P. F. Flyer

source: P. F. Flyer

Fiercely independent trucker Duke (a lively and engaging performance by Jerry Reed) and his equally free-spirited biker buddy Rane (a solid and likeable portrayal by Peter Fonda) square off against a gang of thug hijackers who are all working for corrupt trucking magnate King Carroll (smoothly played by Chris Wiggins). Sassy gal Pickup (an appealing turn by Helen Shaver) helps the guys out. Director Peter Carter relates the enjoyable and engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a tough'n'serious tone throughout, makes nice use of the desolate wintry Canadian landscape, and stages several exciting action set pieces with skill and flair. Reed and Fonda display a pleasing and utterly charming natural chemistry in the lead roles. Moreover, the bad guys are really rough customers (David Ferry in particular is a perfectly hateful stand-out as the vicious Harvey), which substantially raises the stakes and hence gives this film a considerable amount of additional weight and tension. An on the money movie.

Having spawned an entire exploitation subgenera of outlaw biker films with his excellent "Easy Rider," could Peter Fonda do the same for movies about eighteen wheels of justice? "High-Ballin'" actually beat "Convoy" by one month on it's release date for being the first movie action movie about truckers (although "Smokey and the Bandit" came out the year before), but it's a pretty silly inconsequential hixploitation flick, and Jerry Reed is really the main character here. Reed and Fonda have to fight off a bunch of trucker thugs hired by a local crime boss who wants to put independent truckers like them out of business. Helen Shaver and Michael Ironside, in his first named-character role (he plays Butch), also appear in the film. Overall, I enjoyed this dumb movie and so will others if you're a fan fo hixploitation/rednexploitation type of films (think good ol' boys fighting one another ALA "Gator" or "Walking Tall"), even if it's pretty routine and nothing all that memorable. "Smokey," "Convoy," and "White Line Fever" are all still better trucker films, but I was entertained by "High-Ballin'."

If you think you might be getting into a jovial SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT type film thanks to HIGH-BALLIN's ad art, think again. What the film delivers is a dark, moody piece set in snowy Canada that doesn't seem to know what direction it exactly wants to go in. Reed plays Duke, an independent trucker who just happens to be next on the list of a bunch of local truck hijackers. Fonda is Rane, an old trucking buddy come to visit for a spell and ends up helping Duke take on the hijackers. Is it supposed to be a comedy? Well, there are some funny moments. Hard ass action flick? Well, there are some cool stunts. Romantic drama? Well, yeah, there are some tender moments. For some reason though, there is that aforementioned dark tone that somehow squeezes out any ounce of humanity and replaces it with an ominous aura that lays itself out on the characters and the landscape. Maybe it's 1970's Canada, as I got the same feeling watching Cronenberg's FAST COMPANY. It may sound as if I don't like this film but I do. It's different and odd, especially for it's genre. Definitely worth a look.

When I was a little kid they had these Trucking driving country and western movies. The great smokie Road Block, Convoy, etc. Many years later I watched some of this crap on TBS, boy did I not miss much when my mother made me go to bed early. Well, I have gotten older and watched this dog on TBS, and I still could not keep awake. Some movies like a bad wine will turn into vinegar with time, and that is what this film is or at least a sleep aid. Keep on Trucking, I am happy I missed the 70's. 3/10

As you no doubt know, the 1970s produced a number of American good ol' boy movies involving truckers. This particular one is somewhat different, because it had significant Canadian involvement, in order to take advantage of a tax shelter system that existed there at the time. If you are thinking that the end results are a kind of mishmash between two cultures, you are right. The movie often feels kind of strange, not coming across as either Canadian or American in tone or appearance. But the feel of the movie is not really one of the big problems with the movie. While other good ol' boys movies of this era were packed with action, there is very little action here, and what little there is happens to be choreographed and directed in a manner that's more often than not slow and sluggish. And while other good ol' boys movies had a lot of comic relief, the little humor in the movie is lame and passionless. In fact, the other parts of the movie also share a great lethargic feel. Maybe it was from the fact that most of the movie was shot in the cold Canadian winter (though strangely there are some scenes where there is no trace of snow anywhere on the ground.) Movies like this killed off Peter Fonda's drive-in career.

