Solo: a Star Wars Story

Expect the unexpected!

After the disastrous premiere of  The Last Jedi last year, and after all the fake postive reviews made by paid critics from big websites (too big to mention here) Rian "Jar Jar" Johnson created the most divisive Star Wars film ever made. Claiming his "daring vision" would expand the SW universe like you've never seen before, he spent the whole year after the premiere explaining every single thing he did, while on the other hand Mark Hamill apparently regreted himself for saying publicly how much he disliked the new take on Luke Skywalker (we all hated it Mark, don't worry!). In addition, The Last Jedi is the lowest ranked SW films by viewers at Rotten Tomatoes with a 46% (yeah baby! let the truth be heard across the internet!) While today's entry, that has only been out for 4 days, is already a solid 60% that I'm sure it will grow as days go by. 

Solo, a Star Wars Story, is kind of a prequel in a sense it tells how Han Solo got to be the Han Solo we all grew up with in the sacred original Star Wars trilogy. Directed by experienced B Movie  maker Mr. Ron Howard, the film has everything you need to enjoy a film from start to finish. Besides, it has all the Star Wars humor piece-of-shit-Johson failed to add to his "groundbreaking ball swallowing episode VIII". So right after the TLJ effect, people even started to talk about "Star Wars fatigue". A term, I even found myself agreeing with after all the incisively aggressive Disney marketing campaign to promote their new characters as equally interesting characters as the originals. Fuck no they aren't!

Larger than life friendship.

Lando Calrissian, the gambler!

However, Seeing that millions of people were sick and tired of the latest in the SW universe, it is only natural to think that a new side quest/side story would feel strictly unnecessary. Did we really need to see who stole the Death Star's plans in Rogue One? Maybe, maybe not. I for one, think that what made SW great, was precisely that: the curtain of mystery that not only surrounded most of the main characters, but also interesting sub plots and subtle appearances of background characters that were actually as interesting as the leads (Boba Fett, anyone?)

The day Solo premiered I checked at our local theater that there were only 25 seats sold! Which kinda led me into thinking this film would be a train wreck. Later, once I actually went to the movies with me wife, we found the theater to be almost empty, as if they were about to call it a day. Moreover, and to our sad surprise it was only us and around 10 people who actually showed up once the film began to roll. Luckily, this was a real Star Wars movie, one with the heart and spirit the original trilogy had, so in a way those who were there, were the lucky ones!

Dryden Vos, a mean motherfucker.

The mysterious Enfys Nest.

Obviously, Solo, expands its universe with an interesting selection of characters that not only look cool but that also are really relevant to the development of the main plot, sub plots and other shockingly surprising reveals the film feeds us off with every hour. The new additions are Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), Han Solo's former girlfriend, Beckett (Woody Harrelson), a professional smuggler and double crosser from which Solo gets his now world famous blaster and apparently a lot more. Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), the mob boss who runs not only Beckett's life but also a powerful contraband company that seems to be working for the empire. Enfys Nest (Erin Kellyman), Beckett's rival and last but not least L3-37 (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Lando's companion droid with a mind of her own. 

Plotwise, Solo is pretty straight forward. Han Solo quits working for the empire once he realizes he's on the wrong battlefield. As soon as he escapes, he meets Beckett's pose and gets a job as a pilot and smuggler with the one character we all know so much: Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). Their first assignment, seems pretty simple: steal a precious energy source from the empire to get a load of cash after delivering it to Dryden Vos. Obviously, things go south pretty quickly, and the smuggler team has to retry their mission in order to make it out alive. 

I need to get me a fast ship.

Long time no see Han!

Solo is a rollercoaster ride full of fan service, unexpected SW references, and a incredibly well staged set of plot twists that will reassure our faith in the SW universe. While the plot may seem a bit too simplistic, it's good enough to develop the many surprises and jokes the film comes packed with. For instance, L3-37 leads a unique war of her own on demanding rights for droids, and all of her scenes are done graciously in the likes of every SW joke you've seen in the classic films. In fact, most of the funniest jokes come from the many creatures and droids our heroes find in their way to survival. The jokes look and feel so natural, that you will gladly thank yourself for having bought the tickets to what I'd like to call the "latest hidden gem" in the SW franchise. 

