Sie nannten ihn Spencer

Bud Spencer and Terence Hill - heroes for many people! And this movie pays tribute to one of them specifically. Actually Terence Hill is in this too and I will continue to call them by their stage names, because that's the names I am used to. Even if their original Italian names are really beautiful too.

So two fans are on their way to find Bud Spencer. A trip ensues with a film crew. And a script sort of. There are staged moments that are meant to show how they meet actors from the Spencer/Hill movies. Like the one where he tells them to go away, but not even acknowledging the camera. Though the last encounter where they are thrown out, the camera at least gets mentioned.

The tension and the fun are there and the movie fine, especially if you are a fan already. The argument we traveled all this way to see him/her though is one I hate. As if someone is obligated to spend time with anyone else just because they come unanounced to their home ... but again, since this is (likely) scripted maybe don't pay too much attention to this "dramaturgic" point. It ends as expected and I am certain no one will be dissapointed ... I would have loved to meet Bud, but that isn't possible anymore since he has died. The guy who dubbed him in Germany died too shortly thereafter ... From fans for fans, with a lot of archival material and a lot of background on both stars (that you may or may not have known already of course)

I agree with other reviewers: The interview parts, even with the two initiators at the beginning, are really beautiful and a must-see for every Bud-Spencer-Fan. You get a lot of interesting facts and hear many adorable anecdotes not only about Bud himself but about so many other participants like co-actors, composers and directors. It was an eye-opener to me hearing that the Spencer- and Hill-movies were a reaction to the over the top violence in italian westerns. I had to smile because I remember my grandparents disliking Bud Spencer because they found his movies were too violent. XD The cut and presentation are finely done.

I wished they had left it at that and not tried so hard to put a fake story with amateur actors into this piece of work. I don't like fake stories in documentaries anyway. But this one is just awkward, and that is what makes me sad. Because the two guys behind the story seem to be really nice and they really seem to believe in what they were doing there. Their background-stories about their connection to Bud Spencer is just heartwarming. But the screenplay and acting are terrible, you can't gloss over it.

I wished they had put some more interviews with the creators into the movie, like a little making-of as part of the documentation itself. Just like in their first appearence. I guess this would have worked much better.

Still, I don't regret to have seen "Sie nannten ihn Spencer", it was a pleasure.^^