Umberto Lenzi is undoubtedly the king of Italian crime movies, but unfortunately| Syndicate Sadists is not the best examples of his work in this genre. Lenzi's crime flicks tend to be a cut above the rest because he makes films based on stories with a point, and they don't lack direction| but this film feels a bit too wayward to fully fit with the rest of his stuff. The film takes obvious influence from Sergio Leone's landmark western 'A Fistful of Dollars' (which in turn, took influence from Akira Kurosawa's landmark samurai flick Yojimbo), in that it features two warring families and a strong character at the centre. The crime that Lenzi focuses on is kidnapping, and we centre on a character called 'Rambo'. Rambo is dragged into the war between the two families after his brother is killed because of it. Rambo uses his brains and brawn to pit the two families against one another, in the hope of gaining revenge for his brother's death, rescuing a young boy that they've kidnapped, and ultimately letting the two sides destroy one another.
The film's biggest asset is undoubtedly Tomas Milian. Milian was put to great use by Lenzi in almost all of his crime thrillers. The range of characters he has played for Lenzi is immense, and this one is easily one of the coolest. The character is called Rambo, which immediately sprang to mind the popular Sylvester Stallone character - but for once, the Italians actually haven't stolen this name as Syndicate Sadists was released first! As usual, the film is wickedly entertaining, as we get to watch Milian get himself involved in the usual array of car chases, shootouts and brawls. Lenzi has got him riding a motorbike this time round, and every scene featuring it and Milian is a real standout! However, the film often feels like it doesn't really have anywhere to go, and this means that the running time is stretched out more than it should be. Compared to the crime films of other Italian directors, Syndicate Sadists is more than above average| but in relation to Lenzi crime flicks such as Almost Human and The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist - it doesn't stand tall as one of Lenzi's best. Still, if you're looking for ninety minutes of testosterone fuelled mayhem - Syndicate Sadists will suffice!。本剧以著名商号“大盛魁”的兴衰为背景,以主人公古海的命运为主线,生动地描绘了一代晋商不屈不挠的创业史,谱写了一曲人与大自然殊死拼搏的雄浑壮歌。清朝年间,“大盛魁”商号的庞大驼队在俄国境内惨遭洗劫,大掌柜死里逃生,具有神算能力的少年古海进入号规极严的“大盛魁”做学徒,临行前与杏儿匆匆成亲。九年后,古海的聪明才智在“大盛魁”的万金帐下六记功绩,但遭人诬陷,被逐出商号。妻子杏儿与古海表哥野合,古海娘仇恨的将二人的孽子溺死水盆之中。在戚二嫂的帮助下,海刻俭自励,拉起自己的驼队······。故事梗概: 丽沙特夫妇带着他们的孩子生活在贫民区,靠微薄的收入度日。丈夫基诺因卷入一场盗窃案被关在监狱,保释他需要一大笔钱。为了让丈夫尽快回归家庭,丽沙特决定外出找一份挣钱快的工作。 丽沙特一直希望能够成为一名模特,但事实证明她并不适合这份工作。最终她在一家经纪公司找到了一份做助理的工作,为那些当红明星拍照安排宣传活动。丽沙特尽心尽力地工作,每天早出晚归,只为了能尽快攒钱保释基诺出狱。 然而基诺却被邻居保释出来,从邻居口中基诺得知妻子这段时间经常半夜才回家,甚至夜不归宿,有时人们还能看到一个男人驾驶名车送她回来。基诺气急败坏,找丽沙特理论,丽沙特心中很是委屈,那个被邻居谣传的开名车的男人其实是自己公司的老板普莱斯,事实上尽管普莱斯对丽沙特很感兴趣,丽沙特却对普莱斯没有任何想法,在她心中唯一爱的就是丈夫基诺。与此同时,丽沙特也听到了一些关于基诺的风言风...。