Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinita - Trinity Is Still My Name

Back in the saddle!

Hello fellow readers, for this week and for the rest of August I had chosen several sexplotation and porn parody films to review but, since the sad news of the recent passing of Carlo Pedersoli, AKA Bud Spencer, I postponed those reviews in exchange for another classic adventure film by the Italian golden duo of  action, Terence Hill & Bud Spencer.

Sequels are always a pain in the ass for film makers and those involved in the world of movies. If we take a minute and think about how many sequels are nearly as good as the prequel or how many sequels are superior than their predecessors, I'm sure it won't be easy to make a list. Also, I'm sure Continuavano a Chiamarlo Trinita AKA Trinity is Still My Name!  will make it to the list of superior than the original sequels list. So, in this sequel, our heroes, Bambino (Spencer) & Trinity (Hill) moved on from their past adventure with the religious missionaries  to find their way to a "better life" in order to fulfill a promise they made at their father's deathbed. 

Yeah, wash off that dirt.

Are you talking to me?

Quite honestly, after seeing the first film in this series (They Call Me Trinity), I was a little underwhelmed, perhaps sold out by my own high hopes. That pic was the breakthrough buddy-comedy-western smash that made Hill and Spencer into superstars. I enjoyed it, liked its meandering pace and whimsical attitude, but was not blown away.

Now, after having seen the follow-up, I get it. Everything that was kinda shaggy, kinda loosey-goosey about the first film has been finely groomed here and the difference is notable. The story plays out slowly but steadily, with proper amounts of both slapstick and action, not to mention some damn fine slapstick action.

What do you mean you're poor and have no money?

If we can't make it as bandits we may try the goodfella stuff.

Spencer's Bambino is introduced first, duping a group of crooks out of their freshly cooked beans in hysterical fashion. Not long after the thugs have regrouped from the incident, along comes Hill's Trinity to do the same exact thing! These two gags set the tone for things: The two protagonists are never cocky or cruel in getting their way; rather they use their charm, and occasionally, Spencer's beefy fists if necessary.

The boys head back home in time to hear their father's deathbed wish, that they work together to find their way in the world, rather than constantly bickering. Their resulting adventures lead them to aid (repeatedly) a lost farming family, pose as federal agents, and get involved in a monks-versus-gunrunners battle.

Hands up you bastards!

We're businessmen, we discuss.

The general spirit of the film is kind and genial, and for this reason it reminded me of the films of Jackie Chan's Hong Kong heyday. Much attention is paid to intricate gags (several involving food); there are numerous well-staged and complex fistfights; even a running bit with a flatulent baby that would have seemed right at home in a JC flick.

Terence Hill's Trinity is a happy-go-lucky layabout that is too lazy to even ride his own horse (he prefers to be dragged slowly behind on a makeshift cot). Trinity is handsome, charming, funny … a great character to be sure. Hill is capable of doing intense (e.g., VIVA DJANGO), so his embodiment of Trinity speaks as much to his acting chops as it does his personal charisma. As for big Bud Spencer, as Bambino he is the sour to Trinity's sweet. Perennially grumpy, the character owns an underlying air of geniality that seems at odds with his willingness to swing his fists around. You get the feeling Bambino begins each fight with a big resigned sigh, as if he'd really rather be elsewhere. The two actors had appeared together in films several times before this series, but it was the Trinity and Bambino personas that really clicked with audiences of the day.

So, are you ready to show them your trick?

Huh! too slow!

Now, heading to the sad news, Bud Spencer (born as Carlo Pedersoli in 1929 in the city of Naples, Italy) died 3 days ago. He was 86 years old and lived a plentiful life for sure. He was a national swimming champ, water polo player, a talented comedy actor, an airplane pilot, songwriter, documentary producer, and mostly one of my childhood heroes.

As his son Giuseppe Pedersoli stated, his father "died without pain in presence of his family and his last word was 'grazie'". He was survived by his wife, three children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Although we have already reviewed 15 movies featuring  Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, we still have a long way to go, as we will undercover some of the darkest films the duo worked in and a few of the most interesting Bud Spencer solo films, so stay tuned, and Mr. Spencer, wherever you are in the ether, thanks for a thousand laughs I had as kid, and for a thousand more I'll have as a grown up that will continue to show your legacy to newer generations...

1929- ∞

Here's the movie trailer: