After failing to attract audiences with the comedies "Stroker Ace" and "City Heat", Burt Reynolds apparently thought that a tough and gritty movie based on an Elmore Leonard novel would help him make a comeback. But the movie didn't even gross a third of its budget back at the box office, and Reynolds downward spiral continued. Seen today, it's pretty easy to figure out why audiences weren't that attracted to the movie. It does get off to a decent start, however. The first half hour, though a little slow, is mildly interesting as we see what events will influence the title character to get revenge. However, after that half hour, the movie slowly becomes slower and slower, and eventually Stick seems to be doing NOTHING in order to get his revenge. There are other problems with the story as well. The love subplot with Candice Bergen could easily be cut out without harming the rest of the movie. And the character of Stick's daughter only seems to be in the movie so that near the end she can be... oh, you guessed it?The character with the most problems, however, is Reynolds' Stick character. Certainly, the writing makes the character inactive for much of the running time, but Reynolds' performance is very bland and passionless. This is probably due to Reynolds in real life struggling to recover from grave injuries suffered during filming "City Heat" Whatever the reason, he is not very compelling in his acting. However, the movie is sparked by the performances of the supporting cast, including George Segal, Charles Durning, Alex Rocco, and stuntman Dar Robinson.In the end, while I will say the movie is not as bad as many critics have made it out to be, I will also say the movie is still not very satisfying whether you are a fan of Reynolds or novelist Elmore Leonard. I would only recommend it to (very) patient viewers who are interested in what a mix of Burt Reynolds and "Miami Vice" would play out like.

Burt Reynolds plays Ernest "Stick" Stickley. We should just stop the plot description right there. But we'll go on - Stick is an ex-con who gets out of jail and ends up working as a chauffeur for a mega-wealthy dude (Segal) and living at his mansion in the Miami area. While he's trying to romance Kyle (Bergen) as well as forge a relationship with his daughter after his prison stay, nefarious drug dealers and gangsters are after Stick, led by the flamboyant Chucky (Durning) and his remorseless hit man Moke (Robinson). Will Stick Stickley stick to the law-abiding side of life? This was the last movie Burt made before his Not Caring period (discussed in our Heat, 1986 review). Because he still cared (after all, he directed the movie and co-wrote the theme song "I Don't Think I'm Ready For You" sung by Anne Murray), his demeanor is actually pleasant to watch and seems to be enjoying himself reasonably enough, by Burt standards. He gets many personas in the movie - from the "Indiana Burt" of the beginning with his bomber jacket, fedora and beard to the "James Bond Burt" of later on, with "Casual Burt" in the middle, complete with pink Members Only jacket. (We're not entirely convinced that it isn't a woman's jacket).But the real star of the show is Charles Durning as Chucky. In a role like no other we've seen Durning interpret, he plays a Rip Taylor-like villain complete with loud shirts and bizarre makeup. Durning steals the movie, but George Segal gives him a run for his money with his big, boisterous role as Barry.While Burt is as laconic as ever in front of the camera, he does a good, competent job behind it, clearly influenced by the popularity of Miami Vice. But the movie is a lengthy production with a very mainstream look. It needed more grit. It also should have been shorter and snappier. Elmore Leonard usually does good work but 52 Pick-Up (1986) remains his best.Clearly the Nickelodeon character Stick Stickley was influenced by Burt Reynolds.For more action insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

This movie is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name, but for those looking for the novel while waiting for the movie to reappear on television or on order from Amazon, don't bother, unless you're a fan of Elmore Leonard's work. While Mr. Leonard should be given more than due credit for his adaptation to movie, the real work was done by Mr. Reynolds, who plays the character true to form.I have to admit that one reason I love this film is because of its leading lady. Ms. Bergen seems to be able to play her own character in this film, rather than playing off Burt's character. Two of the best scenes are the one where she sums up the movie producer's porposal as fraud, and of course the intimate scene in her bedroom with Burt's character.I am old enough to remember when this movie came out in the theaters. One review in a popular men's magazine at the time panned the movie, largely faulting Burt's performance (as I interpreted the review). Having been a fan of Mr. Reynolds films for many years, I was glad to see that he didn't seem to take such reviews to heart at the time, and continues to entertain us, even today.

The Good Stuff:Candice Bergen looks gorgeous. Small role by David Reynoso. The late Dar Robinson as the "Albino Hitman". The Albino Hitman falling to his death while emptying his six shooter looks real cool.The Bad Stuff:Charles Durning in a blond wig is really hard to take (those crazy looking eyebrows!).The Verdict:Typical 80's flick with lots of flashy cars, drug dealers, one colorful hitman, directed by Mr. Reynolds, that even if looking dated manages to entertain.