A group of hijackers are harassing truckers. Iron Duke (Jerry Reed), and Pickup (Helen Shaver) are two of the independents worried about the situation as well as being pressured to sell by the ruthless trucking boss King Carroll. Visiting stunt driver Rane (Peter Fonda) is riding shotgun with his friend Duke when they are attacked. This is a Canadian action exploitation B-movie. The plot is pretty simple elevated by solid actors. Its action is reminiscent of gonzo Australian B-movies. There is a good amount of destruction. Camera work is not that imaginative but effective enough for the era. At various points, it takes its sweet time which is unhelpful in an action thriller. Overall, it's not aiming that high and it mostly its target.

I didn't expect anything remotely classy here so I wasn't disappointed when all the rural stereotypes started pouring out of this cheesey drive-in style film that like many films of the 70's hasn't seen the light of day since other than a few syndicated TV showings. This does nothing but perpetuate the idea that country living is for the unenlightened, the crass, the politically incorrect, the good ole' boy, the misogynistic, the homophobic, the racist, and that's on their good days. Every slur for everyone of those groups are present with the disrespectful treatment of women (as evidenced by how some truckers talk about a short uniform wearing waitress in front of her back) and the assumption that Peter Fonda is gay based on the boots he's wearing. Fonda and Jerry Reed are a bit higher in class than the other truck drivers, simply because they get top billing and must get the audience rooting for them, which I'm sure that all 10 people who saw it did. Set in Ontario, this deals with a series of truck highjackings, so expect lots of chases and cursing and ham radio operators. Honestly, the coyote chasing the road runner is smarter than what ends up on the page of the script here, and even snowy Canadian winter photography can't raise this up to be at least pretty to look at. This ends up being more than 90 minutes of the same things over and over again, as if that dirty old truck driver from "Thelma and Louise" became a major character in his own movie. This should be called "High Bailin'" because I can't imagine many viewers watching any more than half an hour of this.

This movie is made for truckers in the day of having long hauls, long distance traveling, and suddenly, there are hijackers in the wait. Life is a gamble, especially in the trucking field. Being an independent contractor is one thing, working for a big company is another. It's best to stick with strong friends when you back's against the wall. Jerry Reed, fresh from the first "Smokey and the Bandit" get to ride the big rigs again. This time, he's a struggling trucker who gets to stand up to the big boss of a trucking company who is forcing the independents off the roads and drive them out of business. King Carroll(Chris Wiggins) runs a big company who will do anything to keep the indies off the road. When one of the truckers(Lex Tyrell) is head of a hijacking ring for Carroll. He had one trucker jumped. And when a former stuntman named Rane (Peter Fonda) , joins the Iron Duke (Reed), along with Pickup(Helen Shaver) the back up is all here. This movie is more like a western, only with diesel "horses". There was a lot of action there. Some silliness added though, but I enjoyed it very much. This movie is for truckers. 2 out of 5 stars.

Not much to see here. A couple guys swashbuckling with big Ken-Tool tire irons. At least this is a movie that accepts the existence of snow. Jerry Reed plays "the Iron Duke," a trucker who wants to make a few more runs and then stay at home. Peter Fonda perhaps should have played a trucker and not brought the biker element into this movie. After the chase with the racecar-laden auto transporter there isn't much to see. One memorable scene is Duke's poignant attempt to defend himself with nothing but a tire knocker. If you like trucker movies, it's your duty to watch High-Ballin' at least once, though. Isn't driving a truck in Canada exciting enough without a typical far-fetched plot? I guess the ultimate truck driving movie would have no plot at all and would be just one big roadeo.