5/10
Average Paella/Spaghetti/Butifarra Western co-produced by Spain/Italy , being regularly directed by Alfonso Balcazar
27 October 2017
Italian-Spanish co-production full of action , thrills , humor , exaggerated characters, crossfire and lots of shots . The film packs violence , shootouts , high body-count and and results to be quite entertaining but mediocre . The film begins with Union soldiers transporting a shipment of gold . A bunch of bandits headed up by treacherous , unrepentant villains : Luke Morton (Daniel Martin of ¨Filstful of dollars¨) and trigger-happy Carrancho (Fernando Sancho of "Zorro the Avenger") , to follow the shipment and rob it back , as well as kidnap a beauty woman (Rosalba Neri) . Later on , we are then introduced to our stalwart , a swift-drawing , straight-shooting hombre with a deadly reputation : Sabata or Rayo (Jorge Martin of Return of Ringo) from title who arrives in the small town . As the valuable gold is targeted by a second outfit of robbers led by Texas (Vittorio Richelmy) and Sabata . Then Carrancho robs the gold loot and escapes , burying it at a Mormon cemetery . After getting away , there takes place an attempt on his life that results in Carrancho running around country . Along the way , Carrancho faces off a new enemy called Texas and being relentless pursued by Morton . Sabata , Texas and Carrancho become involved into violent incidents , double-crosses , tramplers and a lot of twists and turns .

Acceptable though middling tortilla Western in which Sabata and Texas resolve a conflict among nasty robbers that want to take a gold shipment and the Union Army that attempts to transport it . All in all , this film is predominantly a Spanish film rather than an Italian one . It's a two country co-production but is clearly dominated by the Spanish contingent and the traditional leanings of the Spanish producers of the time have their stamp on the entire proceedings . What is most interesting about the euro-westerns made in Italy and Spain in 1960s and 70s are the creative and idiosyncratic ways that the directors came up with to deal with short budgets and limited resources . Given the peculiar economics of the Italian/Spanish industry there was a great deal of freedom for how to make satisfying movies for an ample export audience . Unfortunately, many of the 400-500 films made during this cycle were poorly made . Passable Chorizo Western realized in Pasta style with a screenplay written by Jose Antonio De La Loma , Giovanni Simonelli and Alfonso Balcázar himself , including amusing dialogue , silly situations , plot twists and turns . The film packs comical elements in charge of Carrancho/Fernando Sancho , tongue-in-cheek , gun-play , and turns to be quite amusing. It's a middle-budget film with ordinary actors , technicians , decent production values and average results . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between starring George Martin and his enemies Daniel Martin and the brawler Fernando Sancho , adding some thrilling and twisted scenes on its final . Sober and tough acting by Jorge ¨George Martin¨ who takes on a band of crooks , unethical Carrancho & his gang, challenging the hero right up to the final showdown and he then decides that he wants to get his hands on the gold also . Jorge starred during the sixties and seventies several action films as well as Chorizo or Paella Western . His role as Sabata nothing to do with the classic character played by Gianni Garco and George Hilton . The film is well starred by Spaghetti star as the Spanish George Martin who worked much for Alfonso Balcazar's factory such as ¨Clint the strange¨, ¨The return the Clint¨, ¨Oeste Nevada Joe¨, Thompson 1880¨ , ¨Taste of killing¨, ¨A pistol for Ringo and ¨The return of Ringo¨ . Furthermore , there appears ordinary secondary of Spaghetti/Paella Western as Spanish players : Daniel Martín , Manuel Gas , Cesar Ojinada , Manuel Muñiz as well as Italian actors as sexy female cast Rosalba Neri , Osvaldo Gennazzani and Luciano Rossi, among others . Special appearance by Spaghetti idol , Fernando Sancho as the ordinary outlaw , the Mexican bandit called ¨Carrancho¨ , he is terrific , he would play this role in other Spaghettis as¨Pistoleros De Arizona¨and ¨Viva Carrancho¨ . The picture well photographed by Jaume De Casas , shot Castelldefels, Papiol , Barcelona, Catalonia . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and adequate production design by the usual Juan Albert Soler , he creates a good scenario . Very enjoyable musical score by Piero Piccioni .

This motion picture also titled USA ,¨Watch Out Gringo! Sabata Will Return" or ¨Judas Toma Tus Monedas¨ was professionally produced and directed by Alfonso Balcazar who managed to make a fluid , witty and agreeable SW , but mediocre . It is rooted in the Sergio Leone's Spaghetti westerns of the 1960s instead of Hollywood sagebrushers of the 1950s . Alfonso alongside his brother Juan Jose Balcazar produced and directed a lot of Chorizo or Butifarra Western , most of them starred by Jorge Martin or Robert Woods ; such as 1972 ¨The return of Clint¨ , 1968 ¨Sartana no Perdone or Sonora¨ , 1967 ¨With Death on Your Back¨ , 1966 ¨Dinamita Jim¨ , 1965 ¨Doc, Manos de Plata¨ , 1965 ¨Viva Carrancho¨ , 1965 ¨Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace¨ and especially "Clint the Nevada's Loner" . And co-directed by Pedro Ramírez who was an expert on comedy , filming vehicles for the Spanish comic named Jose Luis Ozores such as ¨ El Gafe¨, ¨El Tigre Chamberi¨, ¨Los Ladrones Somos Gente Honrada¨, ¨Recluta con Niño¨ and made a Horror : ¨School of death¨ and two Chorizo Western for Alfonso Balcazar : "None of the Three Were Called Trinity" and this one .
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