Plot: What’s it about?
Evel Knievel is known for his dangerous stunts, from insane motorcycle jumps to his infamous Snake River Canyon incident. Whenever he puts on his jumpsuit, he also puts his life on the line and the crowds love him for what he does. He has cheated death time and time again, but he feels no sense of fear, as he continues to tempt fate in more stunts. His latest stunt takes him to Mexico, where he plans to thrill fans with one of his greatest, and most dangerous stunts of all time. The core purpose of the venture to Mexico is to pull off an incredible stunt, but Knievel also wants to make time to do some other things while there. He loves to meet his fans, so he wants to have ample time to spend with them. He also has plans to visit some orphans and put a little glint of hope into their lives. As he meets his fans, he learns that some of them have problems and of course, he works to solve them, even as he prepares to risk his life. But at the same time, a bitter rival plans to end Evel’s run at the top, by any means necessary!
This is one of those movies that really makes you wonder what people could have been thinking when the green light was given. A movie that stars Evel Knievel, as himself no less, with costars Frank Gifford, Gene Kelly, Leslie Nielsen, and Red Buttons. If you tried to put together a more unusual group, you couldn’t, so the odd cast alone warrants a mention. Then of course, the film’s focus is on action and outrageous stunts, which should be a perfect chance for Knievel to show off his daredevil skills. Well, not in this case. A stuntman did most of the more impressive stunts, though as expected, Knievel wanted this to be top secret. So we have a movie in which Knievel acts, no big stunts or dangerous action scenes, he just showcases his thespian chops. Hello? Were the executives tipsy when this project was given the thumbs up? Viva Knievel! is a fluff piece that puts over the daredevil as not only a cultural icon, but a saint among men. In other words, what should be campish fun, but instead, turns out to be intolerable boredom. I wanted to like this movie, even for its bad qualities, but Viva Knievel! simply fails all on all levels and deserved a fiery crash.
Video: How does it look?
Viva Knievel! is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Aside from some normal, acceptable grain, this image is excellent and if you’re a longtime fan, this is about as good as you could hope for. The image has superb detail levels and is sharper than I expected, with a cleaner print and less grain also. The colors have a natural, but bright appearance, while black levels seem rich and refined as well. This isn’t top level work from Warner, but for this movie, the transfer looks solid.
Audio: How does it sound?
The mono track is adequate, since the movie relies on dialogue for the most part. The effects and music come through well, with no muddiness present. The dialogue sounds very good, volume is consistent and the spoken lines are never lost in the mix. I do suppose some added depth would have been nice in a few of the more action driven scenes, but you can’t win them all. And really, the movie experience wouldn’t have been that much better, so you can’t fault Warner for their efforts. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
