Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Comeuppance Reviews Carlo Antonelli (Nero) is a humble, but fairly well-off Genoese engineer. One day while at the bank, a gang of street toughs break in, rob the place, and assault some of the patrons. Unfortunately, Carlo is one of those unlucky customers, and the baddies even briefly kidnap him during their quest to evade the law. Carlo is profoundly changed by the experience. At first seeking help from the proper authorities, his anger and frustration grows and grows due to their lack of help. He decides to take matters into his own hands. Along the way he meets Tommy (Prete), a small-time thug who reluctantly agrees to help Carlo in his search for justice and revenge. Carlo also tries to enlist the help of Barbara (Bach) but her style of assistance isn't nearly as forceful and effective as his and Tommy's. Will Carlo track down his assailants? Find out today! Street Law, aside from being a great and highly entertaining movie, is probably the most well-known example of Poliziotteschi in America. During the heady days of VHS, the cassette got wide distribution by VidAmerica. Most people with memories of video stores can remember that box, with the hooded thug pointing his gun at you. Sure, that guy isn't really in the movie, and the artwork kind of takes away from the serious-minded tone of the film, but so what? Once again, director Enzo G. Castellari proves himself a master of any genre he turns his attention to, imbuing the film with a confident, competent, professional vibe that never drops the ball in the entertainment department.Maintaining the intense, angry core of the movie is the great Franco Nero. You really feel for his character, and the violent bits have all the more impact for it. In classic Italian style, there are many insane, real stunts where it looks like dudes are seriously putting their lives at risk to entertain us. No CGI here! All of this is set to the incredibly beautiful background of Italy. Everything from the car chases to the few humorous asides are all directed and shot to perfection by Enzo and his team. But his trump card is getting the fabulous Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis to do the music. Their main theme is pitch-perfect and the awesomeness of this song, "Goodbye My Friend", just raises the bar even more for the movie as a whole. Just the way the song is cued at specific parts of the movie shows a genius for editing and rhythm.Of course, Street Law is filled with 70's style. Sure, it's a film relevant to the time it was made thanks to the subject matter, but the clothes, hair and home/office decor are fascinating in their own right. The prevailing style of the day seems to be to wear a sweater with a large-collared shirt underneath, with a blazer. All of which are made of different materials and designs. A lot of the exterior shots do look like it was cold out, so this probably kept everyone warm, not to mention stylish.How can you lose with a movie about a one-man justice squad starring Franco Nero and directed by Enzo? You can't, and the inoffensive dubbing doesn't get in the way, plus the cool climax puts the icing on the cake. If you don't already have it, be sure to pick up the Blue Underground DVD.

MARIO GAUCI Between the mid-1950s and mid-80s, Italian cinema was replete with imitations of big Hollywood box-office successes and this one here is not just a surprisingly decent DEATH WISH (1974; released a mere three months earlier!) clone but one of the better poliziotteschi I've watched so far. Besides, it is the second of ten collaborations between star Franco Nero and director Castellari - of which I've caught up with 3 and will soon also get to THE SHARK HUNTER (1979) and KEOMA (1976)! Aren't you all envious? After an overly intense opening 15 minutes (which occasionally gives rise to some unintentional hilarity) in which we witness everyman Nero being repeatedly victimized by a band of vicious criminals, he decides to take the matter into his own hands, defying the careless (and quite possibly complicit) police force and tracking down his oppressors for one final showdown. Through the course of the film, Nero forms an uneasy alliance with a professional thief (Giancarlo Prete) who pays for his treason with his life, alienates his girlfriend (a pre-Mrs. Ringo Starr Barbara Bach - incredibly, she kept starring in Italian potboilers even after becoming a Bond Girl in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME [1977]) and coerces the Italian underworld into a manhunt within its own ranks a' la Fritz Lang's M (1931)! The score by frequent Castellari collaborators, Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, is an effective one, except when relying on an almost unintelligible song warbled in broken English...which is all the more ironic when one knows that Hollywood musicals often suffered the ignominy of having their classic songs dubbed into Italian when screened on TV! On the other hand, I cannot imagine that a film like this (with its frequent use of Italian swear words and dialect) would be as enjoyable in English which, unfortunately, is how it is presented on the Blue Underground DVD. Luckily, I watched it on my VHS copy recorded recently off Italian TV but, of course, I'm missing the Enzo G. Castellari Audio Commentary...

andrewlapointe "Street Law" (1974) is one of Italian genre director Enzo G. Castellari's many crime thrillers. Italian superstar Franco Nero plays an ordinary citizen who is temporarily taken hostage and beaten by a group of sadistic bank robbers. He tells his story to the police who blow him off after accusing him of being reckless in fighting back with such dangerous criminals. Good old Nero decides to take the law into his own hands and stage a war with the thugs, against the wishes of his girlfriend (Barbara "Mrs. Ringo Starr" Bach) Director Castellari is credited as being one of the pioneers of the crime/police thriller genre in Italy. He proves to be ingenious in his simple mastery of action sequence staging. His use of Peckinpah-style slow mo is also damn exciting. The editing and cinematography are also very striking! Another plus is the catchy rock score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis that adds real punch to the great opening credit sequence."Street Law" isn't exactly a stand-out or a distinctive piece of cinema in the endless array of action movies from around the world, but Castellari sure as hell is!

fertilecelluloid The primary problem with Enzo Castellari's contemporary revenge drama, "Street Law", is the blatant idiocy of its protagonist Carlo Antonelli (Franco Nero). He begins walking the road to revenge after he is taken hostage by a trio of thieves and left for dead. He concocts a brainless scheme to get closer to the group with the help of Tommy (Giancarlo Prete), a dull lowlife, and acts like a total fool in his pursuit. He's supposed to be discreet, but he conducts his mission in public view and ends up having the tables turned on him on several occasions. I never thought I'd say it because I love the guy, but Nero's character is so naive and amateurish it's embarrassing to watch him. Castellari, who directed the brilliant "Keoma", which starred Nero, constructs a few good, bloody action sequences, but none of them are very believable or interesting. I'm surprised this film has been described as "taut" because it is anything but. The script is illogical and unbelievable, and the various subplots go nowhere. There is a gratuitous "Keoma"-like scene in which Nero is dragged by the legs through muddy water. Castellarti attempts to mythologize Nero's character is this scene by employing slow motion and focusing on his Christ-like suffering, but because our hero is so poorly written and pathetic, Castellari's intentions come across as misguided and heavy-handed. Disappointing.