È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! (1971) Online

This follow-up deals about Sabata who finds combating a mean businessman named McLintock( Albertini). The major Sabata unites 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 Cleef, William Berger,Linda Veras and Franco Ressel), and it's full of intriguing touches, action Western, shootouts and is 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, violent gunfight with numerous murders. Appear 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 which played in similar roles to the S.W. idol Fernando Sancho. The movie is well produced by Alberto Grimaldi ( Sergio Leone's Trilogy of dollars as producer). Atmospheric cinematography by Sandro Mancori. . Lively and jolly musical score with Ennio Morricone influence by Giombini. The motion picture is professionally directed by Gianfranco Paraolini, alias 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.

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..

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

Return of Sabata casts Lee Van Cleef back as the cunning and ruthless sharpshooter, Sabata. Similarities between the first Sabata movie where Van Cleef also played the same role are more than abundant: acrobats, comical sidekicks, greedy villains, double-crossing allies, Sabata shooting off with his cool 4-barreled Derringer and so forth. Lee Van Cleef rocks. He's as cool as ever, and all the other actors do at least fairly decent jobs supporting him.

Everything seems to be as well as in the first movie. Except that this time the plot is more complicated and filled with twists and turns (and plot holes). Unfortunately this is not entirely good thing: in time you lose track of the plot twists and begin to wonder the motives and the logic behind some of the characters behavior. Why did he do that? Wouldn't it been more logical to behave or act some other way? Much like Ocean's 12 or any other snotty "cleverer-than-thou" sequel, Return of Sabata drowns you with twists and turns just for the sake of confusing. This leads to the point that you actually have to watch Return of Sabata at least couple of times before the main plot fully unravels. Of course you do get the big picture in the end of the movie after the first watch, but in order to get all the nuances and small details in place you might want to give it another go. Not that the main plot would magically turn out to be any better: it just rewards you a little bit more since the second time you have a small grasp *why* somebody did something that seemed illogical or strange before. This time you know what's in that characters mind and you also know something about his motives. Then again, I strongly believe that these kind of character traits should have been portrayed clearer in the script (or acting) so you would have realized them during the first view time already.

In short? Return of Sabata offers great characters, but lousy and confusing plot. Still, it's worth a watch. Or two.

"È Tornato Sabata... Hai Chiuso Un'Altra Volta" aka. "Return Of Sabata" is the third, last and sadly also least interesting of Gianfranco Parolini's "Sabata" films (if "Adios Sabata" aka. "Indio Black", which wasn't originally intended to be a Sabata flick, and in which Lee Van Cleef was replaced by Yul Brynner, is counted as a Sabata movie). While the first "Sabata" (aka. "Ehi Amico, C'e Sabata, Hai Ciuso!") of 1969 is an excellent and immensely stylish Spaghetti Western that deserves its cult-status, this "Return Of Sabata" goes far over the top with slapstick elements, and even though Parolini obviously attempted to copy the original "Sabata" in many parts, it is not really a worthy sequel. Nevertheless, "Return Of Sabata" is an entertaining Spaghetti Western, Lee Van Cleef is great as always in the lead, and the coolness of his Sabata-character saves quite a lot.

I won't give too much of the plot away, but it resembles the first movie a lot, only that its not as violent and witty, but more slapstick-ish and confusing and not as interesting. Sabata (Van Cleef) arrives in Hobsonville this time, a town controlled by a rich and religious Irishman, Joe McIntock (Giampiero Albertini). Sabata decides not only to free town from McInrock's tyranny, but also to gain some profit himself...

There are several highly entertaining scenes, some good action and many amusing gags, and, as mentioned above, the great Lee Van Cleef is always worth the time. Apart from Lee Van Cleef's performance as Sabata, one of the trickiest antiheroes of the Italian Western, the movie is sadly far away from the greatness of its predecessor. While the first movie had an excellent score, the score is one of the biggest flaws in "Return Of Sabata", the music often sounds like the soundtrack of a slapstick comedy instead of a Spaghetti Western. The body-count is also disappointing, it really takes quite a while until somebody is finally killed.

