A superior slice of Italian crime from the man who later brought us CANNIBAL FEROX, VIOLENT NAPLES is a fast-paced, stylish thriller which benefits from good, sometimes funny dialogue, a complex script, and plenty of action to keep it moving. Although not a horror film, it's definitely not a film for kids. Umberto Lenzi gives us scenes such as a woman getting her face torn off by a train, a man's head being used in place of skittles and a slime getting impaled through the bottom of his chin, scenes which make the later GOODFELLAS look tame in comparison.
Maurizio Merli stars in a career-defining role as a tough-as-nails cop who uses his own violent, unconventional methods to catch the criminals. He's a man who thinks with his fists and believes in true justice for thieves - a movie hero if ever I saw one. Merli is supported by a strong cast, including Barry Sullivan as the chief gangster and John Saxon, as cool as ever, as a crime boss who finds his life on the line. Much of the fun comes from the crazy dialogue this movie has, with lines such as "You crud! You make me want to beat your ears in!" achieving classic status amongst cult fans.
Things don't get much cooler than a motorbike speeding incredibly through Naples as stylish, jazzy music plays on the soundtrack. There's all manner of action, from fist-fights to gun battles, car chases, foot chases, even a train chase to top it all off. This is a very violent film, with people being machine gunned in full view and a high death rate, so the drama is near-constant. The location of Naples makes a nice change and a picturesque backdrop to the action. With loads of different sub-plots and characters, a reliance on exciting action to propel the film, good cast members giving it their all, and strong direction from Lenzi, this is one of the best of the Italian crime movies and a must for genre fans.
Maurizio Merli stars in a career-defining role as a tough-as-nails cop who uses his own violent, unconventional methods to catch the criminals. He's a man who thinks with his fists and believes in true justice for thieves - a movie hero if ever I saw one. Merli is supported by a strong cast, including Barry Sullivan as the chief gangster and John Saxon, as cool as ever, as a crime boss who finds his life on the line. Much of the fun comes from the crazy dialogue this movie has, with lines such as "You crud! You make me want to beat your ears in!" achieving classic status amongst cult fans.
Things don't get much cooler than a motorbike speeding incredibly through Naples as stylish, jazzy music plays on the soundtrack. There's all manner of action, from fist-fights to gun battles, car chases, foot chases, even a train chase to top it all off. This is a very violent film, with people being machine gunned in full view and a high death rate, so the drama is near-constant. The location of Naples makes a nice change and a picturesque backdrop to the action. With loads of different sub-plots and characters, a reliance on exciting action to propel the film, good cast members giving it their all, and strong direction from Lenzi, this is one of the best of the Italian crime movies and a must for genre fans.