RETURN OF SABATA, THE

Often unfairly lambasted as a weak shadow of its predecessor, this is actually a pretty enjoyable affair that shows a considerable degree of bravura. The plot sticks to the normal formula of having Sabata stuck up to his neck in an untidy scrap for gold. He again has a fat, loud friend (Pedro Sanchez) and some athletic partners (Nick Jordan, Vassili Karis). He also has another more charming but more dodgy associate (Reiner Schone), who is always attempting to double cross everyone else and who inevitable ends up receiving his due come-uppance.

The plot starts with Sabata (Van Cleef) working in a travelling circus as a trick-shooter. He arrives in the town of Hobsonville, where he bumps into an old army associate, Clyde (Schone). Before long there is intrigue afoot as the circus cardshark, Pickles, disappears - leaving behind a dead whore in his cabin and a single dollar bill in a ransacked hidden compartment.

Sabata soon has a pretty good idea of what's going on, and determines that it has something to do with McLintock (Albertini), the head of a huge Irish clan that virtually runs the town. They have also imposed a tax on everything from prostitution to having a shave, money that is supposedly going towards the proposed plan of building up the outpost into a hustling bustling town. In fact it's all going into the cavernous pockets of the beastly family, who plan to make off with it at first opportunity. Several people, however, have other ideas about this.

It has to be said that this is in no way as good a film as Sabata. It somehow seems to lack the - and I hesitate to use this word - depth. Some of this is to do with the absence of William Berger, an actor who could ingrain the sleaziest of characters with a level of tragic dignity. Although Giampiero Albertini is undoubtedly a fine actor, his villain doesn't display quite the same gob smacking, almost panto style nastiness of Franco Ressell. Reiner Schone (ie 'Rain or Shine') tries valiantly, and is pretty respectable in the role, but he never manages to elevate it to anything beyond. Interestingly, he resurfaced in Hollywood during the eighties after making only a few (mainly German) Euro movies. Credits include Nicolas Roeg's Insignificance (85), Jonathan Lynn's My Cousin Vinny (92), the manic Jim Carrey vehice Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (94) (alongside Udo Kier!) and even Sam Raimi/Sharon Stone's enjoyable Spaghetti 'homage' The Quick and the Dead (95).

However, there are several good aspects to Return of Sabata. Whilst being light-hearted it manages to avoid erring on the side of slapstick. It aims to be a romp and manages it with aplomb. Direction and cinematography are, as always, faultless.

The James Bond-ish connotations are played up to the max. Not only is there another assortment of bizarre weaponry, but also a fantastic opening sequence which plays like a skewered prototype for the hall of mirrors climax from The Man with the Golden Gun. I quite like the magnetic cigars as well!

Another film which I found myself thinking of during this was A Clockwork Orange. For some unanswerable reason a lot of actors spend the whole film clad in droog-like bowler hats. Nick Jordan, in particular, looks like a cocaine-crazed Malcolm McDowell.

A final word needs to be said about the ridiculous title song with its memorable chorus of 'bom-ba-bom-ba-bom bum bum, bom-ba-bom-ba-bom bum'. Once heard, never forgotten.

Matt B