Apart from Lee Van Cleef, two other actors from the first movie are also in this one, Ignazio Spalla and Aldo Canti. Spalla's and Canti's characters resemble their characters from the first movie a lot, but they are not the same. It is beyond me why Parolini didn't just let them play their old characters, who could have had a reunion with Sabata. Still these two sidekicks for Sabata fit in very well, especially Ignazio Spalla is highly amusing and a great enrichment to the movie. Giampiero Albertini also delivers a good performance as the villain. Another character, Clyde (played by Reiner Schöne), is an attempt to copy William Berger's 'Banjo' character from the first movie, which is not too convincing either, since the role doesn't have the wit, and Schöne is not nearly as great an actor as Berger.

Overall, "Return Of Sabata" will be a disappointment if you expect another movie as great as the first "Sabata". Knowing that this is an inferior sequel, however, it should certainly be fun to watch for my fellow fans of the Italian Western. It has many flaws, and it doesn't come up to its predecessors, but it is still an amusing film and Lee Van Cleef is never to be missed. I recommend the entire "Sabata" series to a fan of Spaghetti Westerns, but one should certainly see the great original, as well as "Indio Black", before watching "Return Of Sabata". 6/10

The third and last film in the Sabata-series is only slightly better than ADIÓS, SABATA. Lee Van Cleef is back as Sabata and his presence by itself is enough to make this a better movie than the second one with Yul Brynner. Still, Van Cleef can't entirely make up for the awful script and the attempts for comedy. The "gags" in this film are total misfires. Sometimes, Van Cleef is even required to act like a clown. His clothing too isn't as cool as it was in the superior first SABATA. And, excuse me, Sabata as a circus act????????

This all reminded me a bit of the SCREAM-trilogy, with the exception that the second film there was much better than here. The superior first one and the weak third one are however very similar in both series. Why all those unnecessary sequels? Why not leave people with the memory of a good film and not with that of some bad sequels? 4/10

The plot of this film has to do with the town of Hobsonville where McIntock, a now prosperous miner and town over seer is taxing the people in order to get the money to build up their fair town into something special. Enter Sabata, who is following a trail that led him from a murder in a traveling circus to the town. Clearly there is a great deal of money at stake and Sabata smells something a miss as well as sensing that there is a buck to be made.

This is a rambling, often seemingly plot less, (comedic) western. You're a good way into the film before you realize what exactly is going on. There a good number of characters who are two timing or three timing each other and we get dragged into their machinations, and it seems that there really isn't a central story (or real villain), or at least a reason why Sabata is in the town, until the movie is about half over. Its not bad as such but towards the end of the first half you really do begin to wonder why you're watching the film.

The reason you're watching it is Lee Van Cleef. Van Cleef as Sabata is pure smart mouthed hero. He can't be beat and he knows it. He is a hero we'd all like to be, even if his motivations are questionable. Van Cleef goes along with the nonsense on screen and in the process makes it somehow okay to go along too.

Worth a look for western fans, others may want to take a pass unless they are in an undemanding mood.

Sabata returns (again) to kick a** and earn cash. Van Cleef is good and there is a lot of visual interest in this action story. I particularly liked the shots of Sabata and friends cresting various sand dunes. The acrobats and other characters from the other Sabata films are also back, once again with new names (very much like Eastwood's "no name" character who, contrary to myth, in fact has 3 names) presumably so they can be killed off again. I had a lot of fun watching it, but 3 days later I can't really remember what it was about. Well, heck, it's still a good movie!

Lee Van Cleef is Sabata, a cool character who is brilliant, an amazing shot as well as incredibly dexterous with his hands. In this film, he and his group of freaks enter a town where the townspeople have been paying taxes through their noses in the promise of an all-new and beautiful town. However, the town's boss is actually planning on substituting the money with counterfeit and absconding with all of it. So it's up to Sabata and his odd team to expose the lie and return the money.

I was prepared to like this movie far more than I did. The first SABATA movie was pretty good and I particularly liked watching the ultra-slick Lee Van Cleef in Westerns, as he was super-cool and menacing. Here, however, in the final appearance by Van Cleef in the Sabata series, he is pretty dull and the film seems to be more a parody of Italian Westerns instead of a serious or well thought-out film. Ultimately, the film is sunk by a horrible script--with strange and anachronistic characters, an incomprehensible plot and a lot of magical hocus-pocus that gets in the way of the characters.

