LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Coventry Italian cult/exploitation cinema from the 1970s is definitely my favorite type of film-making, but I just cannot seem to decide whether my number #1 beloved sub genre is the Spaghetti Western, the Giallo or the Poliziotteschi. Recently, and thanks to having seen a couple of brilliant titles like "The Big Racket" and "Revolver", I'm leaning most towards the Poliziotteschi again and evidently my expectations for "Street Law" were also set incredibly high. Of course this has to be a great movie, with a director like Enzo G. Castellari and a cast led by none other than Franco Nero. Due to its vigilante themes and time of release, many ignorant people claim that "Street Law" is nothing but a quick attempt to cash in on the tremendous success of "Death Wish", with Nero copying the famous role played by Charles Bronson, but I swear you this film is much more than an uninspired rip-off. It's an action/thriller classic in its own right with story lines, action sequences and characters drawings that are totally different than anything featuring in "Death Wish", or any other contemporary vigilante-thriller for that matter. During the exhilarating opening sequences, Castellari already shows a lovely montage – guided by adrenalin-pumping music – illustrating that the streets of a nameless big Italian city are infested with violent crime. During broad daylight there are muggings, car and home jacking, robberies, drive-by shootings, nihilistic mafia executions and there are never any police authorities in sight! In this same city, Franco Nero stars as the anonymous lab-worker Carlo Antonelli who's unlucky enough to walk into a bank with his personal savings moments before three savage robbers come storming in. When Carlo too obviously tries to recover some of his own money, the robbers roughly take him hostage and leave him severely beaten up in their getaway car. Frustrated, humiliated and accused by the police of being provocative, Carlo vows to track the criminals himself. This is where the big differences with films like "Death Wish" become unmistakable, because Carlo obviously isn't a forceful fighting machine or strategic genius and spends most of the film's running time either getting physically pulverized or getting busted when trying to infiltrate into the underworld. Come to think of it, this might even be Franco Nero's least heroic role! Carlo's beautiful wife (the yummy Barbara Bach) is worried sick about him and he only starts making some progress when he gets help from small time crook Tommy. "Street Law" is a terrific film, but still plays in a lower league than the absolute most thrilling Poliziotteschi classics like "Almost Human", "Milano Calibro 9", Rome armed to the Teeth" or "Rabid Dogs". There are many fantastic action sequences, most notably the final shootout in the hangar, but I still found this film less sadist and shocking than I secretly hope in this type of cinema… Oh, one more thing: dubbing always matters! This is the second or third time that I watch a film in which Franco Nero's rough and manly Italian voice is dubbed by a rather squeaky and insecure English voice, which gives makes his performance somehow weaker. Still though, a truly recommend Italian 70s cult flick!

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.

bensonmum2 What do you do when you've been beaten, robbed, and kidnapped and you don't feel the police are doing enough to find those responsible for the crime? If you're Carlo Antonelli (Franco Nero) you take matters into your own hands and go after the bad guys yourself. This is the basic premise of Enzo Castellari's Street Law. It's an action packed film with enough gun battles, car chases, and bloodshed to make the most ardent of fans happy. Some of the violence may seem a little far fetched, but that only adds to the fun. Castellari certainly has an eye for action sequences and films these scenes with some interesting camera work. The film does drag a bit during some of the more dialogue heavy scenes as Nero delivers another of his endless speeches railing against the police. The supporting cast is good with Giancarlo Prete giving a standout performance. The other name in the cast, Barbara Bach, is so underutilized that I forgot she was in the movie a couple of times.As hard as this may be to believe, Franco Nero is actually the weak link in Street Law. Some of his reaction shots are ridiculous. Nero's character gets the stuffing beat out of him several times in the film. During these beatings, Nero has a look of complete astonishment on his face as if he didn't realize these baddies were going to beat him up if he kept interfering with them. This is just one example, but Nero needlessly overacts in several other scenes throughout the film. I don't know if it was Nero's fault or if Castellari is to blame, but it hurts the film.

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.