Le Retour de Sabata

Return of Sabata marks the last outing for Lee Van Cleef.

This time he's up against a slaezy Colonel who has a million dollars in gold in which Sabata pulled off from his earlier assignment.

Determined to get it back, teams up with Clyde and another hordes of his team in order to fight back McLintock get his gold back.

Although this spaghetti western proved almost as good as the first two, it was really entertaining, especially the amount of guns Lee had to use in this film..

Well, at least Sabata rides off into the desert, but I'm hoping someday if by chance somebody might do a remake..

The plot of this film has to do with the town of Hobsonville where McIntock, a now prosperous miner and town over seer is taxing the people in order to get the money to build up their fair town into something special. Enter Sabata, who is following a trail that led him from a murder in a traveling circus to the town. Clearly there is a great deal of money at stake and Sabata smells something a miss as well as sensing that there is a buck to be made.

This is a rambling, often seemingly plot less, (comedic) western. You're a good way into the film before you realize what exactly is going on. There a good number of characters who are two timing or three timing each other and we get dragged into their machinations, and it seems that there really isn't a central story (or real villain), or at least a reason why Sabata is in the town, until the movie is about half over. Its not bad as such but towards the end of the first half you really do begin to wonder why you're watching the film.

The reason you're watching it is Lee Van Cleef. Van Cleef as Sabata is pure smart mouthed hero. He can't be beat and he knows it. He is a hero we'd all like to be, even if his motivations are questionable. Van Cleef goes along with the nonsense on screen and in the process makes it somehow okay to go along too.

Worth a look for western fans, others may want to take a pass unless they are in an undemanding mood.

THE RETURN OF SABATA (sequel to SABATA)

Excellent score by Marcello Giombini, I'd own the CD of it if I could find it. Don't know who sings in the opening title theme, though. The credits in the film didn't list the singer.

There are lot's of little tricks in this one, more so than even in the first Sabata film. Different kinds of derringers, small pistols, blowpipes and magnets are up his sleeve in practically every scene. Sabata also refuses to pay the outrageous taxes the McClintocks have imposed on the townspeople for everything from getting a haircut to the gambling & hotel tax, and almost having a showdown with the weak-willed sheriff over it.

Lt. Clyde (Reiner Schone) manages to not be too obnoxious, grinning all the time, except when he's continuously caught by Sabata from stealing or ripping somebody off. He's such a slimeball that he hides in the rafters while his lover Jackie McCIntock (Jacqueline Alexandre) is gunned down by husband Joe (Giampiero Albertini) over his catching her stealing his gold.

The acrobats are back too, jumping off buildings, over fences and trampolines as they help Sabata out in his quest to return the gold stolen by McClintock from the townspeople, in return for the counterfeit money McClintock was using to deceive them.

There's a good shootout towards the end at the McClintock compound, using Bronco's bass drum as a hiding place for storing a lot of pistols. Plus we get a spectacular mine explosion when the McClintock's try to kill Sabata during the money exchange.

The vast majority of the film takes place in the town with little being filmed out in the Spanish countryside, yet it isn't claustrophobic like some other westerns come across when the sets are that static.

All in all, I enjoyed it and consider it a good example of the spaghetti western genre.

7 out of 10

After Yul Brunner became Sabata for Indio Black, Lee Van Cleef reprises his original role in this final entry in the Sabata saga. Unfortunately it's also the lesser one, although probably the most expensive.

I've seen many a nonsensical spaghetti western in my life, but Return of Sabata takes the cake. There's probably some semblance of plot underneath all the twists and turns but one hour in and I was completely lost. No matter, it's still entertaining enough to pass the time. The action scenes are all that matters here, there are plenty of gunfights, goofy acrobatics and explosions. Good production values make it easy on the eyes, the sets, costumes and cinematography are all on pretty high standards to the point where this is probably one of the most expensive spaghetti westerns made, this side of Leone. The humour is mostly silly and flat, the acting is average and I've heard better (and worse) dubbings. Lee Van Cleef's usual charming and charismatic persona is another big plus. Watchable but by no means essential.

The third and last film in the Sabata-series is only slightly better than ADIÓS, SABATA. Lee Van Cleef is back as Sabata and his presence by itself is enough to make this a better movie than the second one with Yul Brynner. Still, Van Cleef can't entirely make up for the awful script and the attempts for comedy. The "gags" in this film are total misfires. Sometimes, Van Cleef is even required to act like a clown. His clothing too isn't as cool as it was in the superior first SABATA. And, excuse me, Sabata as a circus act????????

This all reminded me a bit of the SCREAM-trilogy, with the exception that the second film there was much better than here. The superior first one and the weak third one are however very similar in both series. Why all those unnecessary sequels? Why not leave people with the memory of a good film and not with that of some bad sequels? 4/10