Le Grand retour de Django

Hey, wait a minute … This is called Django TWO and it was made more than twenty years after Sergio Corbucci's original classic western. Haven't there been at least twenty other sequels in between? Well yes, but apparently this is the only "official" sequel whereas all the others simply cashed in on the popular name and/or image of lone gunfighter Franco Nero. Those darned Italians … they even steal from each other! There's usually one thing you need to know about belated sequels: they suck! Usually, that is, because "Django Strikes Again" is the exception to confirm the rule. It's a very solidly scripted and action-packed adventure that independently stands on its own as one of the greatest Italian movies of the 1980's. Director and co-writer Nello Rossati luckily doesn't come up with an easy rehash of the original, but brings an ambitious and convoluted non-western story with fascinating characters and even more firepower. Django is living a retired life in a monastery, but digs up – literally - his arsenal when a woman begs him to save his own daughter from the hands of the evil slave trader/weapon dealer/jewel robber "El Diablo". This Nazi-inspired madman is the ultimate cult movie villain. He lives on a battleship that is decorated with the decapitated heads of poor suckers that revolted against him, treats his female black household slave like a cheap toy and shoots innocent fisherman in the head for target practice! Anyway, Django is sent to a silver mine to work as a slave, but manages to escape (with the help of the ultra-cool and mega-versatile Donald Pleasance) and finds his old coffin. But this is a sequels and times have modernized, so Django doesn't pull an ordinary coffin behind him anymore but tunes an entire hearse! Go Django, still indescribably cool after 20 years of hiding in a cloister and pretending to be a monk! "Django Strikes Again" is a surprisingly great and stylish movie that doesn't even qualify as a western! The action is almost adapted to the typical 80's South American guerrilla settings, with slavery camps & torrid swamps. Django's hearse is tremendously cool and there are numerous memorable sequences, including the fight within the monastery and the attack on the brothel. Franco Nero looks just as handsome and acts just as cool at age 45 as he did at age 25, but this time he also receives much better and more professional support. The almighty Donald Pleasance is terrific as an enslaved Scottish entomologist whose brains are slowly getting affected by the continuous heat. Even better than Nero and Pleasance is Christopher Connelly as the truly and genuinely despicable "El Diablo". His villainous portrayal surely ranks amongst the best cinematic baddies ever! Connelly passed away shortly after the release of this film, at the young age of 47.

A woman comes to a monastery and tells Django (Franco Nero), who became a monk many years ago, that he has a daughter in San Vicente that was kidnapped by the evil and cruel 'El Diablo' Orlowsky (Christopher Connelly), a former Hungarian soldier that uses his battleship to abduct men and boys to work as slaves in his silver mines and girls to be sold to brothels. Django follows his ship, but is captured and sent to labor work. He escapes with the support of the etymologist Professor Gunn (Donald Pleasance) and promises to return to rescues all the slaves. He goes to a cemetery where he digs his machine gun, preserved in a coffin buried under a tomb with the name "Django". He brings hell to Earth chasing Orlowsky and his gang.

"Django 2: Il Grande Ritorno" is the sequel of 1966 "Django" and is underrated in IMDb. The violent story is great and has some of excellent sequences, such as when Django is in the cemetery digging his machine gun; or when he schedules the undertaker to a future work; or riding the funeral stagecoach with the machine gun on the back. Christopher Connelly, in his last work, makes an excellent villain. Western is not my favorite genre, but I liked this movie a lot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Django - A Volta do Vingador" ("Django – The Returno of the Avenger")

The only official (but certainly not the best) and up to now the latest sequel to Sergio Corbucci's 1966 masterpiece Django, "Django 2: Il Grande Ritorno" aka. Django Strikes Again, is definitely not worthy of the original, but it is still an entertaining Action/Spaghetti Western genre mix.

Django, who calls himself "Brother Ignatius" now, has turned his back to violence and become a monk, living in a Mexican monastery, when a fatally ill former mistress tells him that he has a daughter and asks him to take care of the child after she's gone. The lady dies a short time later, and the daughter, along with other villagers, has been kidnapped by a ruthless gang of former Hungarian soldiers under the leadership of villainous Orlowski, a man who brutally enslaves Mexican civilians to drudge in a silver mine and forces women and little girls into prostitution, and is therefore referred to as "El Diablo" by the poor population. In order to rescue his daughter, "Brother Ignatius" has to return to his violent former ways and become "Django" again.

The story is not very imaginative, and the locations are a little bit too tropical for a Western, even though the movie is set entirely in Mexico, but Franco Nero's performance makes up for the movie's weaknesses. Made in 1987, 21 years after the original, "Django Strikes Again" is a mixture of a Spaghetti Western and a typical eighties action movie. It is certainly fun to watch, but it's certainly not a masterpiece like the original. Django Strikes Again may be the only official sequel, but it's certainly not the best. I've seen "Django" sequels much better than this, but I've also seen much worse. 6 out of 10 stars because of Franco Nero, the one and only original Django, who saves the movie.