So what, specifically, did I dislike? Well, the two circus performers made no sense. They could tumble and jump and spin and jump on and off roofs at will as well as shoot more accurately at great distances with a giant slingshot than anyone could with a gun and all this had absolutely no place in a Western. It was just silly and confusing. Unfortunately, too much of the film focused on them and other secondary characters and Sabata was relegated to a more secondary role. Also, the plot really, really went all over the place and it was exceptionally hard to follow. And, to top it off, the film had one of the worst soundtracks I've heard in years. Usually, with a so-called "Spaghetti Western", you have haunting tunes by the great Ennio Morricone, but here some knucklehead Italian composer came up with songs with horrid 1970s backup singers (something NOT needed in these films) and in the title song, half the words are "boom, boom, boom, boom, boom" and this is heard again and again throughout the film! Yecch! This film was listed among the chosen few in the great book "The Fifty Worst Films" (1979) and I could see why, though I don't think it was quite bad enough to make the list. It was, however, the worst Spaghetti Western ever made and perhaps helped to kill the genre. It's a shame, as some of the best Westerns ever made were made by the Italians--and many even starred Van Cleef before he agreed to appear in this sort of bone-headed film.

By the way, was it just me or did you, too, think it was pretty funny that Sabata had such a tiny, stubby little gun? I just kept thinking how Freud might have enjoyed laughing at or analyzing this movie character!

Well, I've done things about-face this time. I usually try to watch a film series in order, but when I caught THE RETURN OF SABATA on TV one afternoon I ended up watching it despite the fact I hadn't watched the first two in the series. No need. Although there are a few references and returning characters in this outing, for the most part it's a stand-alone adventure.

Those expecting a straight spaghetti western will be disappointed. This is a comedy through-and-through, of a similar, exaggerated kind to those made by Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. The shoot-outs are portrayed in funny ways, there are larger-than-life characters throughout and Sabata himself isn't too serious. I have to say, I was disappointed. I find this type of comedy usually dates very badly and the humour of THE RETURN OF SABATA is a case in point. Only the affectionate theme music was any good.

Van Cleef sleepwalks through the role of skilled gunslinger, one he must have been able to play in his sleep. A rather undistinguished supporting cast don't do themselves many favours, with boring villains and uninteresting, although pretty, women. The only characters I liked were the pair of acrobats who inevitably help Sabata out of various scrapes. I'd rather the film had been about them and them alone rather than having them as supporting characters.

Production values are generally stable and the choreography is okay, but the plot is fairly muddled and too much of it involves minor characters betraying each other and getting betrayed in turn. There are no really stand out or memorable moments here, just lots of light-hearted jokes and comedic interludes. I guess your liking of this film really depends of your taste for comedy, but this is one western I wish I hadn't bothered with.

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.

Van Cleef lays another solid gold egg. Clearly putting in a better performance than as Angel Eyes in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Cleef is the perfect man to play this terrific character.

As much a poignant lament on the wrongs of high taxation and social injustice as it was a fascinating and marvelous journey into the real cost of civil war, this film will delight the open minded viewer throughout.

Acerbic complexity and deep spiritual symbolism are just two ways in which this film stands high among some of the finest films of the seventies. Consistent acting and fluid plot development combine to make this one of the top 5 westerns of all time.

The casual viewer will find this film hard to follow as he struggles to keep his mind up to speed while we race through a series of dramatic events and cutting dialogue, but with applied concentration and perhaps three or four viewings he should find it a deeply rewarding experience.

Now, altogether: "If you wanna make money. If you wanna get rich...."

The third entry in the "Sabata" series brings back star Lee Van Cleef, after the movie "Adios, Sabata" (which was redubbed and re-christened with the "Sabata" brand name) with Yul Brynner. This time, Sabata is working in a sideshow in the small town of Hobsonville. Hobsonville is dominated by a greedy robber baron named Joe McIntock (Giampiero Albertini). McIntock taxes his citizens for just about everything, and supposedly it goes towards making town improvements. Sabata does battle with the villainous McIntock while cultivating a tenuous "partnership" with the shifty Lt. Clyde (Reiner Schone).

"The Return of Sabata" has a plot so convoluted and twist-laden that it only starts to become more clear towards the end. The viewer really has to pay attention in order to avoid becoming confused; even then, this is the kind of story that probably does command more than one viewing for the sake of understanding it. Not that it matters all that much; oftentimes the story takes a backseat to comedy. The film is at its brightest when coming up with a variety of gags, surprises, and cool gadgets. Sabata is an absolutely unflappable hero in the face of danger, and frequently catches his opponents off guard.

