L'exécuteur

This is really a movie which has lost its interest by the time. The actors just seem to drive around like in a mediocre American police-serial. When people are shot, it is by a killer who appears and disappears and is everywhere. When there is a pursuit on the road, by accident three big trucks try to drive Stacey Keach from the road. I prefer Mannix or Kojak. The mafia is typical but described without any details or exactitude. The story has no point and nobody could believe it. Roger Moore is not only a lawyer, he must be also something as an SAS-agent capable of killing any professional killer. Who believes that?

Roger Moore and Stacey Keach star in this Italian-American co-production, and try to be the Martin and Lewis of 70's crime exploitation cinema. The rigor mortis of Roger Moore was never more noticeable as it is here, playing the straight man next to the Keach's easygoing rouge. It's a rather stale exploitation film, with the typical one liners, car chases, shoot outs, and gratuitously bad dubbing of the Italian actors. The film does have one great highlight when Keach takes a gangster's car for a test drive, and in hair-raising fashion, wrecks it through the streets of San Francisco. Unfortunately, it all doesn't work- the comedy isn't funny enough, neither Keach or Moore are particularly convincing (especially Moore, who is as dry as a desert), the violence and stuntwork is middling, the story isn't very engaging, and the ending is painfully banal. There may be just enough `so bad it's good' work that 70's exploitation fans may be entertained, but no one would call it great.

Just to give an idea what you're in for- in the finale, Keach (as Charlie) hides some dope in cans of powdered milk, stashed in the trunk of his car. Moore, to keep him out of trouble, pushes the car over a cliff and says, `It was only powdered milk, wasn't it Charlie? And, what's the use of crying over powdered milk?' You may now groan if you aren't already.

In my opinion, the ratings are somewhat unfair, possibly because they compare the film with current productions. The film is from 1976 and therefore should be measured at the standards of that time and here, I find, it still exceeds the average. The two main actors, Roger Moore and, more specifically, Stacey Keach, are the main reason for this. Some complain about the English dubbing. About this I can say nothing, but I can imagine that a bad dubbing can mess something, or all here. Well, the German Dubbing is very good, both protagonists have the well- known sync voices, Roger Moore, for example, from his James Bond films. Both act as buddies and complement each other excellently, just Keach's role brings loose the film excellently and humorously. The music is better than the beats from other Italian films of the 70s. Also the production and the existing budget is higher. I often read 'low budget film' but as mentioned before, compare it to the standard Italian classic flick and not with an James Bond Production. The two auto- action scenes are very well implemented, also the filming sites was well-considered. Surely we have here no top film belonging to the IMDb Top 250, but in my opinion synonymous not the superfluous film, which is only waste of time. It is a solid, versatile action tiller who can be given a chance. In German its called Abrechnung in San Francisco, meaning Last billing in SF, which suits much better than Street People. A weak 7, but a 7.

Disjointed gangster film that specializes in pointless "destruction of property" scenes. Roger Moore is badly miscast; he clearly looks uncomfortable to be in an Italian crime movie, and he shows none of his usual flair. Don't go out of your way to see this one. (*1/2)

This film is not dissimilar to many cop-buddy films, except that the two central characters trying to track down the contraband are working for the mob. And, to-be-fair, it is far better than a hell of lot of cop-buddy films I have seen. It is let down in places though, not least the awful flashback scenes which are far too sappy.