History Film / VivaKnievel

* ComplexityAddiction: The aforementioned plan, maybe one of the most ridiculous and overblown in movie history. Even though success will mean successfully transporting 3000 keys of coke (a $50 million score, according to Jesse), it doesn't begin to justify why Millard would go to such insane lengths, or pin his entire scheme on the precise and predictable death of a man who jumps over fire and lions for a living.

* BrokenAesop / DoNotDoThisCoolThing: Evel scolds other characters for engaging in harmful vices like drinking and drug use, but he routinely endangers his own life with his motorcycle stunts. This contradiction is lampshaded in the Rifftrax commentary.[[invoked]]
-->'''Mike Nelson (as Evel Knievel):''' Remember kids, whatever you do, don't engage in risky behavior that might harm you! Now watch me jump some angry lions and make more money than your dad does in a year!

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: After Evel is killed, Jesse is next - too bad Jesse overhears the betrayal.

** First, he recruits Jesse, a drug-addicted younger cyclist who used to be Evel's touring partner but drifted away to pursue his solo career, to ingratiate himself back into the inner circle.
** Second, Jesse spikes Will's booze to knock him out so he can take photos of the interior of Evel's bike trailer -- all to ensure the total accuracy of the ''perfect duplicate'' with hollow walls that Millard's building, at a personal cost of ''3,000,000 dollars'' (in 1977 money, no less). Their hookup in Mexico even asks later why they couldn't just use Knievel's real trailer instead, but Millard [[HandWave dismissively replies that it can't be done]].
** Third, Millard, who already has a reputation as a top-notch sports promoter, writes out another half million's worth of post-dated checks for Evel to perform stunts in Mexico, hoping the money up front will entice him after a series of bad experiences with his current promoter Ben. Having given his word to do two more jumps, Evel refuses, and only seems to have a change of heart after a near-fatal accident, with no mention of Ben from then on.[[note]]In a plot point cut from the movie, Ben was actually responsible for Evel's crash, as his cheapness and greed led to the ramp being too short for the jump, explaining why he's no longer an issue.[[/note]]
** Fourth, knowing Will is on to them, they drug him and abandon him in a psych ward ([[ContrivedCoincidence at a hospital run by English-speaking Americans who accept only American patients, despite being in Mexico]]), which would mean giving the corrupt administrator a bribe or cut of the action.
** Fifth, Millard has a rigged duplicate of Evel's jumping cycle built, complete with a remote-control mechanism that bursts the front tire after launch, to ensure he'll either veer off course or die on impact.
** Sixth, he gives a replica Stratocycle (mentioned as being worth 20 bikes) to Jesse as a bribe, for no clear reason other than to further entice him into going along with the scheme.
** Seventh, they'll dispose of Jesse as a loose end, which they unwisely and loudly discuss in their private box as Jesse wanders in.[[note]]This private box also adjoins separate boxes on either side (with open doorways), and has an open balcony, meaning that anyone in the nearby crowd who spoke English could've potentially heard them.[[/note]]
** Eighth, with Evel either killed or critically injured, Barton will pose as one of the [=EMTs=], load him into the ambulance, and drive off, presumably just to make sure he dies.
** Ninth, Evel's body finally gets shipped back to the States, for some reason ''inside'' the duplicate tour trailer lined with cocaine, which will be stripped on its arrival in an undisclosed fashion.

** Seventh, they'll dispose of Jesse as a loose end, which they unwisely and loudly discuss in their private box as Jesse wanders in.[[note]]This private box also adjoins onto two boxes on other side, and has an open balcony, meaning that anyone nearby in the crowd who spoke English could've potentially heard them.[[/note]]