BEN AND CHARLIE is a spaghetti western in the Terence Hill/Bud Spencer mould, although with slightly more plot and less action hijinks than the films of those two popular stars. This one has an excellent central pairing in the form of Giuliano Gemma and George Eastman. Gemma is the Hill character, carefree and charming, while Eastman is the hulking, bearded brute. The actors genuinely seem to enjoy working together and that enjoyment rubs off on the viewer.
The film features the two guys hating on each other at the outset, although twists of fate keep seeing them brought back together again. There's some gambling, some would-be execution scenes, and even one or two bank robberies added to the fast-moving plot. A big shoot-out in the ruins of an old fort is very well directed and reminiscent of Leone at his best. There's only one bar-room brawl but a very good one it is too. Giacomo Rossi-Stuart plays a Pinkerton agent on the trail of our two ne'er-do-well heroes and Luciano Catenacci is delightful as the bald-headed bad guy.
The film features the two guys hating on each other at the outset, although twists of fate keep seeing them brought back together again. There's some gambling, some would-be execution scenes, and even one or two bank robberies added to the fast-moving plot. A big shoot-out in the ruins of an old fort is very well directed and reminiscent of Leone at his best. There's only one bar-room brawl but a very good one it is too. Giacomo Rossi-Stuart plays a Pinkerton agent on the trail of our two ne'er-do-well heroes and Luciano Catenacci is delightful as the bald-headed bad guy.