Solo marks Lawrence Kasdan's fourth and final time working as a writer on the "Star Wars" film franchise. He was also a screenwriter for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).  

Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place approximately 10 years prior to the events of Star Wars : A New Hope and 7 years before the Star Wars: Rebels TV series. Chewbacca and Leia Organa both made appearances in the Rebels series, but it is unknown who Chewbacca was allied with. Lando Calrissian also appeared and was voiced by Billy Dee Williams. 

Bad guys wear capes.

Run Han, run!

And now more spoiler-free cool trivia about Solo, A Star Wars Story:

-Dryden Vos has a set of Mandalorian Battle Armor in his collection on his yacht. This is the same style of armor made famous by bounty hunter Boba Fett.  

-During the train heist Val mentions the character Bossk(a personal favorite o'mine), who is one of the bounty hunters that is shown in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. 

-While posing as slave traders, Beckett (Woody Harrelson) wears the same helmet and uniform that Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) wore while posing as a bodyguard for Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi (1983). 

-Just before attempting a very risky maneuver in the Millennium Falcon, Han says "I have a really good feeling about this." In previous 'Star Wars' films, characters (including Han) have said the exact opposite "I have a bad feeling about this." 

-The theme of the Imperial March can be heard playing on the recruitment film featured at the beginning of the film before Han signs up to the Empire.  

-With this film, Warwick Davis has been involved in 10 Star Wars related projects starting with Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). 

-The Golden Idol (Fertility Idol) from the opening scene of Raiders Of The Lost Ark can be seen sitting on a table in the meeting room of Paul Bettany's character Dryden Vos. Harrison Ford who originally played Han Solo also played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Director Ron Howard confirmed this Easter egg on Twitter. 

- In the mine elevator on Kessell, Chewbacca tears a guard's arms out of his sockets. This refers to a line spoken by Han in the original 'Star Wars.' 

It's not wise to upset a wookie.

Sorry, seat taken.

Overall, Solo is an unexpectedly good addition to the now divisive SW universe. The film delivers two hours of entertainment based solely on the premise of respecting the franchise, their fans and not going over its head with "groundbreaking twists". Solo actually learned a lot from the failure of TLJ and decided to play it safe but with many interesting yet, subtle twists that will have you cumming several times by the end of the film. 

Here's the movie trailer collection:

Teaser trailer:

Official Trailer:

Behind the scenes with the cast:

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:

Lo chiamavano Trinità: They Call Me Trinity

Lazy but quick with a gun.

Comic book films are the exploitation genre of our times. As we speak, you can still go to the nearest movie theater to watch superhero films, and later this year we'll be introduced to more superhero films. Let's be honest, nobody gives a straight fuck if these films do well by concerned fans standards. All these films do well, when they fill your supermarket aisles with toys and other crap, and like the aliens from They Live we buy everything just because. Our blog has fallen victim to the superhero hype as well but, as you can notice from our previous post Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, we're back on track and better than ever. 

To celebrate our escape from mass media and mass consumption flicks, we give you a true classic: Lo Chiamavamo Trinita AKA They Call Me Trinity, the definitive Italian film that brought Terence Hill & Bud Spencer to international stardom, hence enabling them to film a lot of action packed comedies that to this very day remain as master pieces no other fucks have outdone. 

Two brothers against...

...Mexican crooks.

Terence Hill had been acting in movies for almost twenty years before he took the lead in "Unholy Four" director Enzo Barboni's "They Call Me Trinity" (1971) with his favorite co-star Bud Spencer. Initially, Hill made his cinematic debut in 1951 as a child actor in director Dino Risi's "Vacation with a Gangster" under his real name Mario Girotti. Later, Girotti would appear in co-directors Gillo Pontecorvo & Maleno Malenotti's "The Wild Blue Road" (1957), and director Luchino Visconti's "The Leopard" (1963). When Franco Nero became popular, Nero's popularity was so vast that he couldn't appear in every Italian film so the Roman film industry found suitable substitutes, among them Maurizio Merli and Terence Hill. Hill starred in several Spaghetti westerns, including a Nero-esquire oater, director Ferdinando Baldi's "Viva Django!" (1968) as well as in the Giuseppe Colizzi trilogy, "God Forgives, But I Don't" (1967), "Ace High" (1968), and "Boot Hill" (1969), where he met Bud Spencer.

