Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Scott LeBrun Ever studly Fabio Testi stars as dedicated police detective Nico Palmieri in this Eurocrime action picture. Nico is determined to bust the pesky thugs running an aggressive protection racket. Soon, these creeps are moving on to other crimes like drug running, rape, and murder. Nico will let nothing stop him from attaining his goal.In the later portions of "The Big Racket", the story turns into the always appealing scenario in which one or more characters assemble a group of specialists for a mission. Among those recruited by Nico are men who've been impacted personally by the activities of the bad guys.Director Enzo G. Castellari could always move from genre to genre with ease, and here he creates a stylish - if somewhat overlong - movie that benefits the most from some enthusiastic performances by the actors playing the antagonists. One of them is a gleeful young woman who enjoys dispensing punishment just as much as her male counterparts.There's an engaging, meaty role for American actor Vincent Gardenia, as ageing criminal Pepe. While it's always a treat to see him in anything, it's not terribly satisfying to hear someone elses' voice coming out of his mouth. Although he was fluent in Italian, he was dubbed for both the Italian and English language versions. Renzo Palmer is likewise effective as store owner Giulti, who seeks vengeance on behalf of his daughter. Italian genre cinema buffs will also recognize Joshua Sinclair and Romano Puppo.Noteworthy for a sometimes very sleazy approach (more than one female gets raped), a respectable amount of squib use and violence, well executed action, and an atmospheric score by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis.Well worth a look for Eurocrime fans.Seven out of 10.

Coventry Very, VERY few movies out there are so damn perfect that they deserve an impeccable 10/10 rating… Pretty much all movies have at least one or two minor flaws, and so does Enzo G. Castellari's "The Big Racket", whether it's the horrendous English dubbing or the rough-around-the-edges editing. But what the heck, whenever a film provides me with this much adrenalin kicks and excitement, I simply must overlook the little shortcomings and reward it with a well-deserved 10! Castellari made a lot of magnificent movies, including the unforgettable western "Keoma" and the legendary war-adventure "The Inglorious Bastards", but this mixture between the so-called Poliziottesco and vigilante thriller ranks high among his best work, and should be experienced by every self-respecting fan of '70s grindhouse/euro- exploitation cinema. In the Italian crime thrillers of the seventies, the coppers are unorthodox and as good as lawless, but rightly so because the thugs they are battling are ultimately vicious and relentless. In "The Big Racket", all merchants of a middle-sized city are forced to pay incredible large sums for protection, and if they don't pay they see their life-work burned to the ground and their loved ones raped and butchered in front of their eyes. Police inspector Nico Palmieri risks his life every day (and you make that very literally) to put a stop to this mafia crime network, but he gets blocked by standard police procedures, corrupt superiors and sleazebag lawyers. When all his regular attempts fail, like infiltrating in the crime racket or setting up an ambush at the train station, Pamieri is dishonorably discharged. Not a bad thing, though, as now he can assemble a vigilante team of which each separate member has a very personal reason for blood vengeance. I'm a tremendous fan of the "Poliziottesco" genre and I truly love how the best films of such directors like Umberto Lenzi, Fernando Di Leo, Stelvio Massi and – of course – Enzo G. Castellari overwhelm the viewer with non-stop action, raw character portraits, brutality and spectacular stunts. "The Big Racket" hardly grants you the opportunity to breathe as you're constantly on the edge of your seat with suspense. The main villains in this film, including even a young female, are particularly hateful since they clearly also take pleasure in raping defenseless women and executing police officers. The victims, on the other hand, also noticeably suffer emotionally and physically (like, for instance, the restaurant owner and the Olympic champion skeet shooter). The phenomenally illustrated contrast between good and evil makes "The Big Racket" one of the most realistic films of its kind and sometimes even genuinely difficult to watch. When the thugs eventually get what they deserve, your first reflection immediately is that they still haven't suffered enough for what they've done; that's how engaging "The Big Racket" is, in fact! Needless to state that, with its graphic and uncompromisingly shown violence, the film is not suitable for people with a weak stomach or sensitive nerve system. Most of the stunts are also incredibly well-handled, like the sequence in which Palmieri's car is tumbling down from a cliff with him still in it! Fabio Testi gives a powerful performance. The best I've seen so far of his, although I have yet "Revolver" waiting on my must-see list and I'm also expecting a lot from that. The supportive cast is splendid as well and, as often the case in Poliziottesco gems as well, the soundtrack contributes a great deal to the grim atmosphere as well. 10 out of 10, without the slightest form of doubt or hesitation!

