Arrriva Dorellik

Wow, a real find! Less than 100 user ratings? Unbelievable! The other reviewers say it is a spoof of Mario Bava's DANGER: DIABOLIK (1968), but it was released months BEFORE that movie... it rather spoofs the comic-book character Diabolik (existing since 1962).

"Delightful, virtually unknown comedy about a bumbling Scotland Yard inspector (Terry-Thomas), who comes to Southern France to catch costumed super-criminal Dorellik (Dorelli). The charismatic anti-hero accepts the assignment to kill all the Duponts of the world for an inheritance, all the while bemoaning the fact that his sidekick/lover Lee has fallen out of love with him. Slapstick ensues. Crime comedy is a perfect showcase for Italian singer Dorelli and the always wonderful Terry-Thomas. A spoof of the comic book character Diabolik, not the Mario Bava movie of the same name, which was released several months after this. At times reminiscent of the Clouseau or Fantomas movies of the time.

This movie is so funny that certain scene made me laugh so hard I cried. This is a spoof off from year before "Danger: Diabolik" with also starred Terry-Thomas. The plot has comedian Johnny Dorelli as a phantom hitman who is in need of work so he hired to kill all 400 people who is next to inherit a fortune. Lots of funny gags that makes this film a classic. The U.S. video print is missing several scenes though.

Sorry, I know that's a convoluted title, but the thing that got me interested in this film is the awesome title song Arriva La Bomba, really some of the best of Italian 60s music, and even better, it is sung in English on my VHS copy of the film. I'm just beginning to collect 60s European cinema because of an interest in that period and location musically, and I really enjoyed this. While a lot of it makes no sense whatsoever, the characterisation is pretty good and the humour definitely doesn't get lost in translation (I saw the English dub). I saw Diabolik before I watched this, for comparison purposes, and, put it this way, Dorellik didn't bore me to tears. Is it just me, or does Dorellik really remind you of Austin Powers at some points? My only complaint is that the English title (...400 Duponts) doesn't sound very good, but otherwise it's a great film, and if you're curious about seeing it, you have nothing to be scared of!

Started as parody of a movie line about diabolik and other criminal-action heroes, it goes on and become an example of demential film. The plot is very simple but any minute will cause you to laugh as you took a heart-ache. no special effect, only good humor. Bravo Dorelli ! Impossible to find on VHS-Tape, sometimes in summer it's transmitted on italian video networks, it's a cult movie for any lover of demential films, like me and my girlfriend Alessandra: see it !