What makes it different from others?

Best movie ever!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This appears to be one of those pictures where the reviewers who love and hate the movie both acknowledge that it's generally bad, cinematically speaking. The dialog is trite and the characters are a mess, and the film that's wrapped around them tends to be pretty much one big chase scene. Peter Fonda obviously didn't mind cashing in his chips at the end of his films, as he followed up 1969's "Easy Rider" by going out in a blaze of glory in this one. There's nothing that really sets one up for that moment, so when it happens you're left looking at the screen wondering how and why the film makers treated their characters in such an ignominious way. But then I answer my own question by re-reading what I wrote just a few sentences back and it all becomes much clearer. I guess if hot rods and hot babes are your thing, this movie might pose some interest, but if so, I'd take the advice of Fonda's 'Crazy Larry' and hook up with Robert Mitchum in 1958's "Thunder Road". Now there's a bad boy.

I wasn't able to catch all of this but I saw enough. Did they still have drive-in movies in 1972? I don't remember. If they existed, they must have been one of the first venues in which this movie was shown.Briefly, Peter Fonda is a race car driver manqué who is mostly busy laughing his way through life. He and his taciturn mechanic, Adam Roarke, rob a store and zip away in their souped-up Dodge Charger with the intention of breaking into the NASCAR circuit. Along for the ride is the toothsome Susan George, whose sun-tanned midriff is nothing less than astonishing. A pleasing desktop wallpaper might consist of nothing more than a close up of her belly button. She's wide eyed. And those teeth -- she could eat a lobster, shell and all.There are endless scenes of this lime-green hot rod speeding down the back roads between groves of walnut trees. It's impressively scenic, really. And Fonda puts the pedal to the metal even when he doesn't have to. Every time the car is set in motion it burns rubber. I'm telling you, there's real power under this baby's big forty-foot hood.Sometimes in hot pursuit is an eager deputy who has had his squad car souped up, but he's in the picture only to provide more thrills than a single speeding automobile can generate. The deputy zooms along at warp speed and tries to bump the Dodge off the road, muttering to himself -- "Eat this for LUNCH, you scum bag!" Things like that. Also in pursuit from the air is the sheriff in charge of the case, the sour puss Vic Morrow with his evil features and pursed lips.In the end, although Fonda, Roarke, and George have outrun and outwitted the law, they learn their lesson. The lesson is, "Never take your eyes off the road when you're traveling at Mach 2." If you like pool games, small-time crooks, a loathing for authority, and fast cars, you'll love this.

Without doubt this is one of the more enjoyable car chase movies I have seen. The car stunts are fantastic and stand the test of time. It's fair to say that the plot has flaws and the acting is a little wooden in places, but for all that it comes across as a fun movie.On a wet Wednesday evening it is truly a great film to watch with your mates whilst having a few beers.This has better acting than 'Gone in 60 seconds(1974) and a better car chase than 'Bullitt (1968). This film is a time waster in the best possible way. If you haven't seen it then I would encourage you to go out and buy it.The film's ending certainly caught me by surprise and in many ways is the best way to conclude this film.

Larry and Deke(Peter Fonda & Adam Roarke) steal money from a grocery store owner(temporarily using his daughter and wife as bait to get the cash)to fund their dreams of racing in Nascar. Mr. Stanton(Roddy McDowell, in a cameo appearance)will provide the proper funds by emptying his safe. Mary(Susan George), a parolee with her own small record of petty crime, comes along to accompany Larry(she could threaten to turn him in, but is a thrill-seeker and just wants to tag along). What proceeds is a country chase with Captain Franklin(Vic Morrow)riding high in the sky(in a chopper) coordinating road blocks and orders to his troopers on standby hoping to catch the trio who do not make it easy for them.Larry, the balls(the driver, yearning to be a racecar star), Deke, the brains(the master mechanic who is loyal to Larry despite having plenty of reasons leave him), Mary, the looks(Larry enjoys sparring with her). The unnecessary ending is a real drag and seems to be included just so that the trio couldn't be allowed to succeed at their escape. I think, besides the ending, the film's real liability(it was a minor one for me, though)is the obnoxious childishness of Mary and Larry. I found Rourke's Deke a blessing in disguise because he's the one who, for most of the picture, keeps the screws mostly tight even if Larry orchestrates hot-rod antics that nearly get them killed countless times. Cop and civilian cars are destroyed on a regular basis. My favorite scene involves a daredevil deputy, with a souped up police car, following in hot pursuit as Larry attempts to evade him. Most of the movie has our trio motoring through country roads playing a chess match with Captain Franklin, who hovers overhead looking for them in a helicopter. Larry and Mary spend most of the movie having immature spats over innocuous things. Screen veteran Kenneth Tobey shows up as policeman Carl, always at odds with Franklin over his unwillingness to adhere to the appropriations committee regarding proper police protocol(he doesn't wear a uniform, badge, or gun)..Carl wants new patrol cars and is having a hard time convincing the committee to give them to his office. Could be looked at as a precursor to the SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT series.