Comeuppance Reviews Nico Palmieri (Testi) is an Italian cop investigating an especially brutal gang whose specialty is extortion. If local shop owners don't pay their protection money, the gang of toughs stop at absolutely nothing when it comes to ruining their lives. As Nico delves further into their world of amorality and violence, he realizes it doesn't stop at extortion - it goes way higher up into international drug trafficking and funneling the money into larger and larger projects. Fearing the evildoers will soon be taking over all of Italy, Nico turns to Pepe (Gardenia), a criminal himself, albeit a charming one, for help. As the stakes rise, and realizing that the only way to handle the situation is by doing it themselves, Nico organizes what might be called a Revenge Team - getting together victims personally hurt by the baddies - and exacting their own brand of vigilante justice. The team consists of Nico, Pepe, Mazzarelli (Onorato), a man permanently crippled by the gang, Rossetti (Guerrini), an Olympic marksman whose wife was raped and murdered by them, Giulti (Palmer), whose daughter was raped by the gang and who then committed suicide, and Doringo (Puppo), a mercenary who wants a favor from Nico. Will they succeed? The Big Racket is another highly entertaining masterpiece by the amazing Enzo G. Castellari. We're huge fans of his, and as we've discussed in other reviews of his work, he seems to succeed in every genre he turns his hand to. This is a top-notch Poliziotteschi, and has a darker and more serious tone than his other collaboration with the great Fabio Testi, The Heroin Busters (1977). Testi's crime film with Lucio Fulci, Contraband (1980) is yet another classic of the genre and well worth seeing if you haven't already. As always for the Italians, and for Enzo specifically, the film is very well-shot, and is interestingly edited. It's certainly colorful, as the time-honored disco scene proves. The music by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis is also typically excellent and fits the tone of the movie perfectly. The whole package is irresistible and you really can't lose.Out of the three Poliziotteschi directed by Enzo that were released on DVD by Blue Underground - Street Law (1974), The Big Racket and The Heroin Busters - The Big Racket is probably the most intense. Not to mention angry and perhaps nihilistic. Additionally, Fabio Testi (who is the original Fabio) has never looked cooler. These movies are fascinating records of the time, and the frustrations felt by the audience, who were living through real-life crime waves in Italy at that time, are perfectly expressed by Enzo and his team. Showing how solidly made they are, these movies more than stand the test of time today. They are perfectly suited for today's audiences as well. That's surely the sign of quality. It's doubtful Blue Underground would have released them if, hypothetically, they were unwatchable, incoherent crud by today's standards. The only real crime here is that BU is probably not going to release any more Poliziotteschi - by any director - anytime soon. We believe, sadly, that the ship has sailed on a wide enough audience buying these films on DVD, enough so that the company can make a profit. We certainly hope that isn't the case, but we fear it is. The DVD boom of the early-to-mid 2000's is over (seemingly it just got started...) but at least we have some of Enzo's fine work which made it to disc at the right time.The Big Racket is a classic of the genre and we recommend it highly.

The_Void My interest in Italian cinema is usually limited to horror films, but I made an exception for this crime flick - and I'm certainly glad that I did! Actually, The Big Racket isn't a world away from the popular Italian Giallo styling, only instead of having a vicious murderer on the loose; we have a small town at the mercy of a group of organised thugs. For a film with this sort of plot, it's surprising just how good The Big Racket is. Italian films from the seventies have a bad reputation for not making a lot of sense, but not only does this one make sense - it benefits from a great, multi-angled story as well. The film sees a bunch of criminals sabotaging local businesses and asking for protection money from the owners to make them stop. The police presence in the town is largely ineffective, with the exception of one man - Inspector Nico Palmieri. Of course, you can't go around intimidating people and destroying their property for long before someone is going to fight back - and as the justice system isn't working, our hero has to find other ways to bring law and order back to his town.The Big Racket benefits immensely from a strong leading performance courtesy of Fabio Testi (star of What Have They Done to Solange). Testi's portrayal of the angry police officer is perfectly judged to fit the movie, and I don't think there is an actor who could be better suited to playing the lead in this movie. He heads a strong Italian cast, who all do well in bringing their characters to life, as well as providing the movie with the Italian style that it revels in. The script is really good, and finds time to flesh out its characters as well as deliver witty dialogue that is always a part of this movie's bigger budget American cousins. The plot builds well throughout as there's always enough going on to keep things interesting. It all boils down to a fabulous conclusion which serves in ensuring the movie gets the bloody end it deserves, as well as rounding off the story perfectly. The Big Racket features a great sleazy atmosphere, in which the story is able to flourish, and the catchy music score helps to make sure that the film is technically sound. Overall, The Big Racket is a must see film for both crime fans and cult fans and comes with high recommendations from me!