Region: 1
Video: Pan and Scan for TV
DVD Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33:1)
Audio: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects
  PCM mono
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Weight factor: 1 item(s)

Plot Synopsis

Following the blockbuster success of Smokey and the Bandit, Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and director Hal Needham reunited to make the very similar Hooper, an action-laced comedy about a Hollywood stunt man who enters a dangerous rivalry with a younger stunt man. Hooper (Reynolds) and the younger stunt man (Jan-Michael Vincent) compete in a series of increasingly complex stunts in order to earn the title of "the greatest stunt man alive." Hooper is lightweight, mindless fun that doesn't have much story, but it is a stronger film than Smokey and the Bandit, largely because the characters are somewhat stronger. Everyone involved looks like they're having fun; the good-humor translates on screen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Editorial Reviews:

The comedian Robert Wuhl once did a very funny stand-up bit where he lauded Burt Reynolds as a talented guy who happened to have made a lot of bad movies, then proceeded to count the "good" movies on one hand and then list the "bad" ones on both hands and feet. Maybe that's a little unfair, especially considering the mini-renaissance Reynolds has enjoyed over the last few years, but Hooper is a film that falls into the stereotypical Burt Reynolds mold, namely that it features a lot of cars, explosions, stunts, and general juvenile buffoonery. A re-teaming of Reynolds with his Smokey and the Bandit team of Sally Field and director Hal Needham, it's the story of an aging stunt man who must cope with both a younger rival and his own body's limitations. It's interesting for its look inside the world of the Hollywood stuntman, but overall it lacks any kind of cohesiveness. Field is completely wasted, although she had yet to become a top-tier Academy-recognized actress at this point, and the excellent Brian Keith also seems to just be filling space here. Jan-Michael Vincent is very good as the younger stuntman and the film does manage to involve some drama along with it's good ol' boy antics, but unfortunately it appeals only to those who would be impressed with a film on that level, namely kids and die-hard Burt Reynolds fans. The only truly memorable performance is turned in by Robert Klein as the movie-within-the-movie's dictatorial director. ~ Dan Friedman, All Movie Guide