Cul et chemise

The Hill & Spencer movies were never famous for their brilliant stories, but this one doesn't even make an effort. Plotless, slow-paced, boring and only occasionally amusing, it feels like a film that was made out of obligation, rather than like something that the stars and the filmmakers put their hearts in. At least with its animal-friendly messages you could say it's good for kids, but no - they'll be as bored with it as anyone else. (**)

For the most part I'm for the Hippopotamus is a standard Hill & Spencer offering, consisting of mild comedy mixed with some fist fights. Like usual the plot isn't much to talk about, and mainly exists as to supply some bad guys for them to brawl with. In this case Jack Ormond and his gang of poachers, who are catching African wildlife which they want to sell to a Canadian zoo! Tom and Slim have to team up to prevent this whichever way they can, misbehaving themselves at lunch, putting up a casino scam and off course talking with their fists...

So far nothing we haven't seen from them before, and the quality too is as usual. Although dated, it has the just OK production values we're used to in a Hill & Spencer movie. Nevertheless it's among my favorites of their work, and that has to be because of the nice scenery together with all the wild animals. We get to see quite a few lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, ostriches and wildebeests. Not only nice to look at but they do interact with them in a respectful if not loving way which is quite an accomplishment while sending out a powerful message.

Well worth a watch for that alone.

"I'm for the Hippopotamus" is a good movie! It maybe hard for non Terence and Bud fans to like it, but its damn funny! Its about Slim and Tom having to stop a german tyrant called Jack Ormond from sending half the african wildlife to the Toronto Zoo in Ontario, Canada. It doesnt sound like much of a plot but there are some priceless scenes here, like the fights, the pawn shop "robbery", escaping from jail with a bulldozer, Silm drinks caviar mixed with butter,salt, pepper, and champagne. The whole casino bit! That was good! Joe Bugner's performance as Ormond was better than expected! IT'S A MUST FOR TERENCE AND BUD FANS LIKE MYSELF! My vote, 9/10. >

As with almost all if the BS & TH movies, the plot tells a simple story but it has larger moral and ethical implications. BS & TH always fight for the little guy. They always fight the powerful, abusive, rich and corrupt, when it is not just a plain villain. They always use the necessary violence (and no more) to obtain justice. They do not start the fighting, moreover they seem to avoid it if possible. They always prevail and once doing so, never mantain the power obtained or abuse it. And with this movie, there is a anti-racist, anti-colonial overtone and specifically, they aim for enviroment and animal conservation. Plus its very funny and entertaining.

Terence Hill and Bud Spencer don't get along as they partner in a tourist bust in Africa. But they really don't like Joe Bugner, who's shipping animals and ivory to Canada, and forcing the locals out of their homes. Hill and Spencer wander around, engage in rowdydows, and let the captured animals escape in this chaotic comedy.

Not everything works; there's a sequence in which Bugner is serving them expensive foods like lobster and caviar, who turns into disgusting rather than funny. However, the good humor, the siport for Native life, and the opposition to pillaging the local animals should win a lot of sympathy points, as these two just go about destroying anything that gets in their way.