Smokey and the Bandit Part 3

Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983), directed by Dick Lowry, is the franchise closer — watch it online on iFILM. Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) drives the story this time around, and Burt Reynolds barely shows up at all.

Justice was supposed to retire. He didn't last. The Ennis brothers bet him $250,000 to haul a stuffed marlin across several states before time runs out — lose, and he surrenders his badge. They also pay Snowman (Jerry Reed) to dress as the Bandit and sabotage the trip. Reynolds makes a cameo right at the end. Everything else belongs to Gleason, who was the franchise's secret engine all along.

Part 3 trades most of the car-chase adrenaline for Gleason's comic timing and a deliberately absurd cargo. It's the lightest of the three — more of a long skit than an action film, but fans of the series' particular brand of Southern-road chaos will find it a fitting sendoff. Stream Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983) online on iFILM.