Diabolik

To say I had a great Hype for "DIABOLIK" would be an understatement. Truth to be told, it was one of my most expected movies of the year.

Based on the premises, from the directors to the cast, from the settings to the various elements, I was pretty much sure to give my full trust to the whole project.

And I can say that my expectations were satisfied for the most part.

I sincerely can't understand what all those people who bailed this picture as a total failure, both professional critics and general audience, did actually watched.

This movie is veeeeery far from the disaster many declared (seriously, some folks almost put this on the same level as VENOM, what gives?!)

Of course, we're not talking about a perfect movie, but still a pretty decent one, and THAT should not make you think it's worthless.

As an avid reader of the original comic, I can say that for the most part its atmosphere was totally respected. Maybe a bit more, because one problem many will have is about the style.

The directors voluntarily reproduced the narrative and technical style of a '60s movie, and this won't suit well with modern audiences. But is it really a major flaw? I don't think so.

To prove my point, I'll say that I watched the movie with a friend who doesn't know ANYTHING about the original comics, or about those kind of movies ... and yet, he was never bored and truly enjoyed the picture.

There are several benefits, starting with the two protagonists, an always diligent Luca Marinelli as the dark thief, and a simply stunning Miriam Leone that shows both the incredible beauty and the solid competence of Eva Kant, way more than a mere "femme fatale".

And the technical side, from the cinematography to the production design, serves perfectly to put the audience in that period.

But still, there are some big flaws, like the way certain plot points are solved, and the most important, at least for me: Valerio Mastandrea is just not credible as Ginko, or as a policeman in general, like my friend said. Luckily he appears for the right time, without resulting too invasive in the plot, but still plays a very important role that he can't just give enough justice (quite ironically XD)

But all in all, THIS IS NOT A DISATER, but a pretty decent experiment that deserves a chance, and maybe a bit more of mental opening from audiences. Really, I assure you that it won't be a waste of time.

Long Live Giussani Sisters, and long live Diabolik!

Amoral thief Diabolik is planning to steal a pink diamond from the wealthy Lady Eva Kant. An expanded adaptation of the third issue of the comic (L'arresto di Diabolik, 1963), where Kant's character is introduced.

The movie, set in "the late 1960s" in the fictional Clerville, is crafted like an Italian giallo of the time. Aside from the attention to scenography and costumes this stylistic choice is clear in cinematography, the use of editing, and the screenplay. The pace is much slower that what you would be used to in an action movie or thriller today, giving more of a vague vintage 'mystery' vibe, and sometimes relying too much on exposition. None of the camp of Mario Bava's "Danger: Diabolik", however: this is still a movie that takes itself seriously.

The main actors have good chemistry, with Eva Kant emerging as the real protagonist of the movie, but the cold and detached portrayal of the title character isn't inspiring and the actors beyond the main trio are forgettable.

Overall a charming and well-made work, although the style may not go well with all audiences.

The story take up in a precise and detailed way number 3 volume of Diabolik.

The actors are perfectly portrayed, the choice of the two main characters is right, even if Diabolik appears very detached, a little less so Ginko, his movements are right but a little too Roman accent.

Even if the story tells about the first meeting and the union of the protagonists, the film gives more importance to the figure of Eva and less to Diabolik.

Direction promoted only in the second part of the film, soundtrack no!

Questionable screenplay.

2 hours are too many and the first half hour is too slow.

Vote 6,5.

"Diabolik" is nowhere as bad as people make it out to be: it's certainly flawed (mostly from pacing issues) but it's solid, well-directed and acted, and fairly respectful of the source material. Is this a masterpiece? No. Is this the "rebirth of Italian genre movies"? No, but it's fun and entertaining to watch if you don't expect to go see Citizen Kane.

A note: obviously, Italian press reviews are hating on this movie only because they tried to make something different from the otherwise monotonous theathrical panorama: it's beyond me why every single time someone tries to make a genre movie in Italy, press is always demolishing the effort, there's no surprise the film catalogue isn't evolving much as it should.

It is an entertaining movie.

The soundtrack is beautiful.

It is clear that they put a lot of effort to crete the 60s vibe with a lot of liminal spaces.

You have all the tropes in it: the sensual woman, the attractive and skilled villain and the determined detective.

I think that the masks part was an inspiration from "Fantômas".

I had mixed fellings about how should I feel about a movie that glorifies crooks and killers but now I'm sure, I hate it because even if some of people killed haven't been clean they haven't been dirty enough to justify a killing and most of them have been regular people anyway.

This is a '60 movie for the "modern" audiences where the bad must be presented as good.