Although this mildly entertaining action-comedy offering from Texas legend Frank Q. Dobbs promises “the zaniest sting operation on four wheels,” in truth, Hotwire is a series of middling sting operations interspersed with the tale of a recidivistic car thief, the woman who loves him, and the power-hungry twins out to destroy his life. But yes, we have the great George Kennedy in a challenging dual role; playing both the disgruntled town sheriff and the man’s shady car salesman twin brother. Sadly, however, each of Kennedy’s characters is quite reprehensible, and it is left to Strother Martin as an acerbic, wise-cracking (and metaphorically befuddled) hotwire man, and John Terry as the luckless new kid in town determined to rise above his auto pilfering ways, to save this film from oblivion. Impressively, the pairing of this duo kicks up the pace of the picture considerably, and results in some near-zany moments, including the old pretend-to-be-a-priest-while-your-partner-steals-the-car gag, and the ill-fated theft attempt of a car chained to a tree. Factor in a humorously awkward love affair, an underground prostitute auction, and the late-night quest to rip-off the boss’s coveted Rolls Royce, and the double wasting of George Kennedy is almost forgotten.
by Thomas Scalzo | Source: Paragon Video Productions VHS
14 Nov 2006 11:31 PM | Submit Comment