This film looks as good as anything else in this genre: it's well designed, well shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and it features a blatantly comical (and insidiously catchy) music score composed by Marcello Giombini. There are some lovely ladies to add some sex appeal, and there are occasional doses of gore as the body count rises. The acrobat characters return to dazzle us with their amazing feats.

It sure is nice to see Van Cleef in a more lighthearted venture than usual, and he does appear to be having fun. The supporting cast - Schone, Albertini, Ignazio Spalla, Annabella Incontrera, Jacqueline Alexandre, Steffen Zacharias - is equally engaging. Schone is amusing as an *extremely* weaselly lowlife.

Good entertainment for Spaghetti Western fans.

Seven out of 10.

This is the final Sabata film and it certainly ends the series well. While none of the Sabata films have any connection with each other,to me the film feels like the end of a great motion picture epic- and it is! The plot goes like this; A gunfighter arrives at a tax oppressed town. The gunfighter, Sabata, soon finds out that the town is being run by an Irish baron named McIntock. Sabata hires a bunch of crazed delinquents and sets out to take down the foreigner.

The film has probably the most crazy movie openings I have ever seen. I won't spoil it, but by the time the main title screen shows up, your staring at the screen wondering "What on earth was the point in that". And that's what I like about the Sabata trilogy. There are good battles and story lines, but sometimes they throw random scenes in for no apparent reason. The makings of a classic! The storyline is rather interesting, but sometimes it drags it's heels a bit too much. The characters are, Like in the other films, very diverse and have colourful personalities. Sabata wants justice in the town but also wants a share of the gold. His classic 4 barrelled gun appears again which i was really pleased about. There is also a fat guy called bronco who declares everything interesting that comes up to the town by beating his huge drum and making speeches. He joins Sabata in the fight just for the gold. There are also two men called feonda and angel who don;t really have much dialogue or character but they both have different ways of killing people. Feonda makes a slingshot by lying down, stretching the slingshot between his legs and firing, mostly at people on top of buildings or at a faraway distance. Angel however is a bit more acrobatic, Jumping on people and bouncing about, making it harder for his enemies to fire at him. Finally we have Clide. Clide appears to know Sabata well, however he never seems to be friend or his enemy. He is the most two faced character I have ever seen in a film. (SPOILER)Near the end of the film, he switches sides between Sabata and McIntock several times. (SPOILER Finnished)He is loyal to no-one. All in all the Chacters are extremely well made and are a lot better than a lot of characters in modern movies nowadays.

The action is superb but you have to wait for it. The film is packed full of edge of your seat action. I'm talking mines blowing up, massive shoot outs at McIntock's house, saloon fights and just some good old fashioned Explotions. In other words, If you can wait through some of the movie's uninteresting dialogue, you will be very impressed with the action scenes. Eye popping entertainment.

By and large, Not as good as the previous Sabata films, but it's certainly worth a watch. A Great end to a fantastic series that I hope keeps audiences attentions for years to come. If you want an all out action fest and want a good laugh at the same time, make sure you watch this instant classic before it disappears!!!!

This has to be one of the most entertaining, funniest and fun to watch movies I've seen in a while! As a lover of spaghetti westerns and a big fan of Lee van Cleef, I was excited about catching this on TV. Not the kind of movie you have the chance to watch usually, at least where I live. I expected just one more SW, but no -"É tornato Sabata" offers something more. It is quirky, it is sometimes bordering the realms of surreal; and it's a lot of fun to watch. But funny, also -in fact, it's something of a comedy-western, with the agreeable bit of cheesiness that you can find in some of these movies -movies made only to entertain people and provide a good time. This movie does that not only by way of the plot -the charismatic and mysterious hero Sabata arrives in a town ruled by a local tyrant who imposes abusive taxes, with the action that ensues- but also and especially thanks to the amusing dialogues and performances of the whole cast, of which I especially enjoyed Lee van Cleef -once again showing what a talented, sadly underrated actor he was, but also how much he enjoyed his work-, and Pedro Sánchez, here listed as Ignazio Spalla.

Gianfranco Parolini directs the movie, paying very good attention to most of the unwritten rules or principles of spaghetti westerns, following Sergio Leone's extreme close-ups or sometimes slightly overdone facial expressions or sound effects.

Going back to the plot, I have to add that it contains enough fun and clever twists to be quite original and worth watching closely.

I rate this 9/10. Enjoy!

