È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta!

THE RETURN OF SABATA (sequel to SABATA)

Excellent score by Marcello Giombini, I'd own the CD of it if I could find it. Don't know who sings in the opening title theme, though. The credits in the film didn't list the singer.

There are lot's of little tricks in this one, more so than even in the first Sabata film. Different kinds of derringers, small pistols, blowpipes and magnets are up his sleeve in practically every scene. Sabata also refuses to pay the outrageous taxes the McClintocks have imposed on the townspeople for everything from getting a haircut to the gambling & hotel tax, and almost having a showdown with the weak-willed sheriff over it.

Lt. Clyde (Reiner Schone) manages to not be too obnoxious, grinning all the time, except when he's continuously caught by Sabata from stealing or ripping somebody off. He's such a slimeball that he hides in the rafters while his lover Jackie McCIntock (Jacqueline Alexandre) is gunned down by husband Joe (Giampiero Albertini) over his catching her stealing his gold.

The acrobats are back too, jumping off buildings, over fences and trampolines as they help Sabata out in his quest to return the gold stolen by McClintock from the townspeople, in return for the counterfeit money McClintock was using to deceive them.

There's a good shootout towards the end at the McClintock compound, using Bronco's bass drum as a hiding place for storing a lot of pistols. Plus we get a spectacular mine explosion when the McClintock's try to kill Sabata during the money exchange.

The vast majority of the film takes place in the town with little being filmed out in the Spanish countryside, yet it isn't claustrophobic like some other westerns come across when the sets are that static.

All in all, I enjoyed it and consider it a good example of the spaghetti western genre.

7 out of 10

After Yul Brunner became Sabata for Indio Black, Lee Van Cleef reprises his original role in this final entry in the Sabata saga. Unfortunately it's also the lesser one, although probably the most expensive.

I've seen many a nonsensical spaghetti western in my life, but Return of Sabata takes the cake. There's probably some semblance of plot underneath all the twists and turns but one hour in and I was completely lost. No matter, it's still entertaining enough to pass the time. The action scenes are all that matters here, there are plenty of gunfights, goofy acrobatics and explosions. Good production values make it easy on the eyes, the sets, costumes and cinematography are all on pretty high standards to the point where this is probably one of the most expensive spaghetti westerns made, this side of Leone. The humour is mostly silly and flat, the acting is average and I've heard better (and worse) dubbings. Lee Van Cleef's usual charming and charismatic persona is another big plus. Watchable but by no means essential.

Return of Sabata marks the last outing for Lee Van Cleef.

This time he's up against a slaezy Colonel who has a million dollars in gold in which Sabata pulled off from his earlier assignment.

Determined to get it back, teams up with Clyde and another hordes of his team in order to fight back McLintock get his gold back.

Although this spaghetti western proved almost as good as the first two, it was really entertaining, especially the amount of guns Lee had to use in this film..

Well, at least Sabata rides off into the desert, but I'm hoping someday if by chance somebody might do a remake..

Of the three "Sabata" films, "Return of Sabata" is the weakest entry. It was included in the notorious book "The 50 Worst Films of All Time", though I don't think the movie, despite its problems, deserved that dubious honor. I've seen much worse spaghetti westerns. Though I didn't think the movie was all that great. The movie does have a few positive attributes. Lee Van Cleef still makes for an effective anti hero (though who convinced him to wear that awful hairpiece?), the musical score is spirited, and the action sequences have energy and punch. But someone should have sent the screenplay back for a major rewrite before filming stared. To put it bluntly, the movie pretty much makes no sense at all. Though I wasn't really bored at any moment, I simply couldn't understand what was going on. Also, Van Cleef's Sabata character seems in some aspects to be different than the Sabata character he played in the first film; I wouldn't be surprised if the screenplay was originally written to not be a Sabata film. While I guess the movie is essential viewing for spaghetti western fans and collectors, I think even they will find it tough going at times.

This follow-up deals with Sabata (Lee Van Cleef) who finds combating a mean businessman named McLintock (Albertini) . The major Sabata joins forces with a Saloon owner , the Lieutenant , (Reinar Schone). Furthermore, his misfit and strange team : two acrobats (Nick Jordan and Vassili Karis) , and , of course , the old rogue with a drummer (Ignacio Spalla or Pedro Sanchez) . Meanwhile, Sabata gets involved with a Saloon girl (gorgeous Annabella Incontrera) .

This offbeat Western comedy results to be the genuine sequel to ¨Sabata¨ (with Van Cleef , William Berger, Linda Veras and Franco Ressel) , and it's full of intriguing touches , Western action , shootouts and being very amusing . This entertaining picture gets the humorous remarks from Western parody combined to features of Spaghetti such as violent antiheroes , excessive zooms , extreme nasties and spectacular gunfight with high body-count . Appearing usual secondary actors , habitual in Italian Western , such as : Gianni Rizzo , Alberto Dell'Acqua , Rick Boyd, Fortunato Arena , Franco Fantasia , among others . And Pedro Sanchez who acted in the Sabata trilogy and he played similar roles to S. W. secondary idol Fernando Sancho. The movie was well produced by Alberto Grimaldi (Sergio Leone's Trilogy of dollars as producer). Atmospheric and adequate cinematography by cameraman Sandro Mancori. . Lively and jolly musical score by Marcello Giombini with Ennio Morricone influence . The motion picture was professionally directed by Gianfranco Paraolini who often used pseudonym Frank Kramer . It's followed by ¨Indio Black¨ with Yul Brynner , Dean Reed and Gerard Herter . The flick will appeal to Lee Van Cleef fans and S. W. buffs.