On S List of Movie Reviews
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Semi-Tough (1977)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
9/25
9/25:
Semi-Tough isn't a football movie but a parody of the New Age movement that was full of quackeries.
Burt Reynolds could act and turn on the charm, but why did he appear in so many rubbish films? Did he
actually believe in the material or was he doing it for the paycheck? Whatever the answer is, most are badly
dated by now and not funny. Look at the unbelievably sexist movie poster of Semi-Tough for evidence.
Speaking of 70's football pictures, the obvious go-to choice is
North Dallas Forty. Burt Reynolds did appear in a good one
as well that's called The Longest Yard, wearing the same number: 22.
Either is so much better than Semi-Tough despite the strong cast including Jill Clayburgh,
Kris Kristofferson, Brian Dennehy, Robert Preston, Roger E. Mosley, Richard Masur, Carl Weathers, and the
young-looking Ron Silver.
The screenplay sucks. Nothing works. Even the three-way relationship among the lead characters is weird.
Jill Clayburgh is awful and seems to be confused. The movie only made money because it
came out after Smokey and the Bandit, establishing Burt Reynolds
as a bona fide box-office champ. Oddly, he's treated as a third wheel in this.
All in all, Michael Ritchie directed a lot of duds, and among them is Semi-Tough.