Although it did not qualify as the first Spaghetti western parody, "They Call Me Trinity" cemented Hill's claim to fame and he became famous in his own right. Italian film comics Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia had starred in parody picture "Two R-R-Ringos from Texas" as early as 1967. Meantime, this landmark, low-brow western slapstick shoot'em up roughly imitates the same trail as George Stevens' "Shane" with Alan Ladd and John Sturges' "The Magnificent Seven." Not only did "They Call Me Trinity" turn Terence Hill into an international superstar, but also Bud Spencer and he wound up co-starring in 18 films. They met on Colizzi's "God Forgives, But I Don't" when Hill replaced actor Pietro Martellanza after the latter broke his leg and found himself acting with Spencer. Ironically, cinematographer-turned-director Enzo Barboni is reported to have persuaded Sergio Leone to watch "Yojimbo" because it would make a great western. Barboni lensed his share of Spaghetti westerns, including "The 5-Man Army," "The Hellbenders," "A Long Ride from Hell," and "Viva Django!"

a religious family endangered by violent cowboys.

Innocent girls willing to share a man.

Although it is not the first Spaghetti spoof, "They Call Me Trinity" ranks as one of the top five Italian western comedies, bracketed by its side-splitting sequel "Trinity Is Still My Name" and director Tonino Valerii's "My Name Is Nobody." Unfortunately, Barboni never delivered a third "Trinity," but he did make an inferior spin-off western "Trinity & Bambino: The Legend Lives On." Incidentally, do not be fooled into believing that director Mario Camus' "Trinity Sees Red" is a "Trinity" sequel because it is not. Furthermore, Terence Hill does not play Trinity. Presumably, the distributors were banking on Hill's identity as Trinity to see the film. Terence Hill displayed a knack of comedy so that he could move from a dramatic role to a comedic one. Trinity's first appearance makes it clear he is not a hero in the western tradition of John Wayne riding tall in the saddle. Instead, Trinity sprawls out comfortably on a travois, dragged by his faithful horse that attracts his attention when have reach a stopping point like the Chaparral Stage Coach Station.

Covered from head to toe in dust, Trinity (Terence Hill) fetches his horse some hay and enters the station. The owner gives him a plate of beans. Two bounty hunters with a Mexican in their custody watch in fascination as Trinity polishes off his beans. As he leaves, Trinity takes the poor Mexican with him to the surprise of the bounty hunters. As he strolls out the door with his back to the bounty hunters, they try to bushwhack him. Trinity casually plugs both of them without a backward glance. He just keeps on traipsing along with the little Hispanic to his horse. This scene depicts Trinity's incredible marksmanship. Later, we discover that he can slap a man faster than the other man can draw his own six-gun. The long funny scene when Trinity appropriates the huge pan of beans and wolfs them down with a slab of bread is an amusing gastronomic gag. Thereafter, eating beans became a trademark for both Trinity and Hill. Altogether, Hill is just plain, downright affable as the protagonist who you cannot help but like because he radiates some much charisma. 

Get off your lazy ass Trinity!

My gun doesn't like snitch bitches, you know.

In the next scene, Trinity rides into town where his half-brother Bambino (Bud Spencer) is masquerading as the town sheriff. Bambino is known as 'the left hand of the devil' and he guns down three tough-talking gunslingers when they challenge his authority. As it turns out, Bambino escaped from prison, shot a man following him, learned the wounded man was a sheriff and then took his job. Bambino is waiting for his fellow horse rustling thieves, Weasel (Ezio Marano of "Beast with a Gun") and Timmy (Luciano Rossi of "Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears") to arrive so they can head for California. Major Harriman (a mustached Farley Granger of "The Man Called Noon" doing faux Southern accent) is trying to run a community of Mormons out of a scenic valley where he would rather see his horses grazing. "Either you leave this valley, old man, or I'll bury you in it," Harriman assures Brother Tobias (Dan Sturkie of "Man of the East"), the leader of the Mormons. Eventually, Harriman teams up with an evil Mexican bandit, Mezcal (Remo Capitani of "The Grand Duel"), and his army of horse thieves. Of course, Trinity and Bambino thwart the Major and the Mexicans and save the Mormons from sure suicide.

