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Such a frustrating disappointment

The acting in this movie is really good.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I was really looking forward to watching this movie, but in the end I wasn't quite satisfied. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a terrible movie. In fact, during the first twenty or so minutes, I was telling myself, "This movie is going to be terrific!" There was a good musical score, and the movie was dishing out plenty of toughness and meanness during this opening. However, the twenty minutes that followed after that great opening were pretty dull, and the remaining fifty or so minutes were greatly uneven. There are some great moments (some of which involve very effective use of slow motion), but also plenty of slow spots. Helmut Berger, playing the bad guy, made the most of his scenes and ended up being an excellent villain. Richard Harrison, however, up to the last part of the movie was pretty dull, though that may be because up to the climax he is given very little to do. Also, his character doesn't seem that concerned when his sister and father are kidnapped. Is the movie worth seeing? For some people, probably, though I would recommend that those with interest in seeing the movie not go out of their way or pay a significant amount of money. I would also recommend that they find a widescreen print, since the pan and scan version makes some moments next to incomprehensible.

***Warning! SPOILERS!*** Sergio Grieco's "La Belva Col Mitra" aka. "Beast With A Gun" / "Mad Dog" of 1977 is a cult-favorite to some of my fellow fans of Italian genre-cinema, but, personally, I cannot really see why. The film has the reputation of being one of the nastiest highlights of 70s Poliziotteschi/Italo-Crime cinema, but it isn't at all, really. The insanely brilliant score is the film's one truly outstanding aspect. Otherwise, it is pretty routine stuff with a pretty lame and illogical storyline, and definitely way below par for an Italian crime flick from the 70s. The film has the reputation of being particularly nasty and violent, but, for its time, country and genre, this just isn't the case. Italian 70s Poliziotteschi generally are ultra-violent and supremely stylish films, and while there is no doubt that "Beast With A Gun" has some genuinely nasty moments, it does in no way stand out in this respect. Many of the great Poliziotteschi by Umberto Lenzi, for example, are easily nastier than this one, and, which is more important, vastly superior in all regards.Helmut Berger stars as Nanni Vitale, a psychotic criminal who goes on a murderous rampage after escaping from prison. After murdering a guy he deems a traitor, Vitale rapes and kidnaps his victim's sexy girlfriend Giuliana (Marissa Mell); in the meantime, Commisionner Giulio Santini (Richard Harrison) is out to get him...Some people praise Helmut Berger's great performance as the villain here, but I really cannot see why. In my humble opinion, Berger actually doesn't fit in the role of a thug at all. Berger is a good actor and may be predestined for the role of a psycho, but he isn't credible as a professional criminal - he simply doesn't seem proletarian enough; he looks and seems too bourgeois and vain, simply not 'tough' and 'working-class' enough for someone who is supposed to lead a life of crime. His sadism is believable, but then, there are many sadistic psychos in Poliziotteschi that are just so incomparably superior: Take, for example, the villainous roles the great Tomas Milian played in Umberto Lenzi's films, most memorably that in "Milano Odia: La Polizia Non Puó Sparare". Milian is brilliant in this role of the sadistic psycho - sadistic, yes, but also a typical, low-life criminal; nothing like the cocky, neat-as-a-pin Nanni Vitale, who always seems to be looking for a mirror to look at himself. Neither is Richard Harrison very memorable as the cop. The film has many plot-holes. Neither Nanni Vitale's nor the cop Santini's actions make the slightest sense: Nanni Vitale first lets the kidnapped Giuliana go in order to help him rob a bank. She goes to the cops who, instead of arresting Vitale where he is, wait at the bank he plans to rob. The Inspector even sends her back to Vitale, who is known to brutally murder anyone he considers a traitor. And she goes back to him. Now that makes perfect sense! The film is full of violent shootouts and action, including lots of cool-looking slow-motion. It doesn't get boring. Still, the ending is pretty lame for what we have hoped for, and makes the cop-character even more pathetic. In my humble opinion, at least, cops in Italian 70s flicks are supposed to take the law into their own hands, and not just 'arrest' evil-doers. My review of "Beast With A Gun" may seem a little too harsh - after all, it does deserve a neutral rating of 5 out of 10. But, due to the praises from some fellow Italo-Crime fans, I simply had high expectations for this film, and these expectations were not nearly met. Before seeing this, I was worried that the film's appearance in Tarantino's "Jackie Brown" might have spoiled a vital part of it, but these worries were unfounded. As said above, there is one truly brilliant aspect about the film: the ingenious score by Umberto Smaila, which ranks among the most captivating scores I've heard in Italian Crime cinema - and we're talking about a genre that tends to be greatly scored in general.Overall, this isn't a bad film as such, but it certainly isn't the genre-highlight it is sometimes hyped to be. In case you want to see an Italian Crime Thriller that handles topics such as kidnapping and sadistic criminals, there are two masterpieces that top my long list of the recommendations: Mario Bava's "Cani Arrabiati" ("Rabid Dogs", 1974) and Umberto Lenzi's "Milano Odia: La Polizia Non Può Sparare" ("Almost Human", also 1974). Anybody who is new to Italian Crime Cinema is generally well-advised to check out any of the great films by Fernando Di Leo, Umberto Lenzi, Enzo Castellari and others before this one. All things considered, "Beast With A Gun" is worth watching for my fellow Italo-Crime fans, but it certainly doesn't live up to the hype it sometimes receives.

I'm not sure which title I like more but this film does indeed have a certain special charm to it. No, it is not outstanding or anything superlative like that, but it is rather enjoyable to watch as a crook/killer gets out of prison to wreak havoc and revenge on those responsible for putting him there in the first place. Helmut Berger is the best thing about this film as he plays a violent, sadistic psychopath with the best of them. He has no heart whatsoever and is quite something to see. His scenes in the abandoned warehouse and with newly acquired "moll" the beautiful Marisa Mell particularly stand out. Muscle-bound Richard Harrison, who you might remember from some older sword and sandal movies, plays the cop out to protect himself and his family. Like another reviewer noted, the script and plot have some obvious problems, but the pace and delivery more than offset those inadequacies. If you want some good, old-fashioned Italiam crime atmosphere then Mad Dog or Beast with a Gun is for you.

An excellent cast, a perfect bad guy (Helmut is so awesome as Nanni Vitale) and the best director you could get are responsible for this fantastic movie. Not to mention the soundtrack, which is a catchy tune from the first moment on. (An oscar to the composer, he´s a true genius!) A film full of magic moments (the rapture of Marisa Mell), brutal action scenes (like the scene where Helmut is beating up a gas station attendant) and great artwork (the identikit pictures of Nanni). But the best thing is the german dub version ("Lies das, Hure!" "Ich bin Nanni Vitale, der wahnsinnige Moerder, der gefährliche Verbrecher!") Very, very recommendable, one of the true highlights of the italian cinema, should be in the list of the 100 best films ever. Helmut Berger is god!!!!