Where i Watched it: Netflix

English Audio Description Provided By: Deluxe

Narrated by: Tanzi Alexander

Don’t get to excited. I already checked Netflix, and the sequel doesn’t ahve audio description. This was my first time through on this film. It always looked so cheesy, and it always felt like one of those films my Dad was supposed to love but its appeal was meant to elude me. however, as i sit here in the midst of a tenth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, knowing one day I’ll have to explain this period in time and what a “Vin Diesel” was to a group of kids, I no longer can scoff at a Burt Reynolds car chase comedy.

The biggest factor was that this movie is old, considered a somewhat classic, and someone bothered to add audio description. one of the biggest complaints in the audio description world is that the further you go back, the less chance you have of finding audio description. i wanted to assist the netflix algorithm with this misconception that we don’t watch old things, and encourage development of audio description.

That being said, this is bonkers. I’m not really sure about this whole bootlegging plot point, about taking alcohol across state lines. Is this really a thing? Was it? I guess so, because there’s a whole movie about it, and Burt Reynolds whole schtick in the film is being an expert driver, with a badass car, who eludes police capture. And just for the hell of it, Sally Field is here too.

Ever since Field voraciously defended her use of method acting, I’ve looked at some of her more simple roles, like in 80 For Brady, or this, and thought to myself… is she always method? And if so, does she have so little faith in her ability to pull off a role like this? Honestly, it’s just a charisma role. it’s not like Reynolds is doing heavy acting. Their roles are just based on a wink and a charm, and that’s it. There’s no depth, even if they do stop in the middle of chase sequences to advance the romance side plot between these two.

It’s both an action film because of the car scenes, but also a comedy, because Reynolds/Field don’t take this too seriously, and Jackie Gleason is channeling something. I’m not sure what direction Jackie Gleason was given in this film, but there’s a ton of “acting”, and it’s full of bold choices. I’d nominate that performance just for his level of commitment.

The audio description is either great or just Ok depending on what you wanted it to lean into. it’s both action and comedy, and I felt like the narration always took the direction of pointing out what was funny about a scene over pointing out how cool a stunt might have looked. The Fast franchise is different, clearly putting the action first, but this is a bit harder to define.

While I didn’t hate this, I’m not really sure I’d watch it again. However, i think more people in our blind community need to click on titles like this, to encourage more and more audio description for classic titles. And hell, maybe the sequel.

Final Grade: B