the bad guys" in films. So I have no problems with it. If a "bad guy" had punched the cops and "won" the situation such as duck did I would probably love this film but it wasn't like that. Rubber Duck and he's friends was presented as a nobel heroes although the things they did would have made them the "bad guys". This movie makes it seem like their actions was the right thing to do, if they had been shown as bad actions this film would have been good. I only made the overstatement to get attention to my topic.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

[–] Sunswipe 18 years ago

You're a twat. Or is that an overstatement to draw attention to my opinion?

No, it isn't.

[–] Gloede_The_Saint 18 years ago

I think it probably is and there is actually much truth in the statement, its just pulled out to make a bigger discussion, which I'm getting here. So far many people have sided with me (or at least hafly) so I don't think I'm really out of line.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

[–] d.lodewijks 11 years ago

The black guy actually didn't break the law. He was blackmailed for a bribe, taking all his money, and then (almost) arrested for vagrancym ie being out of money....