BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Melanie Bouvet The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Jonathon Dabell Dangerous jobs are usually a sure source of inspiration for movie makers. There have been countless films down the years about mountaineers, racing drivers, bounty hunters, big game hunters and fire-fighters, to name but a few. Curiously, though, there are relatively few movies about men of the construction industry, in particular those brave souls who are involved in the building of towering skyscrapers. Steel goes some way toward putting that right – this simple but enjoyable yarn features some vertigo-inducing sequences as it charts the exploits of a gang of builders who are racing against time to complete the top nine storeys of a skyscraper in a mere three weeks. (Trivia time: the skyscraper in the building was a real building-under-construction – the 333 ft Kincaid Towers in Lexington, Kentucky).Wealthy construction mogul Big Lew Cassidy (George Kennedy) falls to his death in a tragic accident during the building of a skyscraper. His business empire is inherited by his inexperienced but spunky daughter Cass (Jennifer O'Neill). She has three weeks to over-see completion of the remaining nine floors of the building – if unfinished, the bank will pull the plug on the project, and her father's company will go bust. Rejecting an offer of help from her slimy uncle, Eddie Cassidy (Harris Yulin), Cass decides to hire a team of crack high-altitude construction workers to carry out the job. The main man is Mike Catton (Lee Majors), who pulls together a crew of the most legendary names in the profession to complete the job within the impossible deadline. It's a tough task getting these testosterone-fuelled personalities to work together, but doubly tough when Eddie tries to hijack their progress for his own greedy ends. And to top it all, Mike is desperately guarding a secret – that he "froze" (lost his head for heights) on a recent job, and is now terrified to the point of paralysis of working on high-rise structures.Steel is a film very much in the mould of other late 70s films like Smokey And The Bandit, Convoy and Hooper. The plot is different, but the overall tone and the good ol' boy hijinks on display are unmistakable. The script is just about as unsubtle as can be, but the actors seem to be having fun with it and their enthusiasm is infectious. Majors has never been the most versatile of actors but he's well within his comfort zone here… this is probably his most charismatic performance in a career notable for its lack of serious and demanding roles. Indeed, everyone is in high-spirited form which, considering the simplicity of the story, is a pleasant surprise. Steel will never win any awards and will never be on anyone's top-ten-of-all-time list, but if you're in the mood for unashamed and undemanding fun you could do a lot worse.

ballplayer270000 The Six Million Dollar Man plays The man of Steel. How perfect is that?! This movie took a place in Lee Majors' actual home town Kentucky. It was reported that they used actual under the construction building (Kincaid Tower) at the time and build the set on top roof of Eastern Kentucky University building for the shooting.This was not critically claimed nor big box office hit, and yet it is the one of the best action drama Majors ever produced and stared. Steel surely shines in his life long acting career. It defines what kind of actor he was, and he had great qualities to play this type of role (well, best or worst). He was man's man, but not in egoistic way. He was the kind of the guy let his action speak itself, tough in both physically and mentally, and yet vulnerable, respect and honor his friends, trying to do the right thing.Mike Catton (Lee Majors) as foreman gathers craziest crews in skyscraper business to fight against all odds to finish up the building to meet the deadline. It is race against time! I still love this 70's ultimate guy movie because it portraits what real American men were used to be like.Majors made a couple of films such as Agency with late Robert Mitchum and The last Chase with Late Burgess Meredith after Steel. Those two films did not take off, and Majors came back with huge success of TV Fall Guy.Finally, Lee Majors was not the only man of Steel in this movie. Steel features other men of Steel. Academy Award winners: Art Carney (Harry & Tonto) and George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke) The film was dedicated for A.J. BAKUNIS who did stunt for George Kennedy's free fall scene from top of the building.Steel is one of the 70's infamous movie that should be available on DVD.

brianoflexington This movie was a big deal in Lexington when they were filming it in '79. It was a great visual taste for anybody who lived here during that time. From the filming of the horse farms, the historic Lexington Cemetery, not to mention the bar scene at the legendary, but now closed High on Rose, also Lee Majors picking up his trucker girlfriend just a stone's throw away from a well known lot-lizard truck stop. Classy.This movie had everything: -Lee Majors, The 6 Mil Dollar Man himself, playing the tortured hero of the tale. -Terry Kiser of Weekend at Bernie's fame playing Valentino who always had a different woman bring him to work each day. -Robert Tessier playing the tough Cherokee taking the end of a steel beam to his temple and still finishing the job. -Richard Lynch playing the bastard he plays so well as Dancer making Catton face his fears. -Roger E. Mosley of Magnum P.I. fame, playing Lionel who finishes the job even after his best friend dies trying to attach a steel bolt and falling to his death due to a bet on Valentino's girl of the day.Drama! Yeah it was Dallas-style, but it was 1979. My great-grandmother was an extra during the funeral scene. I was sitting on my father's shoulders on Vine St. twenty feet from the airbag that A.J. Bakunas went through when he performed his final stunt. How many of you have seen a stuntman die in front of you? This movie should not be forgotten for his sacrifice in filming it.The shot where the camera pans up West Main where you see Henry Clay's statue over the city and the helicopters bringing in the last floor to finish the job was beautiful.If anybody knows where I can find a copy of this, please get in touch with me. My family will get a great laugh at the macho-bravado drama, and my friends will finally see what I've been talking about all these years.

rm91945 Big Lew Cassidy (George Kennedy) is in a race against time, and the bank, to complete his latest building. But a tragic accident makes the likelihood of building completion seem impossible. Cassidy's daughter Cass (Jennifer O'Neill), with the help of Pignose Moran (Art Carney), assembles the `dream team' of steel workers to help her finish off the building. Mike Catton (Lee Majors) leads the rag-tag bunch of hardhats in a race with the bank. On the crew are Harry Doyle (Redmond Gleeson), an ex-IRA bomber who Catton helped get into the steel workers union, Dancer (Richard Lynch) who is likable enough but has that all appealing `edge'-- or as Catton puts it, `He's the meanest b**tard that ever lived', Cherokee (Robert Tessier) who claims he's not afraid of Custer, Tank (Albert Salmi) who runs the big crane and has a warped sense of humor and Valentino (Terry Kiser), the `lover' of the group. Basically this group mirrors the more comic bunch from CARWASH, although this movie is a drama, not a comedy.An interesting little subplot to this movie is the fact that Catton, after witnessing the death of several co-workers from a fall off a building, is now afraid of heights and in fact had retired from iron work to become a big-rig driver.Everyone does a fine job of acting, Majors is believable as the leader and O'Neill is a nice surprise as the boss's daughter and potential love interest for Majors. Kennedy always delights in whatever he does, whether as an aging steelworker or work-farm prisoner (COOL HAND LUKE) and Harris Yulin is great as his sleazy brother Eddie.Kiser is hilarious with his over-active libido and Lynch has some engaging scenes, particularly his confrontation with Catton when he discovers his fear of heights. Lastly, Tessier is entertaining as the `big lug' Cherokee and Salmi's antics and pranks throughout the film will keep you happily entertained.Though this film is in no danger of winning an Oscar, it is thoroughly entertaining and has a feel-good ending to it. You'll never look at a building under construction the same again after viewing this one!