All Seasons
Entertainment Video | Review by Dan Taylor
I
knew I was in trouble with this one as soon
as I heard the opening theme song, with
lines like, "His name is King, he has
a gun..." ohhhh. (All I could
think of was the old Monty Python sketch
featuring "Dennis Moore.")
Yes, the
dreaded attempt at creating a thrilling
Spaghetti-Western character like Eastwood's
"Man with No Name." Yet notice
my use of the word "attempt" in
that sentence. Webster's Dictionary defines
attempt as "to make an effort toward,"
something which describes HIS NAME WAS KING
perfectly. Yes, they try and they try hard
to make this an exciting and enthralling
western/mystery, but it just don't work.
Richard
Harrison plays the title role of "King,"
aka John Marley, aka The Greatest Bounty
Hunter in the World. After he kills members
of the Benson Gang at the outset, the flick
becomes a long and drawn-out revenge tale
with the Bensons trying to get King and
King trying to get the Bensons. Along the
way there is a plot line dealing with arms
smuggling, but it went totally over my head.
Though
Kinski is pictured on the video box for
this flick, don't be fooled. While his role
isn't nearly as small as the also-reviewed
A
FISTFUL OF DEATH
(aka Giù La Testa...Hombre!), it
is certainly that of a supporting character.
Here, K2 plays Bryan Foster, a small town
sheriff and a poker-buddy of Marley's. When
King's newly-widowed sister-in-law is raped
by the Bensons, it is Foster who takes care
of her while King goes a huntin'. Does this
strike you as odd? Maybe it's because I've
seen so many Kinski flicks in my life and
especially over the last few months that
I immediately begin to suspect that he is
the villain...and if you go on this belief,
any sense of mystery to the film is lost
the first time they don't show you "the
Boss."
But despite
the lack of any suspense to the flick (you
know what is going to happen at almost every
turn thanks to the heavy-handed direction
of Giancarlo Romitelli, aka Don Reynolds),
there is a sense of fun. Too bad that Richard
Harrison was chosen for the starring role.
Yes, I know there are those out there who
are ardent supporters of Harrison, but I
must admit that I don't think I've ever
seen him in a film where he looked comfortable!
The guy never looks like he knows exactly
what he is doing, and in HIS NAME WAS KING
he looks like an outcast from the Village
People...you would never believe this guy
was living in the time frame of the Old
West, let alone be the world's greatest
bounty hunter.
Too many
drawbacks and not enough madcap Kinski brings
HIS NAME WAS KING a rating of thumbs down.
K2
is sheriff Bryan Foster. Richard Harrison
is John "King" Marley, Bounty
Hunter. Don Reynolds/aka Giancarlo Romitelli
is the director of this weak Spaghetti-Western,
direct from Foro Film Roma.
There's
alot of fun stuff like: the cavalry, a wagon
train, gun smuggling, Mexican bandits, a
Gatling gun, and revenge. Unfortunately,
none of these elements are used or abused
to their fullest potential.
I know,
you want to know what's wrong with it. Well,
1. A general lack of K2.
2. An edited-for-television feel.
3. Horrendous dubbing.
4. Moronic dialogue (refer to problem #3).
5. No worthwhile babes.
6. A bunch of brutish macho bullshit.
7. No babes.
8. Not enough K2.
9. No babes.
10. No babes.
