THE HUNTER (1980) ***

Steve McQueen stars in his final role as Ralph “Papa” Thorson, a down and out bounty hunter (loosely based on the real Thorson) taking every job he can to provide for his very pregnant girlfriend, Dotty (Kathryn Harrold).  In the process, he winds up making a lot of enemies, including a corrupt sheriff (Ben Johnson) and a psychotic speed freak named Mason (Tracey Walter).  While Papa is away in Chicago tracking down his next assignment, Mason kidnaps Dotty, and it’s up to the dad to-be to save the day.

Throughout his career, McQueen exceled at playing cool, collected, and badass characters, but this kind of loveable loser fits him like a glove.  He’s still adept in the ass-kicking department.  It’s just that when he does get the jump on his prey, it’s usually by the skin of his teeth.  I especially loved his interactions with his collar-turned-protegee, LeVar Burton.  (Whose role, as legend has it, was originally written for a dog!)  The funniest sequences revolve around McQueen’s inability to parallel park and drive stick shift, which is made even funnier if you know he was such a car nut in real life.

The film is breezy fun, but it’s also episodic to a fault.  It often feels lightweight and slight compared to many other McQueen vehicles, which is probably why it’s usually held in such low esteem.  That’s kind of what I loved about it though.  It almost feels like a pilot for a TV series (which makes sense since director Buzz Kulick was mostly known for his television work), almost like an updating of McQueen’s Wanted:  Dead or Alive, except he’s playing his age, often for comedic effect.  

Some scenes don’t quite work, and the tone sometimes is jarring.  For instance, there’s a Trans Am chase that feels like it came out of Smokey and the Bandit.  Even though it feels goofy and out of step with the rest of the movie, it does have a pretty funny punchline though.  Some parts are almost like a soap opera and then, there’s a big Dirty Harry-style chase in the very next scene.  Despite that, McQueen’s performance is able to hold it all together and keep you engrossed in the film, even when it begins to play like a hodgepodge of different genres.