Netflix movie of the day: Burt Reynolds is tons of fun in this classic action comedy

Smokey and The Bandit was made in 1977, and there’s a distinct line between it and this year’s The Fall Guy, not least because Smokey was directed by a former stuntman: it’s the kind of film Ryan Gosling’s character would have spent a lot of his career making, a film propelled by a mix of stunts and a charismatic leading man rather than much in the way of plot or characterization. 

The leading man here is Burt Reynolds, who plays a beer-running bandit trying to get a lorry-load of illegal alcohol to Georgia. This is not a plan the local cops are fond of, and they give chase with largely amusing consequences. The results are well worth watching on Netflix.

Is Smokey and the Bandit worth streaming?