The slapping scene in the saloon between Trinity and the Major's hired gunmen is hilarious. Bambino and Trinity get along for the most part, but Bambino has little respect for his half-brother's apparent lack of ambition. Nevertheless, the comedy emerges from their clash of personalities. "They Call Me Trinity" relies on broad humor, some shooting, and a lot of fist-fighting, but this western is neither violent nor bloody. The opening theme song provides a thumbnail sketch of Trinity and it hearkens back to similar theme songs in American westerns made in the 1950s.  

Say Trinity, we'd like to see your gun.

Besides acting, Gisela Hahn pursued a modeling career.

What's always been good about watching a Terence Hill/Bud Spencer film is that all the action and comedy are family rated! I fondly remember growing up watching these movies with my dad many, many years ago, and although these films were made during the 70's exploitation craze, there were very few scenes that mildly showed the actresses' sexiness. The strenght on all these movies was the comedy Hill & Spencer developed being naturals at it. 

Soon after the Spaghetti Western fever was over, the couple continued to work on more up to date flicks set in the 70's & 80's but holding the same charisma the couple built in their earliest collaborations. They Call Me Trinity, clearly mocks all the spaghetti heroes of the time, just like Deadpool did with the superhero genre.  

Overall, They Call Me Trinity, is a masterpiece that will be enjoyed not only by Spaghetti Western fans but, also for comedy lovers of all ages and obviously, Terence Hill & Bud Spencer people who grew up watching their movies like I proudly did. If you're one of the few who haven't watched this classic, please, do whatever it takes to find a copy available, you won't regret it! Now, If you've never ever watched a Terence Hill & Bud Spencer, dude! you got serious issues! fix that as soon as possible!

Here's the movie trailer:

And here's another legendary thing about Spaghetti Westerns, the music!!!

The Hateful Eight

The Boring Eight.

Quentin Tarantino stated a few days ago that he's planning to make 10 movies and then retire. I guess his decision is boldly based upon the difficulty he's having when releasing new movies. Such difficulty is no other than producing extremely long films that are not entertaining from start to finish. You can't make a 3 hour film just to entertain your viewers in the last 30 minutes. Also, you can't exploit uninteresting dialogs uttered by uninteresting characters. Everyone knows Tarantino's talent for creating interesting characters with even more interesting dialogs. The Hateful 8 just proves he's lost it forever. If Django Unchained already had a few filler moments, this new western is 100% filler moments. If you were hoping for a film about eight notorious killers holed-up in a cabin where the intensity is slowly ratcheted up until everything comes to a head and inevitably explodes into a gunfight of epic proportions and consequences...this isn't that movie.

First, let's be positive and focus on what this rare non action western gets right:

The cinematography at the beginning of the film was beautiful. The panoramic landscapes were stunning as was a slow motion close up of two horses in full gallop, especially with the Ennio Morricone score playing in the background. It seemed like this film was well on it's way to being a western of epic proportions.

Jennifer Jason Leigh can do no wrong. For most of the film she just reacts to the other characters and the situations, and does it brilliantly. Her sly winks, her laugh, her voice and anything she does makes her character truly memorable. Towards the end of the film her character Daisy Domergue finally opens up and Leigh is very good. It's too bad her character wasn't given a back story, because Leigh could have easily won a trophy or two this awards season if Daisy was a more fleshed- out character.

The boring as fuck team.

The most talkative Western cowboys in the whole world.

Tim Roth is good for what little he is also given. He can take a throwaway line, (which there are plenty of in the film), and deliver it in a funny, memorable way. It's too bad his character doesn't do much other than fill up a space so the title can have the number eight in it.

