In Phoenix, the alcoholic and mediocre detective Ben Shockley (Clint Eastwood) is assigned by the Chief Commissary Blakelock (William Prince) to bring the witness Gus Mally (Sondra Locke) from Las Vegas for a minor trial. Shockley travels to Vegas and finds that Gus Malley is an aggressive and intelligent prostitute with college degree and she tells him that the odds are against her showing up in court.
Shockley learns that she will actually testify against a powerful mobster and the mafia is chasing them trying to kill them both. He calls Blakelock and request a police escort from Phoenix to protect them. But soon he discovers that someone is betraying him in the police department. Now, Shockley and Malley hijack a bus and Shockley welds thick steel plates and transforms the cabin in an armored bus trying to reach the Forum. But they will need to drive through a gauntlet of police officers armed with heavy weapons.
"The Gauntlet" is a highly entertaining movie with a flawed and absurd story. There is no press representative or judge from the tribunal to question the reason for the shooting to stop the bus. The helicopter chasing the motorcycle with the sniper failing in his shots is funny. The situation of the gauntlet in Phoenix is hilarious and the police force is incapable to shoot the bus tires or engine to stop the vehicle. Sondra Locke is very beautiful in the role of a smart prostitute and this is the type of movie that the viewer must shut down his or her brain and have lots of fun. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Rota Suicida" ("Suicide Route")
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