Gumball 3000 Movie Review:


This entertaining film brings the notorious 3000-mile Gumball Rally back to the big screen after nearly 20 years. But unlike the previous three movies (1976's Gumball Rally, 1981's Cannonball Run and 1984's Cannonball Run II), this is a documentary following the annual event. This year's six-day rally is from San Francisco to Miami and involves some 150 cars driven by hip-hop comedians (The Cuban Brothers), Jackass stars (Dunn and Margera), a British supermodel (Kidd), extreme sports stars (Hawk, Lasek, Pastrana, Hart), and several hundred other speed freaks. The vehicles are an amazing collection of high-performance racecars, souped-up roadsters, a Chevy pickup with all the luxuries of home, and even one rented Cadillac. Clearly these people have too much money and time on their hands! And it's a rally not a race; the objective is to make it to the next checkpoint without getting arrested! Most drivers have multiple encounters with law enforcement along the way, but the prizes at the end are for spirit, tenacity and, yes, timeliness.

Green assembles this material cleverly. He gave digital cams to several drivers then followed along with a film crew, and the resulting edit looks superb, with saturated colours and extremely kinetic camerawork that capture both the lively energy and a strong sense of motion. It's also a travelogue as the drivers get out of the Bay Area, cross California to Reno and then Vegas, drive over the Hoover Dam to Phoenix and Tucson, then across the expanse of Texas with stops at the Alamo and Houston, over the swamplands of Louisiana and down through Florida to Miami Beach. The drivers, gawking public and good-humoured cops all have vivid personalities that makes it great fun to watch (it helped that I was at the black tie world premiere in Leicester Square, with the drivers whooping and cheering throughout the film!). Their adventures with the highway patrol provide most of the comedy, as do the hilarious Cuban Brothers, while Reynolds supplies a sardonic commentary on the action. In the end, the film is basically just a celebration of fun--nothing remotely serious here! And in the right frame of mind, it's a great night out in the cinema.

Rich Cline

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