Kurt Russell did 'good'. Now I put that in quotes because he's done better, and in some scenes his lines fall flat and almost seem forced, but being a Russell fan myself, I think he did pretty good for the most part. It's too bad he's not acting as much as he should be.

Now let's go for the bitter taste this flick delivers by dozens

CHAPTER 1 ... Chapters in these films are no longer needed. Normally, I kind of look forward to these because we usually find out something new or shocking, either way you know something is about to happen. In this movie, however, they actually distract from the story.

Narration by some unknown person is also no longer needed in his films. The narrations seem like an after-thought that were added in during the editing process.

The out-of-sequence chapter is pretty standard fare when it comes to Tarantino's films. In this film, the sequence just makes you say. 'Oh. Okay.' and doesn't work at all.

Not even my music can save this film.

I'm the only character worth watching.

Michael Madsen is 100% a throwaway character. He's given no good lines and could have been left out of the film entirely.

Channing Tatum is a another wasted character and was basically used for a laugh, (depending on your sense of humor).

No other actor's talents were wasted more in The Hateful Eight than Bruce Dern's. Dern is given nothing to work with and I feel bad for him and disappointed in Tarantino for not giving him a more deserving part.

Walton Goggins WASN'T BAD. He is listed under the bad section because his character's motivations were all over the place. His cool confidence is what makes him an interesting actor and he wasn't given any of that here.

Samuel L. Jackson. Make no mistake - this was his movie. He is the main character. Forget the title. Out of the Hateful Eight, only four of them were actually given enough material for them to be fleshed-out characters. The rest of the characters are merely bit players to push the story forward.

Let's get inside so we can have a talk.

Even characters Yawn at this film!

There were a lot of throwaway scenes I don't even want to get into because it might spoil the story for anyone who hasn't seen the film yet.

People are comparing this movie to Reservoir Dogs, which is laughable. Reservoir Dogs did a lot more with a lot less. The Hateful Eight is bloated with a lot of unnecessary scenes and dialogue.

The violence is way over the top and unrealistic. Some of it can be seen as an attempt at dark humor. While some of it works, some does not and is needlessly gratuitous.

The Hateful Eight was unrealistic in general and most serious westerns try to play as true to historically correct as possible. 

Now I will say that Django Unchained was definitely an exception to the rule. You had to suspend disbelief because that was part of the fun of the film. The thought of Django actually being real and doing the things he did and said back in those times was really fun to watch. The hip hop music during the shoot out, for example, put a big smile on your face and had you cheering him on.

However, The Hateful Eight is a serious western with a small bit of comedy relief thrown in, and is pretty far from historically factual in terms of characters and their interactions. 

The movie is actually about me playing myself.

Great actor with a wasted character.

This brings me to the last part of my review...the ugly.

Tarantino has always been given a free pass when it comes to using the n-word, and boy he lets it fly here. Not a little bit, not a lot, not a bit much, but way too much. Subtle is not a word in Tarantino's vocabulary. Everything has to be loud and in your face. He's been known for being hip and cool, neither of these words describe this film.

Nobody in this film, aside from Minnie, Sweet Dave or even O.B., were likable at all. Every character was flawed and none of them seemed to live by any kind of code or morality or immorality for that matter.

At the end when you see who is left standing, you really don't care. That was the biggest disappointment for me. 

I'm going to be a Sheriff.

Overall, a sad experience for the viewer. I love spaghetti westerns, they're filled with action and just the right amount of plot to develop a minimum consistency for each character, but here there's not enough action. Almost two hours and a half go by when something western like actually happens. I also love Quentin Tarantino, I think he is my definite film maker. Nevertheless, I don't review films from a biased point of view. The Hateful Eight is clearly the worst film Tarantino has ever filmed. Let's hope his two remaining ones leave The Hateful Eight as a minor misstep on his already brilliant career.

PS: Bring some pills to keep you awake throughout the film, or maybe get high before hitting theaters.

Here's the movie trailer:

 

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: