Il commissario di ferro

In 1978 alone, director Stelvio Massi and lead actor Maurizio Merli made three Poliziotesschi together. In total, they each directed or starred in approximately 15-20 Poliziotesschi; which probably makes them the two most active and productive contributors of this magnificent sub-genre. It's only normal that not ALL those Poliziotesschi are equally brilliant. "Il Commissario di Ferro" is one of the weaker efforts of both gentlemen, but still an entertaining crime-thriller for the fans.

The plot is very simple and straightforward. Tough, unorthodox copper Mariani is chasing after the fugitive kidnappers of a young girl, while and armed & frustrated junk walks into the police station and pulls out a gun. He wants to kill Mariani, because he holds the nicknamed "Iron Commissioner" responsible for his father's suicide in jail. The junk holds half the station hostage, but Mariani doesn't return and inadvertently even brings his ex-wife and son in danger. It seems like everyone is heading down to the station, except for the darn commissioner!

There's nothing memorable about "Il Commissario di Ferro", but it's nevertheless professionally directed by Massi and featuring a handful of brutal shootouts, a virulent fight in a warehouse full of plastic, familiar faces in the supportive cast, and a few tense hostage situation moments.

For one of three Stelvio Massi crime films of 1978, Maurizio Merli stars as Officer Joe Kickass of the Moustache Squad, and this time he's...only got one gang of kidnappers to deal with?

Okay, there's another plotline regarding the son of someone Maurizio nicked out for revenge, and although there's a few shootouts in this one, don't expect a high level of carnage because Massi is going for something a bit different here. Something a bit more personal as Maurizio in this one is a family man. Kind of. Well, he's divorced from Janet Agren and their son doesn't even call him Dad for reasons that aren't explained.

The thing is, while Maurizio is out trying to track down budget Klaus Kinski Franco Garofolo and Mariangela Giordano and give them a kicking for kidnapping, some young guy has turned up at the local police headquarters and taken his Moustache Squad hostage. This young guy used to have a dad who then killed himself in jail while awaiting trial, and this youngster thinks it's all Maurizio's fault. Hmm, and Maurizio just called his ex-wife to tell her he's not finished punching a criminal in the face yet, so why doesn't she bring the kid along to the police station and meet there? Trouble ahoy!

We've got a very streamlined plot here so there's no hierarchies of mobsters for Maurizio to punch his way through, although he does get his licks in throughout the film. I think this may be the first film I've ever watched where Ettor Manni is a good guy and not a mobster. Mariangela Giordano is always a welcome sight in any film and is good here as a criminal with a heart. Everyone else wins a 'good show, supporting cast' badge from me.

This must have been made cheap and quickly, but still entertains due to Maurizio's rage and pointing and the fast moving plot. Stelvio Massi is fast becoming my go to guy for a quick Eurocrime fix.

With his blond hair and moustache, the Italian actor Maurizio MERLI (1940 - 1989) is still the face of Italian crime films of the 1970s. However, his performance as the "Iron Inspector" in Stelvio MASSI's film is certainly not one of his best films.

Mauro Mariani (Maurizio MERLI) is a tough inspector who is primarily after the kidnapping gangs that make the streets of the city unsafe. His boss, the chief inspector (Chris AVRAM), is of course not happy about this. When Mariani is once again on the hunt for criminals - even on a Sunday - with his closest comrade (Ettore MANNI), his police station is taken hostage by a young man. He is determined to take revenge on Mariani, who is not in the office. In addition, Mariani has arranged to meet his ex-wife (Janet AGREN) and their young son at the police station.

Exciting and action-packed, as you would expect from Italian crime films of the POLIZIOTTESCO genre! And yet the film seems too contrived and does not develop the urgency that is otherwise found in many Poliziotteschi. In Italy, however, it grossed more than 847 million ITL at the box office. However, the film only reached foreign countries with the advent of the video cassette era in the early 1980s.

The relatively obscure, aptly titled late 70s poliziottesco 'il Commissario Di Ferro' (1978) aka 'The Iron Commissioner' has the good fortune to feature the dangerously dishy, heroically hypertensive, distractingly chiselled champion of the underdog; that ferociously fleet-fisted, majestically macho Maurizio Merli, with the film's female eye candy being voluptuously provided by a delectable duo of exquisite Eurocult lovelies, the uncommonly juicy-looking Janet Agren, and the no less slaveringly sensuous screen siren Mariangela 'Burial Ground' Giordano!

Capably directed by Poliziotteschi maestro Stelvio Massi, his moderately undercooked 'il Commissario Di Ferrio', is, perhaps, not the most dynamic example of the genre, but it is not without charm, having a number of pleasingly indelicate scenes of Merli mayhem, and the righteously diggable crime-funk score by Lallo Gori is a delight! Not oft mentioned, but I have spent much of my misbegotten movie-obsessed life mentioning 'not oft mentioned' genre films, so, here we go again! Apparently 'il Commissario Di Ferro' was not a favourite of esteemed action maestro Merli, seemingly a problematic shoot, but, to be fair, when I first saw 'The Iron Commissioner' it robustly ticked MOST of my required Euro-crime boxes, even sans English subtitles! And appreciated on a more basic level, Massi's twin-fisted, late 70s poliziottesco still delivers enough of Maurizio Merli's Alpha-centric, serviceably slap-happy skell-thrashing to appease the more forgiving Merli fans who still relish his blissfully bellicose ouvre!!

Pretty solid Merli/Massi collaboration. The plot is a simple one that centers on various kidnapping episodes. With each scenario, the stakes increase for Merli's character and he must race against the clock to resolve each standoff.

The film is very quick in pace and almost feels as if the events it depicts occur in real time. Despite some scenes of melodramatic family strife, the film remains highly entertaining and delivers the goods. Essentially, the film has all the elements one would expect from a Merli crimer: tense squib filled shootouts, orgies of bitch slapping, and (if I remember correctly) some brief car chases. Despite its somewhat unsatisfying ending, I highly recommend this film to any fans of Merli or Italian action cinema in general.