Kansas City Bomber provides a gutsy, sensitive and comprehensive look at the barbaric world of the roller derby. Rugged, brawling action will more than satisfy those who enjoy that type of commercial carnage, while the script explores deftly the cynical manipulation of players and audiences.
Barry Sandler’s original story, written for a university thesis, has been scripted into a well-structured screenplay, in which most dialog is appropriate to the environment.
Raquel Welch, who did a lot of her own skating, is most credible as the beauteous but tough star for whom team owner Kevin McCarthy has big plans. A fake grudge fight moves her from KC to Portland, where McCarthy is building his team for a profitable sale. At the same time, Welch is torn between her professional life and her two fatherless children.
