Ein kürzlich entkommener Bandit bildet eine unwahrscheinliche Allianz mit zwei Kopfgeldjägern und einem Akrobaten, um sich an den Leuten zu rächen, die ihn reingelegt haben.Ein kürzlich entkommener Bandit bildet eine unwahrscheinliche Allianz mit zwei Kopfgeldjägern und einem Akrobaten, um sich an den Leuten zu rächen, die ihn reingelegt haben.Ein kürzlich entkommener Bandit bildet eine unwahrscheinliche Allianz mit zwei Kopfgeldjägern und einem Akrobaten, um sich an den Leuten zu rächen, die ihn reingelegt haben.
- Drake
- (as Kevin Mc Carthy)
- Harold
- (as Stephen Zacharias)
- Drake's blond henchman
- (as Rick Boyd)
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Screened under the main English title of Ace High, I recorded this film on late night TV hoping for a typical spaghetti western. While that is pretty much what I got, I must confess to being a bit put off by how silly it was at times. I know it was meant to be a comedy of sorts but it didn't sit very well with the spaghetti western genre because it made aspects of that feel like they had been badly done, as opposed to done for laughs. The plot is solid enough but the running time is too long for the material to sustain, making many scenes feel dragged out beyond their intended time. The action (as in movement generally) also suffers because of this perceived slow pace.
The cast are suitable for the genre, but this is not the same as being any good. Eli Wallach has fun in the central role and his performance is good value. I couldn't shake the feeling that Hill had borrowed his performance from many other actors but hadn't been sure how to make it work for him; he didn't really have the screen presence required to carry off the character. Spencer is better in terms of presence but his performance is a bit wanting. The support cast are all so-so, which works within the genre and as always much of the dialogue has that strange bad ADR/bad dubbing feel to it that I think is a prerequisite for the spaghetti genre.
Overall this is an enjoyable enough spaghetti western but if you only know the Eastwood, "Fist Full" or Leone spaghetti films then you'll probably come away thinking this is a low-rent version of those (which I suppose it is). With all the trademarks and weaknesses of the genre, this one will most likely please fans but probably not the casual viewer.
The dramatic angle of the storyline comes in the sweaty form of Eli Wallach, reprising his role from THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY as a bandit with a heart of gold who ends up being used and abused by those he considered to be his friends. Wallach's mission of justice makes up the bulk of the film and once again the actor puts in an excellent performance which hugely enhances the film. Writer/director Giuseppe Colizzi understands the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" in regard to Wallach's performances so gives the public more of what they have seen already in the Sergio Leone film and the result is no less successful. The script is unusually fine and lends plenty of comic banter and interplay to the scenes between the action sequences.
Speaking of action, there is plenty ranging from bloody boxing matches to more traditional shoot-outs, prison breaks, brawls and even a massive gun battle with a machine gun involved. The suspense is gradually upped for the genius climax, set in a dodgy gambling house as our heroes attempt to make themselves some cash by hiding in the loft and cellar and using the fixed roulette wheel for themselves with disastrous results. The film then plays its own ace by introducing arch-villain Drake, acted by American import Kevin McCarthy (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) as one of those slimy villains you just love to hate, and the resulting climax is wonderfully exciting.
Great use of widely differing music is made throughout the film from epic-sounding vocals to waltzes at the end! Technically the movie is proficient with a more than adequate budget put to good use in the sets and costumes; solid, slightly artistic photography; and well-staged action. One of the best I've seen from Spencer and Hill and a film guaranteed to please fans of the genre.
Wusstest du schon
- WissenswertesThe second teaming of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.
- PatzerWhen Hutch lifts the hat off of a corpse, the corpse's actor is clearly breathing.
- Zitate
Hutch Bessy: Cacopoulos. What kind of a name is that?
Cacopoulos: A Greek name. My grandfather was a Greek. He was a Greek, like Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Homer.
[He looks around and notices the guards getting tired, so he shifts his tone to a softer, sweeter one]
Cacopoulos: And like Ulysses, he had to keep traveling. He never suffered from homesickness, my grandfather. Oh no. And so, he left the schooner on which he had embarked, and continued his travels on foot, bouncing from place to place, trading in skins, until he came to a Cherokee tribe. And there he was admired by an Indian girl, or he admired her, I don't know which. But the fact is, among other children, my father too was born. And he grew up and raised a family in a small mining town. And he had just the time to do it... when someone shot him dead. And my grandfather told of it, had to get his son's body... and he had to take me, too, still teething... back to his tribe. And I cried... And I cried... And I cried...
- Alternative VersionenThe Italian uncut version is 132 minutes long. The US version is 122 minutes. Other international versions are 117-118 minutes.
- VerbindungenEdited into Spaghetti Western Trailer Show (2007)
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Details
- Laufzeit2 Stunden 12 Minuten
- Sound-Mix
- Seitenverhältnis
- 2.35 : 1