This time Sabata is in a town doing his bit in a circus and being the outlaw that he is refuses to pay taxes. A gang of Irish men came in charging the town taxes in promise of building the town up all nice for them, but Sabata knows that McLintock and his henchman are up to no good and he wants in on their action in a fast attempt to blackmail them.

Definitely not as good as part one, but I think its pretty neck and neck with part 2. I like Yul and Lee both, but think I like Cleef best in this role, I think he plays westerns way better than Bryner does.

This movie was wild, starting out with psychedelic music and trippy colors and a 8 man killing spree that turns out to be a circus act... Very strange, and then a weird theme song to start the credits made me scratch my head as to what I was watching.

Once again Kramers direction is great, but like so many things in this movie it is the least greatest of the three. Many actors came back from the previous films playing other people like Pedro Sanchez and Bruno Ukmar and Gianni Rizzo.

I thought the movie was good, it had silly antics and more fist fighting than the others. They tried to make it more comedy based, and probably not an intention but I loved that Cleef was wearing a wig - that was funny 5/10 stars fans of the genre will enjoy all three of these films.

"The Return of Sabata" is not quite as bad as some reviewers make it out to be, nor quite as good either. It's not quite funny enough to be a comedy, or dark enough to be a drama. Its primary characteristic is the confusion of the plot; it's not that there are many twists and turns, as much as the basic points of the plot never make much sense. Some reviewers suggest watching it a couple of times to unravel the strands of disorder – but it is not really good enough to watch more than once.

If you read this before watching the movie, here is what you should think about as you view it: the bad guy, Joe McIntock, has three sets of hard assets: the real money, the counterfeit money, and the gold. How are they related? What exactly are McCintock's and Sabata's goals and plans regarding them? I was not able to figure it out in one viewing. But I did not even realize these were the issues until it was too late.

All spaghetti westerns are deliberately odd, but there are some noteworthy things to look for here:

1. In the original Sabato, Lee Van Cleef is bald, his natural look. In the one scene in which he appears without a hat here, though, he has a lustrous head of silver hair.

2. Pedro Sanchez, who appears here in his third Sabata movie (he is Van Cleef's chubby sidekick), was dubbed in the first two Sabatas by an actor with a Mexican accent. Here, however, he has an American-Western accent, but occasionally slides back into a slight Spanish accent. It is all very disconcerting.

3. The theme song states emphatically that Sabata is "nine-fingered". IMDb suggests that this is not quite accurate, that actually he was missing the "last joint of his middle finger".

4. The movie features the most beautiful dance hall girls of any western I have ever seen. McIntock's wife, played by Jacqueline Alexandre, an only occasional actress, is also stunningly beautiful.

In sum, "The Return of Sabata" is nothing great, but watching Lee Van Cleef is never a waste of one's time.

The third and final sabata film is not great, but for some reason at the same time its excellent. Lee Van Cleef is back again which is good, but the dialogue is far too heavy.

Return of sabata drags too much as most scenes are conversations, but there are a few breaks of action here and there, such as extremely well choreographed fist fights and a couple of small shootouts, which are very fun and enjoyable to watch. Sometimes the plot is a bit hard to follow and some scenes are very complex and confusing.

But if you concentrate on just the action and the characters this film is brilliant. The shootout at the end of the film is one of the best and is the only reason why i rated the film a 10.

The theme tune is also excellent. This movie is good and bad,it's my least favourite of the trilogy, but it is a must see. Brilliant

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.

You better believe that if there's a lot of gold around, Sabata(Lee Van Cleef)will be near. The setting for this spaghetti western is Hobsonville. Being built from the dream of McIntock, an Irish immigrant whose empire is burgeoning thanks to his power within the town of Hobsonville, incorporating taxes on everything to help pay for construction so that the community can flourish(..which would, in turn, make him very rich, beyond the wealth he had already accumulated from the citizens). McIntock, at one time, was a simple miner, and it's believed(..by Sabata)that he may've found gold, and lots of it. As I said, if there's gold to be had, Sabata wants his share. Sabata discovers a soldier which fought along side of him in the Civil War for the South, Clyde(the handsome Reiner Schöne, with a charming smile), whom he calls Lieutenant(Sabata was a Major, for which Clyde calls him throughout), a scoundrel who operates a saloon, which cheats it's customers(..and, amusingly, Clyde attempts to swindle his ole war pal, to no avail). Clyde and Sabata "partner up" in a plan to uncover McIntock's loot, wherever it might be. Joining up with Sabata is the blubber-belly Bronco(..renowned spaghetti western star Ignazio Spalla, in a rare non-heavy role), who was, at one point, banging his drum(..literally)for McIntock's tax plan, along with pickpocket specialist team, Angel(Aldo Canti, who keeps a mirror inside his hat to be on the lookout for potential victims!)and the elastic gymnast Bionda(Vassili Karis).

