Big Deal On Madonna Street, 20 Years Later (1985)

by | Mar 19, 2006 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews | 0 comments

Big Deal On Madonna Street, 20 Years Later (1985)

Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Tiberio Murgia, Clelia Rondinella, Gina Rovere, Alessandra Panelli, Alessandro Gassman, Concetta Barra
Studio:  Koch Lorber
Video:  1.66:1 Widescreen
Audio:  Italian 2.0, Italian DD 5.1
Extras:  Previews (La Dolce Vita; Save The Green Planet; The Lina Wertmuller Collection); Trailer
Length:  101 minutes
Rating:  **1/2

This sequel takes place 20 years later and actually came out 25 years after the original film.  The original film (which I haven’t seen) is well received, but this must be another case of the sequel being a shadow of the original.  The story begins with convicted criminal, Tiberio, getting out of jail looking to start fresh.  At first he is approached by an old acquaintance, Peppe “The Panther” – who has a big job lined up – only Tiberio is not interested.  He returns to the neighborhood only to find that his life is not at all like he remembered.  Twenty years is a long time as the buildings have changed, his wife is living with a new man, all his camera equipment is gone, and his son has no interest in women.

Left with nothing he is forced to steal and live across the way from his wife in an automobile junkyard.  He soon realizes that this is not the life for him and he looks up his old partner.  Peppe is looking for a woman to do the job so Tiberio has to be a bit creative.  Peppe laughs so hard when he finds out the woman he is interviewing is really Tiberio and has a stroke.  After some setbacks he manages to pull together the necessary people.  Why not get his son and the young woman (with a baby) in his old building to come with a few others to pretend to be on a family vacation.  Then when they go to the next country they will arouse very little suspicion.

What follows is a wild, unforgettable trip.  The old woman of the group insists on stopping to see her soap operas and at one point goes off with other travelers.  Surprisingly, they manage to complete their journey and all get a little more than they bargained for.  The film is full of slapstick comedy much like the Pink Panther but has a dated looking picture and feel.  Some of the dialogue is not matching and is dubbed.  There are parts that may elicit a smile, but much of the film is a bit lacking.

Brian Bloom

 

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