When The Cannonball Run first hit theaters in 1981, it was a turbo-charged collision of slapstick comedy, celebrity mayhem, and high-octane stunts — a film that didn’t just celebrate reckless fun but was reckless fun. Now, over four decades later, The Cannonball Run 2 (2025) roars back onto the big screen with its engines revved, its cast legendary, and its humor as gloriously unfiltered as ever. This isn’t just a sequel — it’s a love letter to the pure, gasoline-soaked madness of a bygone era.
From the moment the film opens with the growl of a V8 under a desert sunrise, you know you’re in for a joyride. The premise remains deliciously simple: a coast-to-coast illegal race where the only rule is that there are no rules. Cars, chaos, and comedy collide as an eclectic band of drivers — outlaws, playboys, spies, and hustlers — take to the highways of America, leaving smoke, laughter, and destruction in their wake.
Burt Reynolds returns as the effortlessly cool J.J. McClure, and it’s as if time hasn’t touched him. He brings that signature wink, that rogue grin, that old-school charisma that can’t be manufactured. Whether he’s outsmarting cops or out-talking his rivals, Reynolds anchors the film with the kind of charm that made him a legend — the perfect blend of mischief and swagger. Watching him back behind the wheel feels like seeing a cinematic ghost light up the screen one more time.
Then there’s Roger Moore, cheekily playing “himself,” or rather a version of himself who thinks he’s still James Bond. His scenes are a comedic masterstroke — a self-parody filled with absurd gadgets, tuxedos at inappropriate moments, and tongue-in-cheek nods to his 007 days. Moore’s performance is pure delight, poking fun at his suave persona with gleeful self-awareness. It’s impossible not to laugh as he delivers lines that blur the line between spoof and tribute.
Farrah Fawcett rounds out the trio, radiating the effortless glamour that defined her era. As a photojournalist dragged into the madness of the race, she brings both heart and heat to the film. Her chemistry with Reynolds is infectious, their banter both flirtatious and nostalgic — the kind of golden-era Hollywood pairing that makes you long for simpler cinematic times. Together, they give The Cannonball Run 2 its pulse: wild, witty, and irresistibly alive.
The film itself is a carnival on wheels — a mad symphony of screeching tires, airborne vehicles, and outrageous sight gags. Director Hal Needham, a stunt legend in his own right, ensures that every sequence feels practical and dangerous in the best way. There’s a tangible joy in the chaos — real cars, real crashes, real laughter. No CGI explosions here; just the raw thrill of seeing machines and maniacs defy physics for fun.
Supporting the main trio is a cavalcade of colorful characters: bikers disguised as priests, heiresses moonlighting as mechanics, and rival racers sabotaging each other with everything from fake police badges to jet-powered skateboards. The celebrity cameos come thick and fast — some expected, others jaw-droppingly random — each one adding to the film’s absurd sense of unpredictability. It’s the cinematic equivalent of flipping channels during a fever dream.
The humor is unapologetically broad, gleefully chaotic, and occasionally ridiculous — but that’s exactly the point. In an age where comedies often overthink their punchlines, The Cannonball Run 2 just hits the gas and never looks back. The jokes land not because they’re clever, but because they’re committed — every gag delivered with the reckless sincerity of a cast having the time of their lives.
Visually, the film is pure Americana. Endless highways, neon motels, desert sunsets, and roaring engines create a postcard of reckless freedom. The cinematography captures that wide-open spirit of the American road — the feeling that somewhere between point A and point B, anything can happen. And in The Cannonball Run, it usually does.
Beneath the laughter, though, there’s a surprising note of nostalgia. This sequel feels like a farewell lap for an era of filmmaking that thrived on danger, charisma, and chaos. It celebrates a time when stunts were real, stars were larger than life, and movies existed purely to entertain. Watching Reynolds, Moore, and Fawcett tear across America feels like witnessing the last great party of Hollywood’s golden rogues.
By the time the race ends — in a gloriously absurd pile-up of cars, egos, and champagne — you realize that The Cannonball Run 2 (2025) never set out to be profound. It set out to make you laugh, cheer, and remember what it felt like to fall in love with movies that didn’t care about rules. In that sense, it wins the race before it even starts.
Because sometimes, cinema doesn’t need to slow down, explain itself, or play it safe. Sometimes it just needs to hit the gas, grin, and let the world chase after it — and The Cannonball Run 2 does exactly that, with exhaust fumes, laughter, and a wink in the rearview mirror.
