Kriminal

From the stylish comic book style credits at the beginning we know this is not to be taken too seriously and that a good time could be had. And indeed it is. Nothing too special but a slight story involving the theft of some jewels is much enlivened by Lenzi's enthusiastic direction. Everything, from the skeleton like costume the 'Kriminal' dons to the fine costumes worn by the great Helga Line (in a double role) and the wonderful London and Istanbul location photography, this keeps happily moving in its own colourful way from start to finish. So outlandish and likable in parts that this is laugh out loud funny at times and there is certainly never a dull moment as our dashing hero seduces, deduces, makes time for a little lovemaking and crucially when the situation demands, kills. All action, all smiles fantastically decorated 1966 minor gem from one of Italy's most able directors.

Kriminal, a famous English thief, whose actual identity nobody knows, steals some diamonds of Lady Gold, a rich English woman. While he is leaving England by train, the police tries to capture him and he loses the diamonds jumping out of the train. After some hours walking he meets a beautiful woman who gets him a passage with her car. But she is a policewoman… This is a boring Italian film inspired to a famous comic strip called precisely "Kriminal". I think it is more interesting than the film although the film is rather faithful as for the characters and Kriminal's costume is the same of the comic strip.

Filmed in England and in Turkey it has a good soundtrack even if it is very similar to "Flashman" another Italian B action film. Among these kind of films it is worth remembering "Diabolik" that is the best in my opinion. Kriminal has original dialogues some in Italian and some in English then dubbed for the Italian market. By the way Glenn Saxon who plays Kriminal, is a Holland actor overall famous in Italy for some Italian westerns. In the role of a police superintendent we recognize Franco Fantasia who is a good Italian stuntman.

Fun caper which anticipated Mario Bava's DANGER: DIABOLIK (1968) - which I rewatched the very next day via Paramount's SE DVD - but isn't nearly as stylish! Glenn Saxson is a wooden lead (I should be watching him again soon in a Spaghetti Western, DJANGO SHOOTS FIRST [1966]), though Helga Line' - in a dual role! - is an attractive foil. Raymond Full's score is infectious and appropriately playful, while Angelo Lotti's pleasing cinematography takes in picture-postcard views of London, Madrid and Istanbul.

Still, even though Kriminal's skeletal costume may work on paper (the film originated as a comic-strip), it feels rather silly when displayed on the screen - and, ultimately, has been infrequently used! The film, however, creates some pretty exciting set-pieces (including the ruse of exchanged identity towards the end) and even concludes with a nice twist, opening the way for an eventual sequel - which arrived in the form of IL MARCHIO DI KRIMINAL (1968)...

"Kriminal" explodes immediately with awesome, mega-cool opening credits. They're half comic-book and half live-action, guided by a gloriously psychedelic and rhythmic tune. This is an anti-(super-)hero movie in the same vein as Mario Bava's "Danger: Diabolik", and that just happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. It's colorful, swinging, boisterous and just downright ecstatic! The plot is convoluted and you have to remain quite alert to keep up with all the plot twists. Glenn Saxson, who sometimes looks like he could be the twin brother of Franco Nero, plays the title role. He's a masked anti-hero who kills in the most incredible and imaginative ways. He seduces old horny women and subsequently boils them in their own saunas paid by they money they inherited after the suspicious death of their husbands. Kriminal is also a regular David Copperfield! He makes the best exits and I never saw someone vanish in the crowd without being noticed like he does. Last but not least, Kriminal wears the coolest outfit ever. He's dressed like a skeleton. That looks reasonably creepy and it glows in the dark, which comes in quite handy during his nocturnal escapades. Screw Batman and Spiderman, the Kriminal skeleton is the way to go! It's a bit of a shame that this film isn't more commonly known, because the outfit would make a terrific costume for kids to wear on Halloween. Speaking of which, I wouldn't be too surprised if Kriminal's outfit stood model for the character of Jack Skeleton in Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Too bad the outfit is criminally – pun intended – underused. Considering the time of release, the film is also stuffed with obligatory James Bond imitations, like sequences set inside casinos and villainous characters that resemble Ernst Blofeld. Luckily enough the script is solid and intelligent enough to stand alone as an independent success, full of action, humor and lewdness. Director Umberto Lenzi might be most commonly known for his repulsive cannibal flicks ("Cannibal Ferox", "Nightmare City") and excessively violent cop thrillers ("Almost Human", "Violent Naples"), but this rarely seen so- called crime caper is definitely worth seeking out.

Watchable entry in the super-criminal subgenre even if it is a far cry from Danger: Diabolik. This film begins with Kriminal escaping execution and quickly planning a diamond heist. Since the diamonds have already been stolen, Kriminal is essentially swindling criminals. This doesn't necessarily make him a good guy, what with trying to blow up his ex-wife who turned stool pigeon. Still, Kriminal has charm. . . and a nifty skeleton suit for nocturnal adventures. An all black suit might have been more practical for blending into the darkness but Kriminal is anything if stylish. The film itself could have used more style. Umberto Lenzi's direction is merely serviceable, lacking the thrills of some of the director's 70's crime movies. On the plus side, the film offers bright cinematography and appealing eye candy provided by Helga Line and Mary Arden (Blood and Black Lace).

Kriminal is not a film that stays long in the memory but offers a pleasant enough lazy afternoon viewing.