Os Exterminadores do Ano 3000

My review was written in January 1985 after watching the movie on Thorn EMI video cassette.

"The Exterminators of the Year 3000" is a weak imitation of "The Road Warrior" hit. In unusual fashion, it opened simultaneously in the theatrical (on 42nd St.) and home video market, with meager prospects in either medium.

After a plotless opening reel of old cars chasing around (though set in the year 3000, pic populated with well--preserved models from the 1960s and 1970s), story concerns the search for water in a post-nuclear wasteland. Teamed up are the handsome hero Alien (Robert Jannucci), a petty girl he used to know named Trash (Alicia Moro) and a cute bionic boy Tommy (Luca Ventantini). Tommy's dad was murdered by the big baddie Crazy Bul, who leads a gang of bikers whom he tastefully calls "Mother grabbers" in the poorly-dubbed dialog when not shouting out quaint expressions such as "Let's purloin that water".

When Tommy loses a biomechanical arm, they go to an ex-astronaut Papillon (Alan Collins) to fix it. Papillon has already fixed Alien's souped-up stolen car which is called the Exterminator. Baddies are defeated and pic ends with the star trio frolicking in the first rainfall in years, though the Earth's ozone layer has been destroyed by nuclear bombs making for cloudless skies.

Pic has little to offer beyond okay stunts and action footage. Oddly anticipating "Road Warrior II's" casting of Tina Turner, veteran black actress in Continental productions Beryl Cunningham is cast as a vicious killer in Crazy Bull's gang.

In a post-apocalyptic future an outpost turn to a stranger to battle a motorcycle gang over a location where water, the most precious substance is located.

Directed by Giuliano Carmineo Exterminators of the Year 3000 (Il Giustiziere della Strada) is no doubt a Mad Max 2 copy-cat, but is was certainly not first or last. Released in 1983 the same year as a flurry of others including Escape from the Bronx, The New Barbarians, Endgame, 2019: After the Fall of New York to name a few. While it suffers from the usual co-Italian production issues of the 80s, clunky dialogue, lapse in logic, choppy editing, dubbing and sound design, what it does have is great practical stunts and car chases accompanied by a catchy notable (of the time) soundtrack from Detto Mariano. Also Alejandro Ulloa's cinematography captures some interesting subterranean, flatlands and rugged terrain locations. Carmineo camera work has a flair and roughness that gives this offering charm along with the low budget constraints that forces him to be dangerously inventive during the action setups.

The cast do there best with Dardano Sacchetti, Elisa Briganti and José Truchado's script. I've never heard any one say "mother-grabbers" before. Robert Iannucci makes for a good lead as Alien. Alicia Moro is notable as Trash. Actor Fernando Bilbao as Crazy Bull does his best Vernon Wells' Wez impression. Venantino Venantini's small role as John offers screen presence, with child actor Luca Venantini as Tommy (and his a little pet hamster) doing a good job.

Overall, in filmmaking they say 'never work with children and animals' - this has both. If you can swallow 1970s and 80's vehicles in a future set in year 3000 you're in for a good time.

Solid Italian Max Mad ripoff has tons of tricked our car and motorcycle desert chases, along with some pretty good Road Warrior copycat costumes, which is fun, even if the action is nothing compared to George Miller's groundbreaking films. Instead of fuel, the survivors of this post apocalyptic hell are in search of water. Though lacking the massive production values of Kevin Coster's "Waterworld" or even Miller's "The Road Warrior," director Giuliano Carnimeo (billed as Jules Harrison) manages to infuse some decent thrills out of his minuscule budget and the corny script from the same writing team who brought you the equally silly "1990: The Bronx Warriors" and "The New Gladiators" (they also wrote the Lucio Fulci horror classics "Manhattan Baby" "The House by the Cemetary"). However, the film is hampered by lousy acting, a dull story, and terrible dubbing (though that does offer camp value). Also, the film takes a major nosedive in terms of pacing once the main character comes across a community of wastelanders. From there, it's a bunch of boring talk about how they can get more water and nothing much of interest. That is until the final's climactic road battle, which although nothing spectacular and plays out more like a demolition derby than a coherent action sequence is still a step above most low budget warriors of the wasteland films of this ilk. Overall, far from a classic, but solidly enjoyable if you enjoy this sort of disreputable film genre.

