Adeus, Texas

While Texas, Addio may not be among the high water mark of European Western filmmaking, I find it baffling that one would completely dismiss a film because of the quality of its post-production dubbing in a language different from that of its country of origin. Filmmakers are rarely responsible for how their film is presented in foreign language markets, so to place the blame on Mr. Baldi and the producers for the relative poorness (which I must also disagree with--there have been much, much worse dubbing jobs) of the dub is the same sort of ill-informed ignorance that says that the Godzilla films produced by Toho Studios in Japan are "badly acted" because the American dubbing is sub-par.

Aside from the dubbing, there's really no other reason to state that the studio and/or producers were incapable of making a Western. While Texas, Addio may not on par with Red River or The Searchers, the film delivers what most Western audiences ask for--a solid hero, a hissable villain, a believable conflict, plenty of gunplay, and a scenic atmosphere (and again, I'm baffled by statements that label the Spanish location as unattractive or, at the very least, not reminiscent of the American West).

If you're interested in Italian Westerns, I urge you to see beyond the dubbing and invest the time in this film.

im glad i just saw the movie for the first time. why? i didnt have to be so damned concerned about the "poor dubbing" some are whining about. the dvd comes with the italian track!! anyway, i never have complained about a films poor dubbing job. im much more into any film to sometimes notice. i may giggle a little....but its not that distracting. i also get a kick out of how many people cant handle "keoma" because of the music. whatever. i thought it kinda fit...so im weird. TEXAS ADDIO is a great story with solid action again featuring the italian gun-slingin master, franco nero. i really enjoy that guy and im looking forward to him with the dvd release of "django". i have over 1000 dvds in my collection but my euro-western section is only 21 titles long with more on the way. "texas.." is most welcome in my collection and worth repeated veiwings. many j. wayne films sit close to the sketti titles but they have nothing to do with each other except for that they are all great westerns. also close by is "dead man" with j. depp....a great film but comparing and sizing up actors and titles is a waste of time for me. also see "the great silence" and "bullet for the general" if you have not checked them out yet. youll find nice dvds of each on shelves now.

(aka: THE AVENGER)

Sheriff Burt Sullivan (Franco Nero) leaves his job temporarily to go down to Mexico with his kid brother Jim (Alberto Dell'Acqua) and hunt down Cisco Delgado, the man who killed their father. Only there's an added surprise complication since the Delgado is related to Sullivan in a way which I won't reveal.

I had no problem with the dubbing since it's no worse that what you find with many films in this genre, but there's some pretty sloppy editing here. For example, early in the movie Sullivan (Nero) is ambushed by a man with a rifle up in some rocks. He has a shootout with the man and eventually kills him, but he doesn't go over to investigate and find out who the man was or find some clues as to why he was after him. Instead he turns the other way and finds his brother Jim waiting down at the bottom of the hill, playing a banjo. Bizarre to say the least.

The opening title track sung by Don Powell isn't any great shakes, either. Some of the later music cues in the film sound like surf instrumentals with a slightly Spanish tinge to them. Like out of KILL BILL or something. They sound pretty cool in light of the dreary opening track.

I must say that I did like the Almeria locations that vary between desert and rocky high ground as well as beautiful canyons and a river that could pass for the Rio Grande, but that's not enough to take it over the edge, imo.

The beautiful widescreen anamorphic Anchor Bay DVD comes with a 10 minute featurette where Franco Nero discusses the making of the film and how he used stuntmen in the fight scenes to make it look more believable, and he's right. Some of the fist fights do look good.

As it is, it doesn't hold a candle to DJANGO or Nero's previous western before this, TEMPO DE MASSACRO (MASSACRE TIME) which is one of my favorites. I wish Anchor Bay would release that one since it not only stars Franco Nero, but was directed by master horror director, Lucio Fulci.

In the meantime, I consider Texas, ADDIO below average.

4 out of 10

-

Sheriff Burt Sullivan and his younger brother Jim want to take revenge for their murdered father and say "Good bye, Texas!" to head for Cisco Delgado, the hiss-and-hate bad guy, who resides in Mexico. Unlike in many other Spaghetti Westerns the hero is never really slick and instead decides for an against-all-odds approach. The darkness of other serious spaghetti westerns is missing.

The sung score is memorable, the cinematography of Enzo Barboni is mediocre, Franco Nero is good as usual while the other actors do their job with little ambition. Overall this Western has average quality.

5 / 10.

Before watching the movie, I watched the interview with Franco Nero that's on the disc. When he said that this western is "more like an American western" than any of his other movies I began to worry since I generally don't care for American westerns.

The opening theme song of the movie is decidedly Euro-western, so that gave me some hope. Then the story began. The beginning scenes of the movie when they are in Texas are kind of hokey and corny in an American western sort of way, so I started to doubt the worth of this movie again. Fortunately this part of the movie is very short. The Sullivan brothers head off to Mexico and that's where the story unfolds and quickly becomes one hundred percent spaghetti western.

The music score is very good, with lots of spaghetti style trumpets and guitar. The theme song becomes a haunting recurring melody.

Franco Nero gives another action packed performance in this movie. His character, Burt Sullivan, has an uncanny ability with a gun that's reminiscent of Django. Jose Suarez is excellent in the role of the slimy land baron who murdered Sullivan's father, and Jose Guardiola is great as his cultured crony McLeod.

Needless to say, this movie was much better than I expected after hearing Franco Nero's comments. This is definitely not an American western! If you like your spaghetti westerns packed with action and revenge Franco Nero style, do yourself a favor and check this one out.