Stick (1985)

Burt Reynolds's really made an impression with his smartly catered cop thriller "Sharky's Machine" and four years later he churn out another directorial crime outing. Maybe not as effective and complete, but still acceptable time filler. The story is penned by the reliable Elmore Leonard, who has a knack for building crime and character interactions within a busy framework. That's were I found it to peter out at times, as there seems too be so much going on and from that it can get a little distracted. It starts off strong, but then it goes wayward and stalls too often. Reynolds' sober direction seemed rather uneven in trying to balance out the explosively grimy moments with the uneasy comic relief. The film was more character driven (likeable relationships are struck or quick fuses erupt) and held together by its plot developments, but the script just didn't bite hard enough and its ending is quite lousy. Gladly the performances stand-up; namely that of the support cast. Where the bad guys are truly vile. Dar Robinson (who's mainly a stuntman) is magnificently threatening as the albino hired killer. A true scene stealer. While he hands out some nasty punishment and the gravel voice strikes fear. Alone just looking at him is frightening enough. Charles Durning playing a scummy low-life crook sticks out with his loud, bright Hawaiian shirts, feathered hair and wild bushy eyebrows. It's hard to take your eyes off either one. Leading the way in the bad guys is a dashing Castulo Guerra. You know the man with the power… the one you don't want to get on the wrong side of. To go with that, he's quite spiritual, but with a mean-streak. Burt Reynolds' character finds himself stuck in the middle of this trio when after getting out of prison he joins a buddy on job involving some of Miami's lowlife criminals. However it's a set-up, where his friend is killed and he is soon targeted. So he seeks payback, but on the other side of the coin he wants to go straight so he can catch up with daughter. Reynolds plays it with that laconically tough shade and knowing attitude, letting his charm carry him along. His weapon of choice seems to be his smartarse lines… physical wise gasoline or matches… that you only get disappointed when he can't get a hold of one of these objects. The next best thing was death by scorpion. Another scene stealer would be George Segal as a cheerfully naïve millionaire that loves the company of criminals. Some sequences with him were priceless. Also showing up is Candice Bergen (the love interest), Jose Perez and Alex Rocco. Clunky, but amusing.

A few years ago I was working at Blockbuster Video and bought this movie brand new for $1.00 on VHS. It was worth it. Most people don't like this movie, but I have a certain fondness for it. I am a huge Elmore Leonard fan and also a Burt Reynolds fan so I liked it. I admit that it has flaws like Candice Bergen's wooden performance. But it has two great acting jobs by Charles Durning and the late stuntman Dar Robinson as the albino hit-man Moke. His performance is truly terrifying. It is terrific when Burt taunts him as Bunny Eyes. Durning is also great as a red haired drug dealer. There are a few good action scenes at the beginning and then at the end. The middle of the film drags. If only the intensity of the beginning could be kept up to the finish this would have been a great film.

A sharp, punchy, colourful Elmore Leonard novel has here been turned into an extraordinarily dull and uninvolving film. The bulk of the blame must be rested upon Burt Reynolds' shoulders, for in choosing to direct the film himself he has reduced it to the level of a vanity project. This is not "Stick" as envisaged by Elmore Leonard; this is DIRECTOR Reynolds trying to make ACTOR Reynolds look as handsome, tough and humorous as possible..... and, in the process of doing so, ruining the excellent potential of the source material. What makes matters worse is that other fine actors have been dragged down too. George Segal and Charles Durning are humiliated by the dumb lines they are asked to say, the ridiculous costumes they are asked to wear, and the over-acting they are asked to indulge in. Spare a thought, too, for Candice Bergen - already a star in two of THE all-time clunkers (The Magus and The Adventurers) - who here finds herself yet again stranded in a film of unbelievable awfulness.Tough ex-con Ernest "Stick" Stickley (Reynolds) arrives in Miami soon after his release from jail. He reunites with Rainy (Jose Perez), a former Puerto Rican cell-mate who is trying to make a little money by running errands for the local drug lords. Rainy persuades Stick, against the latter's better judgement, to accompany him on a drop-off in the Everglades. Stick doesn't like the look of the deal, but he tags along anyway. His suspicions prove founded when Rainy is gunned down at the rendezvous point, leaving Stick to make a desperate getaway. Upset at the brutal slaying of his pal, Stick plans his revenge. His vengeance quest pits him against albino hit-man Moke (Dar Robinson), paranoid drug dealer Chucky (Charles Durning), and voodoo-worshipping crime-lord Nestor (Castulo Guerra).A film with a plot like this and a gallery of slimy underworld characters should, at the very least, not be boring. However, "Stick" is an absolute bore for virtually its entire duration. The opening ten minutes provide a very mild amount of wit and excitement, but as soon as Stick escapes from Rainy's assassins (in the Everglades sequence) it's downhill all the way. Dar Robinson's character - the albino killer Moke - is quite interesting, but is used far too infrequently (he does, at least, have a spectacular death scene near the film's climax). The music by Barry DeVorzon is terribly dated and fails to add any dramatic impact to the on-screen action. Reynolds the director seems to have lost interest in the film somewhere along the way, and the whole sorry affair limps towards its soulless conclusion without generating any interest that might relieve the sense of boredom. After this debacle, Reynolds stopped directing his own movies for a period of 8 years (eventually making a directorial comeback with 1993's "The Man From Left Field"). "Stick" this one on the trash heap!

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.