It's the year 3000 -- the Earth's ozone belt has been destroyed by nuclear blasts leaving survivors scouring the scorched landscape for that most precious commodity: H2O. Tough loner Alien (Robert Iannucci) travels this waterless wasteland in a souped-up car called the Exterminator (guzzoline clearly not an issue in this particular future world), the motor kitted out with all manner of gadgetry, including in-car video and bullet-proof armour; this makes him the target of a band of ruthless marauders, led by Crazy Bull (Fernando Bilbao), from whom Alien stole the vehicle, as well as opportunistic post-apocalyptic carjacker Trash (Alicia Moro), who, in the opening sequence, snaffles the Exterminator, leading to a high speed chase that leaves Alien trapped upside down in a wrecked police car.

Rescue comes in the form of ten-year-old Tommy (Luca Venantini), only survivor of an expedition to locate a rumoured underground water supply; he frees Alien from the twisted wreckage and the two from an unlikely alliance. Their journey involves run-ins with Crazy Bull and his gang, a visit to ex-astronaut turned engineer Papillon (Luciano Pigozzi), and encounters with Trash, who ultimately teams up with the guys to find the water.

A prime slice of early'-80s post-apocalyptic cheeze, The Exterminators of the Year 3000 is chock full of stunts, crazy characters, and diabolical dialogue, making it a real hoot for fans of low-budget Mad Max rip-offs. While the action isn't as impressive as the vehicular mayhem in George Miller's classics (what is?), it still looks fairly dangerous and is therefore suitably entertaining, but the film is at its most enjoyable when introducing its more outlandish comic-book elements: the Exterminator's Bond-style gadgetry, Tommy's new and improved bionic arm, Trash's sonic key, the group of mutants who protect their water with Indiana Jones-style booby traps, and the hilarious dialogue ("Into battle, my merry mother-grabbers!", "Unleash the dogs of war", "C'mon you little honey parrot"). I'd definitely liked to have seen director Giuliano Carnimeo push the futuristic angle more (apparently, men have travelled to Mars and Venus, yet Earth-bound transport technology has remained firmly rooted in the 20th century), but I imagine the minimal space-age tech was down to budgetary constraints.

After lots of shooting and explosions, the corny ending sees the heroes' tanker of water accidentally depleted by Crazy Bull's sadistic henchwoman Shadow, and the source of all that H20 destroyed by the mutants, but - as luck would have it - the Earth's damaged atmosphere repairs itself at the same time, leading to a downpour of rain. Cue freeze frame on the ecstatic good guys!

5/10. Anyone expecting the extreme adrenaline rush of the likes of Fury Road will be disappointed, but go into this with the right mindset and a fun time is there to be had.

Insanely entertaining post-apocalypse garbage from those always dependable Italians is good for some excitement and *many* laughs. Robert Iannucci, looking like American actor Martin Kove, stars as sleazy lone wolf "Alien", roaming the desert landscapes and making trouble. He makes the acquaintance of the young Tommy (Luca Venantini), who was tagging along with others of his community on the quest to obtain water. You see, in this vision of the future, H2O has become the most precious commodity. What Alien really wants to do is turn a profit, and it remains to be seen if he'll really step up to the heroic plate.

Iannucci is an enjoyably gruff protagonist, and the supporting cast is just tremendous fun. Tommy, who definitely takes his lumps, turns out to have a most amusing secret, leading to some priceless gags. The movie co-stars the beautiful Alicia Moro as Trash, the excellent Luciano Pigozzi as "Papillon", Eduardo Fajardo as the Senator, Beryl Cunningham as Shadow, and the true scene stealer in this gloriously goofy escapist flick, Fernando Bilbao as Crazy Bull. Being made to utter some hysterically dumb lines, and looking like he wandered off the set of "The Road Warrior" to appear in this, he provides great entertainment value. Some viewers may find the sequence in which Tommy gets drunk to be in poor taste.

Production & costume design and music are good, if rather standard, for this sort of thing. This movie is far from being original, but it still manages to show its audience a good time. The action is often genuinely exciting (dig those vehicle stunts!), and there's one hilarious, amazing segment in which Alien and Trash infiltrate the building housing the water source and must contend not only with booby traps (shades of Indiana Jones), but mutated guards wielding flamethrowers.

If you can't get enough of the whole "post nuke" genre, then don't pass this one up. It's a *real* hoot.

Eight out of 10.