Panther II - Eiskalt wie Feuer

.... to watch this movie!And never wake anyone! Artistically,it represents one of the lowest points Alain Delon was to reach.

Frederic Fajardie's screenplay (I have not read his novel)is abysmal.And however the subject was vital,considering the rise of the far right which again will be a terrifying threat in France's 2007 elections ,as it was in 2002.

The problem lies in the fact that the far-right cops'"ideas" of Pinheiro's film are not well-defined.Their ideology is vague -the commies seem to be their main target (Feodor Atkine's character)-but we do know that their scapegoats are numerous from the Arabs to the Jews to the homosexuals .Here they seem to be baddies,period ;it is as mindless as a Van Damme movie .

The plot accumulates violence and killings.The story is full of implausibilities:One of Delon's colleagues is actually one of those villains;unbeknownst to his superior,he takes a break and shoots a guy -Serge Regianni,what a shame to reduce this legendary actor to that- on a merry-go-round.But the dead "strikes back" and goes on killing people on the carousel;no,it's not the return of "stranger on a train"!The ridiculous happy end comes at the most awkward moment or to give Delon a chance to shine ,so to speak.

Take to your heels!

Roger Scatti (Michel Serrault) is a conservative police inspector of the old school who finds today'a policies much too liberal.

He forms a secret group, a star chamber, to bring swift justice to criminals, thus bypassing the system that may free them.

Grindel (Alain Delon) is asked by the chief of police to investigate all of these brutal murders.

This film demonstrates the fact that I will watch anything in order to look at Alain Delon.

Nothing but horrible violence, people killed in the most revolting ways imaginable.

Plus it's dubbed. I hate dubbing.

Alain, I need romance!

The film was dedicated to the late Jean Gabin.

Skip it.

Once of France's greatest and best loved stars, Jean Gabin, shuffled off this mortal coil in 1976. Twelve years later(!) his former co-star Alain Delon dedicated this film to him. Although undoubtedly a very nice gesture from M. Delon, could he not have chosen a less unpleasant and distasteful opus?

This is undoubtedly the most abysmal of the policiers produced by and starring Delon throughout the 1980's. Having made a heap of rubbish with Jose Pinheiro three years earlier entitled 'Parole de Flic', actor and director have succeeded in going one worse here.

There are, as to be expected, good production values but the sole redeeming feature, if one can call it that, is the mesmerising performance by Michel Serrault as a psychopathic, ultra right-wing vigilante policeman. Assuming that is, you are prepared to endure the sickening spectacle of human fireballs, charred bodies and slaughtered bystanders, not forgetting of course the customary knee-capping. Also deeply sad to see the almost unrecognisable Serge Reggiani in a minor role.

Although France's Golden Age had long since passed, French cinema was still turning out some interesting films during this period and such moronic, gratuitously violent trash seems totally out of place.

It was the least successful of Delon's policiers from this decade so evidently the paying public has some discrimination.

It is said that audiences only remember the good ones which is just as well as this is one of Delon's very worst.

It is worth less than nought but is awarded 'un point' for the presence of M. Serrault.

One cannot help but feel that M. Gabin warranted something better than this.