The original Django , the classic and violent Spaghetti Western had numerous imitations . The picture was no authorized to minor 18 years and prohibited in various countries for its violence, for example in England ; but in France , Germany was a real success and in Japan there is one ¨Fondazione Django¨ too . It was followed by this official sequel titled ¨Django strikes again (1987)¨ by Nello Rossati , alias Ted Archer , with Franco Nero who has abandoned his previous life of violence , though returns when his daughter is kidnapped . Django (Franco Nero) was a former gunfighter , a stranger without identity , at the beginning he lives a pacific existence , he forgot vengeance and subsequent deaths , in favor of a life as ascetic . Here Django has become a monk and left his avenger former ways . His daughter is abducted by a rogue Hungarian officer nicknamed 'El Diablo' Orlowsky (Christopher Connelly) who lives aboard a ship called ¨Mariposa Negra¨ or ¨Black butterfly¨ and using slave labor to work a silver mine . Django casts off his habit and digs up his machine gun . Later on , he is going to jungle wielding the machine gun behind him and driving a hearse . There he will take on brutal rivals , ¨El Diablo¨ and his ruthless army of French soldiers recruited by Emperor Maximilian . Django befriends a boy and helps him to avenge his father . Django seeks revenge and go after the dastardly nasties .

It's an exciting western with thrills , violence , high body count , breathtaking showdown between the starring and the enemies . The highlights of the film are the confrontation at the jungle full of mud and dirtiness , Django wielding a machine gun (though with anachronism because is a 'Maxim model' that was made in 1880 and isn't utilized the usual 'Gatlin') and he does a real rampage . Besides , the attack at fort where Django causes a cruel slaughter and of course , the final showdown . Django is named as homage to Django Reinhardt , the famous American musician who introduced his particular guitar , he had a crippled hand , viewers at the time would have been aware of this allusion . The film blends violence , blood , strong tortures , shootouts and it's fast moving . In the picture appears usual secondaries from Spaghetti , Giallo and other Italian sub-genres of the 60s and 70s such as William Berger , Roberto Posse , Rodrigo Obregón and the great Donald Pleasence . There are many technicians and assistants who had a wide career , as cameraman Sandro Mancori who makes a nice photography with barren outdoors , gorgeous landscapes under a glimmer sun , being shot in Colombia . Although , a perfect remastering is necessary , because of the copy of the picture is washed-out . Nello Rossati direction is passable , after that , he will make several films of all kind of genres , wartime : Tides of War , Action : Fuga Scabrosamente Pericolosa , Giallo : La Gatta in Calore , Softcore comedy : The sensuous nurse , La Nipote and Sci-fi : Top Line .

This cult movie ¨Django¨ was a considerable hit , the graphic violent content of the film led the film to be banned in several countries, and it was rejected by the UK until 1993 , it was not rated in the USA and spawned hundreds of unofficial sequels . Some were incorrectly titled Django , and were only titled so to cash in on the original . The film was so popular in Germany that almost every Franco Nero western there bears the Django name . Although there have been over 30 films containing the character since 1966, there has only been one "official" sequel, this 1987's Django Strikes Again, directed by Ted Archer and starring Nero . As well as numerous unofficial sequels , rip-offs, and copies, such as ¨Django the last killer(67)¨ by Giuseppe Vari with George Eastman ; Django dares Sartana¨ (69) by Pascuale Squitieri ; Django Il Bastardo¨ (1969) by Sergio Garrone with Anthony Steffen , ¨Django shoots first (1974)¨ by Alberto De Martino with Glen Saxon and Evelyn Stewart . And The film was Quentin Tarantino's inspiration behind his 2012 film "Django: Unchained¨. Original star Franco Nero is set to return to the role of Django almost 50 years after the character's first appearance in Sergio Corbucci 1966 Spaghetti Western and almost thirty years since his second appearance in 1987′s Django Strikes Again!m in a new movie is being directed by regular Tarantino collaborator Joe D'Augustine . American company called Point Blank has secured the rights to the character, and is aiming to set up a third Django film, to be called Django Lives .

I really was happy to see Franco Nero reprise his role as Django 20 years after the original. The opening scene is fantastic.. But then it also kind of hypes you up to the dark carnage of the original.. Not so.. Django is a monk now.. Trying to avoid his murderous ways of the passed. Can he do it? I liked this movie. I didn't expect or want a rehashed Django.. They did seem to avoid that and it made for a good story. The famous machine gun makes a comeback as well, of course. The 1st movie was so dark.. This one isn't really but it does carry some from the original. I still can't believe he had any hands left after the beating he got in the 1st Django.. If you are a Django fan you should check this out for sure. Right now there is a double dvd with both the original & Django Strikes Again housed in one case and it usually runs around $11-12 which is a great deal. Worth watching! A good continuation of one of the great western characters.