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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The boys are back, June 7, 2004
I remember watching several Bud Spencer/Terence Hill films in the early 1980s. This Italian comedy team always provided lots of laughs with the crazy situations each of their films put them in, and these two goofballs were in a lot of different situations, from westerns to car races to cop films. Throughout it all, the formula always stayed the same: Spencer played the taciturn giant who always found himself roped into yet another misadventure by kind hearted Hill. What followed usually involved several awesomely choreographed fistfights, slapstick comedy on a level one rarely sees, and a sappy ending where the two save some unfortunate soul who needed help. I am hoping for a DVD release of "Crimebusters," but until then I will take what I can get from these two funny actors. This means watching films like "They Call Me Trinity" and its sequel, "Trinity Is Still My Name." "They Call Me Trinity" and its subsequent sequels are clever spoofs of the popular spaghetti western genre so prevalent during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the first film, Hill and Spencer rescued a group of Mormons from the malicious plans of a gang of land developers. The second film reunites the brothers for a similarly themed rescue mission.Trinity (Hill) and his brother Bambino (Spencer) still can't stand one another, but events once again force the two to cooperate as yet another plot aimed at the average man threatens the day. The two first come together again at their parents' house in a series of funny scenes that show how chaotic the brothers' home life must have been as children. Before they even get there, Trinity and Bambino are up to their old tricks. While crossing a desert to get to their parents' place, first Trinity and then Bambino run into a small gang of miscreants camping out behind a giant boulder. Both men manage to outfox these dense goons: Trinity through his fast gunplay and Bambino by bopping one of the guys on the head. Remember this group; they are the first of several running gags in the movie. Anyway, after staying with mom and pop for a time, the two move on together much to the entertainment of Trinity and the consternation of Bambino. They first meet a family heading west that is having difficulty with their wagon. Trinity falls for the beautiful daughter and thus leans on Bambino to help the family out. These people form yet another ongoing gag in the movie, and probably the funniest one. The gassy baby is a hoot. Naturally, a rumor goes around that Trinity and Bambino are federal agents. The brothers do nothing to counter the accusations, particularly when the head honchos of a criminal gang offer them a bribe to look the other way in a gun smuggling operation. Trinity and Bambino take the money then move to break up the plot. Well, Trinity does, but his brother hates the idea. He's all for taking the money and moving on, an idea frustrated as events pull the brothers' into a hornet's nest involving the criminals and a group of monks. The obligatory fistfight breaks out as the brothers' attempt to thwart the criminals, save the monks, help the pioneer family, and still get away with the money. "They Call Me Trinity" ended on the same note, but the final fight here eclipses the big battle at the end of the first film. There must be at least a hundred men punching, kicking, and biting each other in the confines of that church. Will Bambino finally get away with a big score, or will Trinity once again foil yet another get rich quick scam? Fans of the two actors' films probably know the answer without watching the movie. "Trinity Is Still My Name" isn't as good as the first film. In fact, the first film wasn't as good as many of the films made by Hill and Spencer. Maybe it's just me, but I vastly prefer their movies like "Crimebusters" to these spaghetti western spoofs. Hill and Spencer still do a good job establishing their characters, riffing off of one another wonderfully as they pick fights with the bad guys in these films, but it's not as much fun watching a fistfight in a church as it is watching one in a bowling alley (where the pair use bowling balls and shoes to knock the opposition senseless). I also tend to get a bit uneasy watching these two eat all those beans-the food looks gross, doesn't it? What are they really eating? That's what I'd like to know! Anyway, most fans of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer will appreciate the antics going on here. My favorite scenes involved Bambino sitting in the bar thinking about what he is going to do about the unfolding situation, and he won't let the owner close up. Every time the guy starts getting ready to leave, Bambino gets up and turns the clock back one hour. Priceless! Once again, I waded through a Direct Source DVD. What is it with this company that they only release old spaghetti westerns? Worse, the picture quality is always mediocre. For the first "Trinity" film, the transfer wasn't too bad, but it's terrible for the sequel. They released an abysmal print of "Death Rides a Horse." Too, the only extras are usually a trivia quiz and minimal cast bios. Why a bigger company or studio doesn't jump in and do the old spaghetti western genre justice is a mystery. Perhaps they don't think a market exists for these films. Perhaps they don't want to shell out big bucks to do it. Perhaps they're too busy releasing the director's edition special deluxe super duper extreme version of "Transylvania 6-5000." Whatever the case, I hope these old movies find a decent release in the near future.
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DVD ~ Terence Hill; Bud Spencer
DVD ~ Terence Hill
DVD ~ Terence Hill
DVD ~ Terence Hill
DVD ~ Terence Hill
