Watch The Big Racket For Free

Simply Perfect

Simply A Masterpiece

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Very, VERY few movies out there are so damn perfect that they deserve an impeccable 10/10 rating… Pretty much all movies have at least one or two minor flaws, and so does Enzo G. Castellari's "The Big Racket", whether it's the horrendous English dubbing or the rough-around-the-edges editing. But what the heck, whenever a film provides me with this much adrenalin kicks and excitement, I simply must overlook the little shortcomings and reward it with a well-deserved 10! Castellari made a lot of magnificent movies, including the unforgettable western "Keoma" and the legendary war-adventure "The Inglorious Bastards", but this mixture between the so-called Poliziottesco and vigilante thriller ranks high among his best work, and should be experienced by every self-respecting fan of '70s grindhouse/euro- exploitation cinema. In the Italian crime thrillers of the seventies, the coppers are unorthodox and as good as lawless, but rightly so because the thugs they are battling are ultimately vicious and relentless. In "The Big Racket", all merchants of a middle-sized city are forced to pay incredible large sums for protection, and if they don't pay they see their life-work burned to the ground and their loved ones raped and butchered in front of their eyes. Police inspector Nico Palmieri risks his life every day (and you make that very literally) to put a stop to this mafia crime network, but he gets blocked by standard police procedures, corrupt superiors and sleazebag lawyers. When all his regular attempts fail, like infiltrating in the crime racket or setting up an ambush at the train station, Pamieri is dishonorably discharged. Not a bad thing, though, as now he can assemble a vigilante team of which each separate member has a very personal reason for blood vengeance. I'm a tremendous fan of the "Poliziottesco" genre and I truly love how the best films of such directors like Umberto Lenzi, Fernando Di Leo, Stelvio Massi and – of course – Enzo G. Castellari overwhelm the viewer with non-stop action, raw character portraits, brutality and spectacular stunts. "The Big Racket" hardly grants you the opportunity to breathe as you're constantly on the edge of your seat with suspense. The main villains in this film, including even a young female, are particularly hateful since they clearly also take pleasure in raping defenseless women and executing police officers. The victims, on the other hand, also noticeably suffer emotionally and physically (like, for instance, the restaurant owner and the Olympic champion skeet shooter). The phenomenally illustrated contrast between good and evil makes "The Big Racket" one of the most realistic films of its kind and sometimes even genuinely difficult to watch. When the thugs eventually get what they deserve, your first reflection immediately is that they still haven't suffered enough for what they've done; that's how engaging "The Big Racket" is, in fact! Needless to state that, with its graphic and uncompromisingly shown violence, the film is not suitable for people with a weak stomach or sensitive nerve system. Most of the stunts are also incredibly well-handled, like the sequence in which Palmieri's car is tumbling down from a cliff with him still in it! Fabio Testi gives a powerful performance. The best I've seen so far of his, although I have yet "Revolver" waiting on my must-see list and I'm also expecting a lot from that. The supportive cast is splendid as well and, as often the case in Poliziottesco gems as well, the soundtrack contributes a great deal to the grim atmosphere as well. 10 out of 10, without the slightest form of doubt or hesitation!

Enzo G. Castellari delivers another efficient polizia flick but unfortunately one that is not up there with the best of his output. THE BIG RACKET is another typical contender for the popular crime thriller genre in '70s Italy, complete with heroic cops, sadistic villains and lots of corporate corruption upsetting our detective's investigation. The story is particularly strong here as the film tells of a series of businessmen falling foul of the villains before teaming up to as a vigilante group going out to get the bad guys – definitely a novel twist for the genre. Castellari's strength is, as usual, in the action, and the stand-out here is a shootout at a rail yard, complete with machine-gunnings and all of the tense heroics and violence you could wish for. Sadly his famed use of slow-motion is in short supply but the film is nevertheless powerful and impactful in places. The warehouse shoot-out is also a good one, sustaining interest despite being lengthy.The cast contains the usual big boys of the genre: Sal Borgese, Renzo Palmer, Vincent Gardenia and Orso Maria Guerrini are all here as dodgy roguish types, led by the dashing Fabio Testi as the chief cop (Testi always underplays his roles, the extreme opposite of the overacting madman Maurizio Merli). The film is pretty shocking and has only just been released uncut in Britain, as the bad guys have a tendency to rape young, innocent women and then set them on fire afterwards. Castellari's direction is strong but the script is workmanlike throughout and there are no big surprises or sequences which really lift it above the norm for the genre. Good, solid, sometimes sleazy fun from Italy.

they don't make em like this anymore. i total recommend it to anyone who enjoys guns, car crashes, cheesy dialogue and 70's hairstyles. Fabio testi is better in this than in contraband. also blue undergrounds DVD picture quality is a vast improvement over the UK version. much better than Bronx warriors or the heroin busters, enzo casstellerie other efforts. story moves along at a cracking pace. music is what you would expect from this type of film in this era. the stunts are what make this film. the camera puts you right in the middle of the action, literally! you'll know what i mean when you see it. overall then, go for the blue underground DVD its a quality purchase.

While not the bloodiest film per-say, this is easily one of the most violent, as in most death/action vs. running time ratio of any crime movie I've seen in recent memory. On top of that, it's got a good multilayered story of several men disenfranchised by a protection mob, who all team up to take out the trash in one massive vigilante-style raid. Most are very good characters too, especially Orso Maria Guerrini who goes from an average Joe skeetshooter to a silent assassin once the thugs rape and murder his wife. Renzo Palmer's transition is a little less subtle, and his vengeful character gets a little irritating. Vincent Gardenia is good as a very suave pickpocket and wise-guy, while Testi is his usual pretty-boy self who of course looks so handsome that in some shots he looks more like an Anime cartoon character than an actual human.Despite the bad profanity-censored English dubbing (which substitutes 'basket' for 'bastard', 'dung' for the S-word etc.), this is otherwise a solid film. Before John Woo, this was as stylish and as violent as action movies got. There's at least 3 major shootouts, two of which are real standouts, and all of which have their fair share of amazing shots. For instance when Fabio Testi kills the thug who kills his partner – a slow motion shot of the thug flailing around in the foreground and Testi in the background shooting at him – you can see each exit wound corresponding to Testi's gunfire. Another amazing shot is film from inside Testi's car as it rolls down a hillside (complete with Testi inside trying to shield his eyes from the flying window-glass). Castellari demonstrates a solid eye for detail and is an expert at transitions – plenty of slow motion too. Big Racket also features some surprisingly good dialog in the case of most of the thug's threats, and then again near the end when the evil crime boss rants and raves about how to run a protection mob (and then turns out to be a total coward when guns are pointed at him).An excellent comic book crime/action movie – let's hope that promised uncut DVD comes out soon in the US.