The discrepancy between critics and audience response can be a fascinating phenomenon. Of course, every movie is subject to personal taste, but it is always interesting to see which critically reviled films find a new life when it comes to general audiences. Such is the case with the Karate Kid-influenced BMX tale Rad from Smokey and the Bandit director Hal Needham. While audiences initially did not flock to the film at the box office – it bombed – the movie found a second life once it found its place as a hot VHS rental title and cable channel staple to many. The uptick in interest in BMX bikes in the cultural zeitgeist helped to elevate the intrigue in this story that playfully explored all the fun you could have on a bike if you knew how to use it. The movie is not high art, but it can be a hell of a lot of fun to both those who grew up watching this supremely 80s flick and those who love discovering something with a healthy dose of teenage emotions and unrepentant cheese.
Cru Jones (Bill Allen) is an impressive small-town BMX racer who dreams of something bigger and better out of life than delivering newspapers and getting into good-spirited pursuits with the cops. His mother (Talia Shire, Rocky) wants this to be college for her son. Cru thinks salvation may come in the form of Helltrack, a high-profile BMX race that could change his life – winning means $100,000, a new car and all the fame that comes with it. Underhanded businessman Duke Best (Jack Weston), president of the Federation of American Bicyclist and owner of Mongoose Racing, attempts to drum up excitement for the race by offering $10,000 to anyone who even qualifies to race in Helltrack. What Duke does not expect is to have someone as talented as Cru in this small town, so when success starts coming his way Duke continuously puts up obstacles in the form of ridiculous rule changes in order to protect the success of BMX star Bart Taylor whose win would mean big money for him and his team at Mongoose Racing.
As previously mentioned, the movie replicates many of the beats of the highly successful Karate Kid because obscure sports movies were all the rage at this period of time. You even have the sudden onset of young love in the form of Christian Hollings (Lori Loughlin, Full House, Prison), a BMX racer who comes to town with Mongoose Racing but does not conform to their perceived lack of values. The connection between Cru and Christian is expedient to say the least, solidifying after the standout set piece of the film: a freestyle bike dancing routine at the prom. The soft lighting of this moment mixed with the increasingly ambitious tricks makes you feel as if you are in a different dimension for a short period of time. I can only imagine the injuries that occured from the kids who tried to replicate these skillfully executed moves. The romance is not some grand love story, but it does give Cru some nice moral support on his journey that sees him struggling between following his dreams and taking the SAT that his mom wants him to do – conveniently they are on the same day.
The movie often gets dragged down by the melodrama, but the BMX scenes help even out the more heightened aspects. Needham is a stuntman-turned-director so he knows how to stage racing scenes to squeeze every ounce of excitement out of it. The story may play out exactly as you might expect, but that does not stop it from being very entertaining in its predictability. If one approaches this feature without an open mind and open heart, they may find themselves in for some trouble. This is distinctly a product of the 80s moviemaking machine and the line between campy and self-serious is razor thin. The dialogue can be blunt and ridiculous, but at the same time extremely memorable. There are montages set to songs that have not been popular since the period in which they debuted that are ridiculous fun. There is a reason audiences have come to love this film over the years; there is a simple charm wrapped up in this universal story of wanting to follow your dreams. Plus, BMX bikes are pretty freakin’ sweet!
Video Quality
Rad returns to Blu-Ray via Mill Creek Entertainment with a 1080p transfer after being released in a 4K UHD + Blu-Ray combo pack from Vinegar Syndrome last year that is long out of print. This release is sourced from the same transfer that was scanned and restored in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative, which allows it to look like one of the best Mill Creek releases in recent memory. This transfer shows no signs of age-related wear and tear outside a few stray specks and splotches, mostly relegated to the inconsistent opening title sequence. For the majority of the film, the transfer looks incredibly clear and detailed with a heavy grain structure that complements the aesthetic well. The transfer is naturally filmic with some impressive detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Colors stand out in a really pleasing manner with bright, vivid hues leaping off the screen in almost every scene. Black levels are pleasing in their depth with not much in the way of crush present. There are some minor instances of compression artifacts that do not prove to be a persistent issue. Overall, I was quite impressed by how strong the presentation was from beginning to end.
Audio Quality
Mill Creek Entertainment brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that is a stealth powerhouse. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely and given a dynamic placement throughout the speakers. The sounds of the raucous racing scenes with a slew of other sounds bring nuanced life to the rear speakers. The movie features many songs from the era which sound great within the mix. This is a track that was way more dynamic than I ever expected it to be. A truly pleasing experience.
Special Features
Mill Creek Entertainment has teamed up with Mondo to provide a sleek new Steelbook (#46 in the line) that is truly lovely in person. The SteelBook ships with a transparent plastic slip cover featuring the title embossed on it. The front artwork is a nicely animated depiction of Cru doing a trick on his bike, and the rear features Bart Taylor standing up on his bike on the left with a trio of riders in silhouette on the right. The interior sports an animated depiction of four additional riders going down a red slope. Photos of the Steelbook can be found at the end of this review.
- Rad Q&A Session: A 41-minute virtual Q&A hosted by Jorma Taccone (of The Lonely Island fame) who moderates screenwriter Sam Bernard and cast members Bill Allen, Talia Shire, and Bart Conner. The genuine enthusiasm from Taccone is infectious and helps keep things lively as they delve into the origins of the film, the empowering nature of the narrative, memories from production and more. This is an amazing addition to the overall package.
- Archival Interview Interviews with Cast and Crew: An eleven-minute collection of interviews with Bart Conner, Lori Loughlin, Hal Needham and Bill Allen that are a little off-the-wall and fun at points.
- Original Behind-The-Scenes Featurette: A five-minute piece which starts with the inventive evolution of the bicycle and transitions to an exploration of the story at hand.
- “Break The Ice” Music Video: The original three-and-a-half minute video from John Farnham is provided with plenty of footage from the film.
Final Thoughts
Rad is a dose of 80s nostalgia that falls on the right side of the fun factor. The antagonists are pretty broad in their malevolence, but the stakes never get too high to eliminate the persistent joy the film brings. The storyline has its fair share of melodrama, yet the characters typically do not verge into over-the-top territory. Hal Needham does a really solid job of directing some exciting BMX action that most fans should respond to favorably. Mill Creek Entertainment has brought this gem back to the public after previous editions have gone out of print. Their new Blu-Ray sports a terrific A/V presentation and some fun supplemental features, plus this particular version is housed in a stunning SteelBook release from Mondo. If you have an affinity for simple unexpected sports tales from the 80s, give this one a shot. Recommended
Rad (Mondo SteelBook) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Mill Creek Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