Giampiero Alberti is Joe McIntock, the man of prominence, who everyone targets, but only Sabata has the true talents to succeed in finding his gold. The movie isn't much different from 'Sabata' in that it allows Lee Van Cleef the luxury to defy those who would wish for him to bugger off and out of the town of Hobsonville, either by stagecoach or grave. He remains one step ahead of everyone, and every time it seems like he's painted in a corner, with no way of either escaping or surviving, Sabata comes up with some miraculous, incredibly clever way of doing just that. LVC outsmarting those that oppose him is why I watch these movies, I won't deny it, and I enjoy them if just as simple guilty pleasures. Is the plot to 'The Return of Sabata' all that ingenious or original? Not in the slightest, but if you have a desire to see LVC constantly evade trouble on every turn, then I think you might just enjoy this. His Sabata knows what others are planning before they do, it seems, and perhaps that is the case because he's the master at the art of taking from other hustlers. I think that's why you can look past his criminal proclivities because he essentially "removes assets" from those that take from others too naive or helpless to stop Sabata's targets. McIntock is an interesting heavy because he doesn't like violence, and actually has religious convictions, with us seeing how it pains him to resort to unpleasant means in dealing with those that cross his path in a negative way. He just wants to have control over the town, with no one interfering with his plans to build it into a place of prosperity and commerce. Ultimately, 'The Return of Sabata' is a star vehicle for LVC, allowing him to be quicker on the draw than everyone else..this fan wouldn't want it any other way. The stunning Annabella Incontrera is a high-class whore who "stops by" for a couple weeks to earn some extra cash and takes a shine to Sabata(..of course!). How Sabata deals with Clyde(..and how Clyde is working over McIntock, such as bedding his gorgeous fiancé, who is the sister of Hobsonville's mayor and banker!)is part of the fun of this western. Clyde, whose cat-like grin makes it so obvious the kind of snake-in-the-grass turncoat he is, has his eyes set on nabbing the gold on his own, seemingly planning to "opt out" of his partnership with Sabata when the time is right. The beauty of a Sabata movie is the fact that our titular anti-hero always gets the upper hand, knowing who is friends are and aren't.

I saw this movie on cable television. It played right after The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Talk about day and then night.

When I saw that it starred Lee Van Cleef, and heard the catchy theme song, I thought, hey, maybe this will be good.

But alas, Lee Van Cleef went from the Bad to the Bad Movie. As far as I am concerned, there are only three Spaghetti Westerns, and Return of Sabata is a perfect example why. These imitations don't measure up.

Van Cleef makes a valiant effort as the cool cat Sabata who always finds a way to win. But as he is not countered by any competent antagonist, his efforts are wasted. The movies' arch-villain McKintock is evil enough, but hapless (why doesn't he just have a bunch of guys with shotguns assassinate Sabata?) and surrounded by clownish lackeys with no sand.

These themes are established early: Sabata always knows what's going on, and Sabata always wins. It seems half the film consists of McKintock's men challenging Sabata to one gambling contest after another, then trying to trick or cheat him, only to find that Sabata cheats better. Many of these scenes end with Sabata pulling a gun at some clever time, including a small-caliber barrel hidden up his sleeve. Somehow no one ever decides to draw before he does, and time and again, a roomful of armed hostiles is mysteriously cowed. Van Cleef wears a Cool Hand Luke air throughout, but the effect is to turn him into a kind of god-figure. He can get the drop on dozens of men at once? Who can challenge him, then, in this town full of cowards? Yawn.

The non-gambling parts of this film seem to be inspired by the director belatedly realizing that it needs to involve more than just harping on Sabata's gambling prowess. Even the positive comments on this page admit that the plot is unfathomable in a single viewing. It's worse; it's as though they shot a bunch of random western-themed scenes, then tried to edit them into a movie. The characters are shallow Western clichés with no substance, and their motives are mostly "I'm-with-Sabata" or "I'm-with-McKintock." And what is going on, and why, is rarely explained. At one point, Clyde suddenly jump into a horse-drawn cart and make off with the loot. But he doesn't get far before his cart loses a wheel and Sabata is there to coolly chide him for his impish treachery. What, Clyde was planning to steal the loot? Why did the wheel fall off? How did Sabata know he was going to do it?

