Originally hearing about the short lived Italian "Komic-book" sub-genre of films in connection with Mario Bava's Danger Diabolik and the at the time heavily cut Baba Yaga, (1968 and 1973-both also reviewed)I was surprised to find out,that unlike those one "issues",a comic book character called Kriminal had not one,but two movie adaptations.
Checking for details about the first adaptation,I was delighted to discover that the first movie was written and directed by the wonderful Umberto Lenzi,which led to me getting set to see Lenzi's superhero go on a thrilling adventure.
View on the film:
Using the last 30 minutes of the movie to solely focus on Kriminal (dashingly played by Glenn Sazson) himself,Umberto Lenzi and David Moreno's screenplay change's the film from being a "komic book" movie into becoming a rather enjoyable man on the run thriller,as Kriminal attempts to stay ahead of the gathering momentum police by crossing the boarders of Istanbul and Madrid in any way possible,which includes jumping around on top of a moving train!,in a excitingly done action set piece.
Sadly,before the movie cuts to the chases,the first hour of Lenzi and Moreno's script becomes a tangled mess due to being filled with overly complex,underwritten back stabbings and betrayals,causing the excitement of Kriminal's heist to completely defuse.
Prominently using Romano Mussolini's lively Jazz Score,Umberto Lenzi leaves most of his fantastic scatter-shot directing style behind,to instead give the movie a much more artful art deco appearance,which along with making the beautiful Helga Line shimmer in her double role as twins Inga and Trude,also shows the Istanbul and Madrid locations in a cleverly done mix of wide,brightly lit action set pieces,and down to earth,fading art- deco,low-lit moments that show Kriminal trying to lay low,as he begins to wonder if he has finally met his match.
Checking for details about the first adaptation,I was delighted to discover that the first movie was written and directed by the wonderful Umberto Lenzi,which led to me getting set to see Lenzi's superhero go on a thrilling adventure.
View on the film:
Using the last 30 minutes of the movie to solely focus on Kriminal (dashingly played by Glenn Sazson) himself,Umberto Lenzi and David Moreno's screenplay change's the film from being a "komic book" movie into becoming a rather enjoyable man on the run thriller,as Kriminal attempts to stay ahead of the gathering momentum police by crossing the boarders of Istanbul and Madrid in any way possible,which includes jumping around on top of a moving train!,in a excitingly done action set piece.
Sadly,before the movie cuts to the chases,the first hour of Lenzi and Moreno's script becomes a tangled mess due to being filled with overly complex,underwritten back stabbings and betrayals,causing the excitement of Kriminal's heist to completely defuse.
Prominently using Romano Mussolini's lively Jazz Score,Umberto Lenzi leaves most of his fantastic scatter-shot directing style behind,to instead give the movie a much more artful art deco appearance,which along with making the beautiful Helga Line shimmer in her double role as twins Inga and Trude,also shows the Istanbul and Madrid locations in a cleverly done mix of wide,brightly lit action set pieces,and down to earth,fading art- deco,low-lit moments that show Kriminal trying to lay low,as he begins to wonder if he has finally met his match.