Carambola

CARAMBOLA is an unashamed rip-off of the spaghetti western comedies starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. It casts two actors who look remarkably like that popular double act and has a plot that could quite easily have starred the original actors instead of these goofy imitators.

And you know what? It's fun! There's little to dislike about CARAMBOLA, an efficient comic western with plenty to enjoy. Ferdinando Baldi is one of my favourite western directors as you get the feeling he knew and understood the genre like few others and indeed this is a lively and action-packed romp. From the opening scenes with those cheesy pool "trick shots" I knew I was going to be in for a good time.

The best thing about this production is Paul Smith (POPEYE) playing the Spencer role. All of the funniest scenes belong to him, including the endless fights in which his opponents discover he's as tough as steel. The bit where his horse gets tired and he ends up carrying it is my favourite. Elsewhere, the convoluted storyline sees the duo constantly outing various factions and bad guys (and each other) as they battle with the slimy Horst Frank. The low brow humour comes thick and fast and this good-looking film ends up being impossible to dislike.