In Futureworld, the sequel to Westworld, Fonda is a newspaper reporter (with attitude!) who is investigating strange goings on at Delos, the recently re-opened robot-populated adult amusement park--think Club Med with sex robots and historical recreations. He's aided by perky tv reporter (and old flame) Blythe Danner. The film is a sorry, confused mess of a sci-fi concept, not helped by P.F.'s total lack of charisma and likeability. He really works his 'rebellious' image in this (and all his movies), and just seems like a smug 70s a-hole. See above for his parting shot at the robot bad guys--I can't help but think that was his own improvisation. Peter Fonda just seems like the kind of guy who thinks flipping the bird is really witty.
Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry is a car chase/supermarket robbery movie co-starring odd British actress Susan George. In this one, Pete plays a smug 70s a-hole race car driver (with attitude!), who needs money to buy some great car to race in Nascar, or something like that. It has a fatalistic ending where their car runs into a truck and blows up. (spoiler alert) Also, he gives the finger again.
In Race With the Devil, Fonda, along with the great Warren Oates and their wives (one is Loretta Swit) are being chased across rural Texas by Satanists. Sadly, Peter does not get an opportunity to give the finger in this film, but this is mitigated by the fact that the vehicle he drives is a Winnebago (with attitude!), which is really a central character in the story. Much attention is paid to the impressive fact that it has a microwave oven.In all these movies, I never saw one moment where Fonda demonstrates any reason why he should have been a movie star--and I'm pretty broadminded about actors in old films. I can usually find something I like, but in this case I'm stymied. Warren Oates, Susan George, and even Blythe Danner have to do a lot of work to make up for the void that is P.F.
No hard feelings, man!
