Well what have we here? What we have is a great Sunday afternoon (or evening) movie entertainment. The plot is a simple one...villains on a train versus the good guys on the same train.
A strong touch of `Narrow Margin' here and also think of Cannonball Run, Dukes of Hazzard and the
Beverly Hillbillies! Maybe also Tough Guys. It's that kind of film. Having said that, this kind of thing is what the Yanks do best...they have the cash, the resources and above all the room. This is not a thriller to be taken seriously....except perhaps for the dialogue...try to follow this closely...its pretty sharp in places...don't cut yourself! There are some great scenes to be had in this film (it was up for awards after all) especially the finale which is particularly spectacular and worth staying the course to see.
My only slight criticism is that the film is a tad long...begins to get a bit predicable in the last half hour ...could have been ten minutes shorter, and comic Richard Pryor should have made an earlier appearance to keep the humour rolling along. Bond movies actor Richard Kiel (he of the poor dental work) makes a creditable contribution also. This is an enjoyable film with not a mobile phone in sight...wonderful!. And made only thirty odd years ago ! Anyone who enjoyed this movie first time round will now be of a certain age and will enjoy the strong nostalgia element, which is afoot here! This is a well produced movie, I've seen it on a number of occasions and nowadays think how great it is, however briefly, to get back to the 70s !

Pitches somewhere between a Hitchcock thriller and a Mel Brooks spoof. A very contrived plot serves as the vehicle for some of that American off beat humour. But at least they chose two acceptable comedy actors to operate here. It is a complete throwaway plot but Wilder and Pryor do their best to make it all entertaining. If it was shorter, and more tightly directed it may have been a good film. However, it's very slackly directed and becomes mainly a vehicle for some funny stuff from Pryor and Wilder. A bit of a long ride this, with a few good moments in it.

I generally find American TV comedy to be unfunny, I just can't abide all that canned laughter on their comedy shows that appear so forced into making the audience laugh at something that just isn't funny that I've always wondered what on earth it is that they are laughing about, maybe it's the different culture thing. Now there is no laughter track on Silver Streak because it's a film and that's the amazing difference. To put it bluntly the Americans are rubbish at TV comedy but great at the movie counterpart and I've never understood why.

Silver Streak features perhaps America's best double act in the last few decades, with the exception of Steve Martin and John Candy from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, I refer to Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor of course. This was their first film together and the fact that Pryor does not feature in the film until roughly halfway through and instantly gels with Wilder was a sign that they were going to have a very successful relationship, although since Pryor's death Wilder has made the claim that they were not as close as many believed but that does not stop them being very, very funny indeed. The two are big screen comedy geniuses, sparking off each other and raising the other's performance constantly.

The idea of a story using a trek across America has always appealed to me, films such as the previously mentioned Planes, Trains...., Dumb and Dumber etc and Silver Streak all feature this aspect and it is one that I enjoy enormously, it seems to give the film time to establish the characters in a smooth and leisurely way and allows the plot to unfold gently and draws the viewer in.

The feeling for the 1970's is everpresent and as this is my nostalgic decade that can only be a good thing, I won't go into plot details but this film is well worth the 113 minutes of your time if you take my advice and buy it, it is probably the best American comedy film of the 70's and for Wilder and Pryor it was only surpassed by the masterpiece, Stir Crazy.
A very pleasant, gentle film.

I think I first saw this film on video in the 80s when I was about 8 years old. Great cast, fun setting, excellent score by Henry Mancini. I recently bought the DVD in the sales and the film still holds up as being very entertaining. I'd say it's fun for the whole family. Comedy/Murder mystery adventure type film. James Bond fans might note that Richard Kiel plays a henchman with metal teeth in this film. I believe he cast as Jaws in Spy Who Loved me afterwards because of this film. Anyway, definitely get this film. They don't make them like this anymore.

Silver Streak is a good comedy film, but lacks the punch, and power of the way-superior Cassandra Crossing. Still let's not criticise it like this. The cast is top-notch : Gene Wilder, the late, and much-missed Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh, and Patrick McGoohan, and there is plenty of laughs, and suspense enough to keep the viewer entertained.

That said though. The Cassandra Crossing was better, but that's my opinion. You judge for yourself.