Django 2 IL Grande Ritorno (Django Strikes Again)

Bad guys better hit the road fast 'cause Django is back!

Django is a 1966 Italian Western film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero in the eponymous role. The film earned a reputation as being one of the most violent films ever made up to that point and was subsequently refused a certificate in Britain until 1993, when it was eventually issued an 18 certificate. The film was downgraded to a 15 certificate in 2004.

Although the name is referenced in over thirty unofficial "sequels" from the time of the film's release until the early 1970s in an effort to capitalize on the success of the original, most of these films were unofficial, featuring neither Corbucci nor Nero. Nevertheless, Nero did reprise his role as Django in 1987's Django 2: Il Grande Ritorno (Django Strikes Again), in the only official sequel to be written by Corbucci. Nero also has a cameo role as the eponymous character in 2012's  Django Unchained.

Former cowboy, current monk.

The bad guy and his servant.

The official sequel project was born in parallel with Duccio Tessari's Tex e il signore degli abissi, in view of a commercial revival of the Italo-western cinema. After the commercial failure of Tex, Sergio Corbucci, who had initially accepted the direction of the sequel and had just written the story of the film, eventually refused to shoot it. Nevertheless, since Franco Nero was still interested in the sequel, the filming continued under the direction of Nello Rossati.

 

The film was filmed in its entirety in Colombia, hence the excellent Spanish pronunciation of most of the supporting cast. Also, it was the last appearance of Christopher Connelly, who died of cancer the following year.

 

Now let's get down to business and discuss the plot:

Twenty years after our last encounter with a machine-gun toting wanderer named Django, we finally get to see what became of him in the years since his big gun-down in the cemetery, shooting the bad men with hands turned to hamburger under the hooves of horses (Remember, the 30 unofficial sequels are not canon Django)

Django becoming a slave.

I'm back bitches!

This time around, the conventions of the first movie have been completely thrown out the window, a bold move on the part of the filmmakers that raised the ire of many Django fanatics. They proceeded to monkey around with the rule book and delivered a truly surprising sequel.

While numerous impostors strutted their stuff across movie screens for twenty years, the real Django headed south, leaving the sun-baked border towns of the first movie for even stranger places. Laying low and living the life of a cloistered monk, he traded his hat, pistols, and wanderlust for long hair and robes, his coffin long since buried.

Also gone are the influences of Sergio Leone and the American westerns, replaced by action and heroics more in the vein of Schwarzenegger and Rambo, prompting the brooding Django to try his hand at snappy verbal quips as he blows up and blows away heavies, "Here, smoke this.", while the ending is reminiscent of the Charles Bronson vehicle The Evil That Men Do.

One man army.

Gimme a blowjob before Django gets here, I know I'm  gonna die.

Overall, I thought it was great, with some inspired villainy by butterfly lover Christopher Connelly and a sympathetic role for the great Donald Pleasence. Franco Nero is as good as ever and actually more likable this time, going from amoral gunman to holy avenger and protector of children.

It's now been twenty-plus years since we last saw him. I think that maybe it's high time for Django to strike yet again. 

Here's the movie trailer: