Even in today’s era of digitally generated overkill, the high-flying stunts — most actually performed by Redford and Svenson themselves — remain jaw-dropping.
Taking place in the years following World War I, The Great Waldo Pepper stars Robert Redford as the titular character. Pepper is a former wartime flight instructor who, having missed an opportunity to take on Germany’s air aces in the war, tries to make a name for himself as a stunt pilot. Pairing up with rival pilot Axel Olsson (Bo Svenson) and funneling his money into the construction of a special stunt plane, Pepper hopes to be the first to perform a maneuver called The Outside Loop. Pepper believes that successfully attempting the stunt will garner lasting fame and fortune.
Redford delivers a charismatic performance as Waldo Pepper. The character is perfectly suited to Redford as he exudes the same confidence of an actor in the prime of his career as Redford was at the time. When a young boy asks Pepper if he’s the greatest pilot in the world, he humbly suggests that he could never hope to call himself that. Instead, he offers that he’s merely the second greatest pilot in the world. Redford’s natural aura makes that line believable and funny without sounding obnoxiously arrogant.
But, Redford’s engaging screen presence aside, the hook to The Great Waldo Pepper is the aerial stunt-work. Even in today’s era of digitally generated overkill, the high-flying stunts — some actually performed by Redford and Svenson themselves — remain jaw-dropping.
Director George Roy Hill and screenwriter William Goldman, the team responsible for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid six years prior, don’t quite catch lightning in a bottle again with The Great Waldo Pepper. The film opens in a lighthearted, almost comedic, way but things take an unexpectedly dark turn. Story wise, the shift makes sense but it’s a bit of a buzzkill because the first half of the film is genuinely fun. The climax features more amazing stunt work but much less charm.
With the thrilling stunts, excellent performances by Redford, Susan Sarandon, Bo Svenson, and Bo Brundin, The Great Waldo Pepper has all of the elements of a potential classic but somehow ends up just being a film that you’ll remember for the stunts and Robert Redford’s smile more so than anything else.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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