When telling the story of Evel Knievel’s life, you have to have big stunts, lots of crashes, and the drive that made the man a legend. Evel Knievel, the movie, does all those things, but still leaves you wanting more.
George Eads, star of the television series C.S.I., stars in the title role, but can’t help overcome the movie’s flaws or its rushed pacing – that crams a life’s story into a short, made-for-television movie.
The film begins with Knievel as a boy stealing hubcaps and already getting in trouble with the law, and the quickly moves forward to him as a troubled teen.
From there, we watch his rise to fame, thanks to his belief no stunt is too big, and the crash of his personal life – due to his many excesses, including his own ego.
The movie does an excellent job showing the dangers of his many stunts as well as the impact it had on his family when those stunts went horribly wrong, such as the first major jump he did in Las Vegas which nearly killed him.
Many of the film’s stunts, along with the crashes and successes, are what make it worth watching. They also add to the overall entertaining value of the film – that and his icon status to anyone who grew up watching the daredevil in action.
Eads does a good job as Knievel, and presents the icon with all his glories and faults, but it isn’t enough to keep you entertained from start to finish.
Evel Knievel's stunts are great to watch
It is easy to see that Eads is dedicated to the part, and is giving it his all, but his performance isn’t enough to save the movie from its many faults. He also tends to overact the part, but this can be overlooked at times given the character he is portraying.
Jamie Pressly, who play Knievel’s wife, is part of the film’s problems due to a Southern accent that grinds like fingernails on a chalkboard. This causes her character to become more of a headache than someone we really care about. Her performance also causes you to become more detached from the harm Knievel’s lifestyle does to his family.<!--page-->
Evel Knievel Main Menu
Another fault of the movie is its pacing - which almost seems to run as fast as Knievel’s bikes at times. Just as you start to become concerned over one crash, the movie quickly jumps to the next stunt. There is never enough time spent on what drove Knievel to his lifestyle or why he felt it was worth the sacrifices - both to his own body and his family.
The movie manages to be entertaining at times, but never is able to grab your attention and hold it the way the Knievel, himself, could hold an audience.
With a history as rich as Knievel’s, the movie also lacks any real special features – consisting of only commentary by Eads and director John Badham. More special features on the DVD, such as actual footage of some of Knievel’s stunts, could have helped make up for some of the film’s lacking.
Evel Knievel Special Features
Evel Knievel is worth watching for anyone who grew up in the time of this icon, but offers little else of interest to those who do not know that much about him. I would recommend the film to anyone wanting to know more about Knievel, but not wanting a detailed look at his life.
The movie is available at Amazon . At this time, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the film’s database for more information.
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