Il grande racket

A script doesn't necessarily have to be realistic to be good. In my opinion, all it needs its to make sense, to be credible within itself. This movie has it all and its very fast paced. It is a very good attempt to expand the perspective of the action movies back then, and I consider it, along with "Perros Callejeros 1 and 2" the best european action movies of the 70s, the background for much of the filmmaking that we see today as "new", and a great spectacle. The enchant of these movies is that, even though some special effects are not credible at all (some of the shot wounds don't bleed at all), those that do required cars to be burnt and some stunts to expose themselves are better than those the new computarized hollywood movies have.It doesnt make you feel like you are watching cartoons. I admit that the beauty of movies is fantasy. But when i compare this movie to any action movie from hollywood, I come to the conclusion that fantasy doesn't necessarily have to please anybodies wishes nor to be custom made for a certain public, but to show different prespectives than those that public has.

the only problem...Real hard to find

Ever studly Fabio Testi stars as dedicated police detective Nico Palmieri in this Eurocrime action picture. Nico is determined to bust the pesky thugs running an aggressive protection racket. Soon, these creeps are moving on to other crimes like drug running, rape, and murder. Nico will let nothing stop him from attaining his goal.

In the later portions of "The Big Racket", the story turns into the always appealing scenario in which one or more characters assemble a group of specialists for a mission. Among those recruited by Nico are men who've been impacted personally by the activities of the bad guys.

Director Enzo G. Castellari could always move from genre to genre with ease, and here he creates a stylish - if somewhat overlong - movie that benefits the most from some enthusiastic performances by the actors playing the antagonists. One of them is a gleeful young woman who enjoys dispensing punishment just as much as her male counterparts.

There's an engaging, meaty role for American actor Vincent Gardenia, as ageing criminal Pepe. While it's always a treat to see him in anything, it's not terribly satisfying to hear someone elses' voice coming out of his mouth. Although he was fluent in Italian, he was dubbed for both the Italian and English language versions. Renzo Palmer is likewise effective as store owner Giulti, who seeks vengeance on behalf of his daughter. Italian genre cinema buffs will also recognize Joshua Sinclair and Romano Puppo.

Noteworthy for a sometimes very sleazy approach (more than one female gets raped), a respectable amount of squib use and violence, well executed action, and an atmospheric score by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis.

Well worth a look for Eurocrime fans.

Seven out of 10.

While not the bloodiest film per-say, this is easily one of the most violent, as in most death/action vs. running time ratio of any crime movie I've seen in recent memory. On top of that, it's got a good multilayered story of several men disenfranchised by a protection mob, who all team up to take out the trash in one massive vigilante-style raid. Most are very good characters too, especially Orso Maria Guerrini who goes from an average Joe skeetshooter to a silent assassin once the thugs rape and murder his wife. Renzo Palmer's transition is a little less subtle, and his vengeful character gets a little irritating. Vincent Gardenia is good as a very suave pickpocket and wise-guy, while Testi is his usual pretty-boy self who of course looks so handsome that in some shots he looks more like an Anime cartoon character than an actual human.

Despite the bad profanity-censored English dubbing (which substitutes 'basket' for 'bastard', 'dung' for the S-word etc.), this is otherwise a solid film. Before John Woo, this was as stylish and as violent as action movies got. There's at least 3 major shootouts, two of which are real standouts, and all of which have their fair share of amazing shots. For instance when Fabio Testi kills the thug who kills his partner – a slow motion shot of the thug flailing around in the foreground and Testi in the background shooting at him – you can see each exit wound corresponding to Testi's gunfire. Another amazing shot is film from inside Testi's car as it rolls down a hillside (complete with Testi inside trying to shield his eyes from the flying window-glass). Castellari demonstrates a solid eye for detail and is an expert at transitions – plenty of slow motion too. Big Racket also features some surprisingly good dialog in the case of most of the thug's threats, and then again near the end when the evil crime boss rants and raves about how to run a protection mob (and then turns out to be a total coward when guns are pointed at him).

An excellent comic book crime/action movie – let's hope that promised uncut DVD comes out soon in the US.

My interest in Italian cinema is usually limited to horror films, but I made an exception for this crime flick - and I'm certainly glad that I did! Actually, The Big Racket isn't a world away from the popular Italian Giallo styling, only instead of having a vicious murderer on the loose; we have a small town at the mercy of a group of organised thugs. For a film with this sort of plot, it's surprising just how good The Big Racket is. Italian films from the seventies have a bad reputation for not making a lot of sense, but not only does this one make sense - it benefits from a great, multi-angled story as well. The film sees a bunch of criminals sabotaging local businesses and asking for protection money from the owners to make them stop. The police presence in the town is largely ineffective, with the exception of one man - Inspector Nico Palmieri. Of course, you can't go around intimidating people and destroying their property for long before someone is going to fight back - and as the justice system isn't working, our hero has to find other ways to bring law and order back to his town.

The Big Racket benefits immensely from a strong leading performance courtesy of Fabio Testi (star of What Have They Done to Solange). Testi's portrayal of the angry police officer is perfectly judged to fit the movie, and I don't think there is an actor who could be better suited to playing the lead in this movie. He heads a strong Italian cast, who all do well in bringing their characters to life, as well as providing the movie with the Italian style that it revels in. The script is really good, and finds time to flesh out its characters as well as deliver witty dialogue that is always a part of this movie's bigger budget American cousins. The plot builds well throughout as there's always enough going on to keep things interesting. It all boils down to a fabulous conclusion which serves in ensuring the movie gets the bloody end it deserves, as well as rounding off the story perfectly. The Big Racket features a great sleazy atmosphere, in which the story is able to flourish, and the catchy music score helps to make sure that the film is technically sound. Overall, The Big Racket is a must see film for both crime fans and cult fans and comes with high recommendations from me!

Italian, very familiar tale of cop who breaks the rules, gets suspended from the force, and then proceeds to dish out justice. In this case, Fabio Testi recruits the crime victims for his vigilante force. The film does not disappoint in the violence, rape and general mayhem. One gigantic question has to be what is Vincent Gardenia doing in this movie? He seems tragically out of his wise cracking element, and his considerable dark comedic talents are totally wasted. Expect plenty of ultra mindless violence, pretty decent stunts, brief full frontal nudity, and little character development. Although the action is substantial, some is redundant enough that things drag in places. Good of it's kind, and recommended. - MERK