The entire film is one take after another of Someone Tries to do Something Against Sabata, leading up to Sabata Wins, Hands Down. Even when the movie bothers to explain just HOW Sabata wins, it wears too thin to hold the attention. Kind of like Superman in the Wild West, with no super-villains or Kryptonite. If you've seen one scene, you've seen the whole film. See it if you like bad movies that critics whitewash as "rollicking." But see it for free, it's not worth paying for.

This is a slightly hippyish and silly western of the cool 9 fingered gunslinger crafty Sabata.

He is looking for an angle in a new upcoming town which is being heavily taxed by the town's land baron for supposed improvements but it's just a form of legalised theft.

Sabata is a wily old fellow, as you are shown in the opening scene. He has all sorts of guns up his sleeves even one under his shoe.

His grinning sidekick Lt Clyde is constantly caught out by Sabata for pulling a fast one and it signals that the film will contain some form of double crossing.

There are also two acrobats helping along who jump off buildings, stage fights, steal and do all sorts of somersaults in the gangs quest for some gold coins.

In fact these two were fantastic, with one of them used his legs like a slingshot as well.

It is a strange film, rather hard to follow, maybe because of the poor dubbing and the plot is complicated. A spaghetti western shot in Spain. Lee Van Cleef though is shot on with his performance.

Apparently THE RETURN OF SABATA made the 50 Worst Films Of All Time book by Michael Medved but does it really belong there ? From a analytical film student point of view you can claim it's no different from the films of Sergio Leone in that it contains a Marxist slant as to what is the root of all evil . From the outset the audience are told via one of those songs so terrible and yet so infectious it stays in your mind for days:

" if you want to make money if you want to be rich you have to be a son of a Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb "

Wow what a great idea it would be if we abolished currency , wealth and conditioned people in to not being greedy . What's that you're saying ? It's been tried and it didn't work . Ah yes I remember . One other thing that doesn't work is the plot mechanics of this movie which left me totally confused as to where it might be going . Something to do with an Irish gang wanting to get their hands on some gold and Lee Van Cleef as Sabata trying to stop them because he wants the gold . Why should Sabata get the gold instead of the Irishmen ? I have no idea

The difference between this and Sergio Leone is in the use of humour . At least Leone could make use of black comedy . Here there's no similar feel and it has an overbearingly silly light hearted air to it including a couple of circus acrobats . In many ways it resembles one of those Westerns featuring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer rather than gritty spaghetti Western fodder . It is watchable which stops it from being one of the worst films ever made

Sabata (Lee Van Cleef) is working as a trick-shooter in some sort of psychedelic sideshow, when he runs afoul of a local big-wig by refusing to pay the town's excessive sales taxes. Also, there's a lady-killer lurking about and Sabata's shifty war-buddy hanging around.

The production values are good, as is Van Cleef and his assortment of wonderful toys. However, the whole movie is pretty silly and the script a rambling, sometimes confusing mess (Who killed the girl and why?), with a plot that takes too much time to develop.

In all, Return Of Sabata is mostly forgettable, with a few good moments surrounded by way too much talk. As a fan of Lee Van Cleef, I wanted very much to like this more than I ultimately did.

I have to be honest and say I didn't really like the first Sabata film, but I decided to see this one anyway. I would say that, actually, The Return of Sabata is slightly better than the first film in the series - although slightly is the operative word as both are rather poor Spaghetti Westerns. It's obvious that this film wasn't meant to be completely serious - as shown by the opening score, which is rather silly. The plot focuses on gunslinger Sabata. He rides into Hobsonville and discovers that the locals are being taxed by a man named McIntock. Sabata don't pay taxes to no man, so he decides to do something about it. The plot is not really all that interesting and there doesn't seem to be a great deal of point to it either. The film is also rather strange and features plenty of things you wouldn't expect to find a film like this; which is great for originality, but not so great considering most of it doesn't work. Naturally it's Lee Van Cheef as the master gunslinger who is the main standout, and he provides the best thing about the film with his role; although I'm not surprised he didn't come back to do the third film. Overall, this is a rather poor Spaghetti Western and I wouldn't recommend this - or the first one - to anyone (unless I didn't like the person, in which case I'd recommend they skip Leone and see these films!).