User Reviews

"Dynamite Joe" is a fairly obscure spaghetti western, rarely seen in the U.S., probably because there are no American actors in it. It's a lot more light-hearted than a lot of Italian westerns, but it doesn't work too well as either a comedy or a western. Rick Von Nutter stars as "special agent" Joe Ford, better known as Dynamite Joe. The character (and the film) seem to be influenced by both the James Bond phenomena, heavy in the 60's, and the TV show "Wild Wild West."

Joe's hired by the government to get a gold shipment safely through dangerous territory and past a group of "comancheros." He manages to do this when a wagon is made from the gold. (Yeah . . . that's believable!) Along the way we're told Joe has "an obsession with the letter G: gold, girls, and gunpowder!" The audience is also treated to (or tortured by) a couple of songs by a saloon girl (who looks a lot like Annette Funicello).

There is the usual -- for spaghetti westerns -- backstabbing and corruption of supposedly noble characters, and a number of mostly predictable twists in the plot. And then there's director Margheriti's famous work with miniatures during a sensational flood sequence. And as usual, the special effects in the sequence alternate from spectacular to dreadful, often within seconds.

In short, "Dynamite Joe" is watchable, but is far from the apex of Italian westerns. And Rick Von Nutter just walks through the title role on what I presume is supposed to be his charm. (Note to Rick: It ain't happenin', dude!)

Too much gold disappears during transports, so that the bank director hires an expert to guard the next one: Dynamite Joe (Rik Van Nutter)! Bandits and corrupt business-men are already making plans how to get rid of him, but Joe is prepared for many enemies with plenty of explosives.

The first western movie by Antonio Margheriti is somewhat too pedestrian. In the first half of the movie, nothing much is happening except discussions with bank directors and watching the saloon dancers. Only in the middle of the movie, when the villain seriously starts to attack Dynamite Joe (who replies with, guess what, a very big explosion), the audience wakes up and gets the opportunity to watch a movie that is somewhat entertaining at least in the second half, when the gold transport is on the way. Rik Van Nutter (best known for playing Felix Leiter in the James Bond movie 'Thunderball') is a kind of hero that rather is at home in secret agent movies and appears to be miscast here.

Middling Italian-Spanish Western with habitual actors , customary scenarios and realized in Spaghetti/Chorizo style , including hilarious touches here and there . The film displays thrills , noisy action , riding pursuits , shootouts , lots of blow-up , final twist , and being enough entertaining . It is a decent/passable , though mediocre , Macaroni Western starred by acceptable actors from Spaghetti . It stars Joe (a Bond-style starring , being decently played by Rik Van Nutter) who is hired by powerful bankers to get a gold shipment safely through a perilous territory . As Joe is contracted by the USA government to get the gold shipment to its destination , being supported by an old swagger called Sponge (Barta Barri) and a honest sheriff named Stanton (Alfonso Rojas) . Along the way they find all kinds of dangers , treason , and unexpected attacks . Joe is doublé-crossed and targeted by a second outfit of robbers led by a nasty Mexican bandit nicknamed El Sol (Ricardo Palacios) , chasing the shipment of gold , a great number of traitors and corrupt rich businessmen .

Dynamite Joe starts off with colorful opening credits on characters from the film , it tends to center on the protagonist , Rik Van Nutter , dressed in Clint Eastwood's style , including ¨Poncho¨ , who faces off a motley group of villains . Acceptable though middling Pepperoni Western in which a drifter resolves a conflict among nasty robbers that want to take a gold shipment when the US government attempts to transport it in a safe place . All in all , this film is predominantly an Italian film rather than a Spanish one . It's an Italian/Spanish realization , two country co-production but is clearly dominated by the Italian contingent and the traditional leanings of the Spanish producers of the time have their stamp on the entire proceedings . Passable Spaghetti Western realized in traditional as well as comical style with a screenplay written by Maria Carmen Martínez Roman who wrote numerous westerns , such as : Sheriff Won't Shoot , Réquiem for a Gringo , Winchester Bill , In a Colt's Shadow , Fury of Johnny Kid and the classic Django kill ; including amusing dialogue , silly situations , plot twists and turns . Italian-Spanish co-production filmed in Almeria , full of familiar faces , action , exaggerated characters , crossfire and lots of shots . The film packs comical elements , tongue-in-cheek , thrills , shootouts , floods , high body-count and and results to be quite entertaining . It's a middle-budget film with ordinary actors , technicians , decent production values and average results . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up , explosions , or stunts every few minutes . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between starring Rik Van Nutter and his contenders , Renato Baldini , Ricardo Palacios , adding some thrilling as well as spectacular scenes as when Jim uses dynamite against his enemies .

Sympathetic acting by Rik van Nutter who takes on a band of crooks , unethical banker & his gang . Rik , who often used pseudonym Clyde Rogers , was an actor and writer , known for ¨007's Thunderball¨ (1965), ¨Space Men¨ (1960) , ¨The Revenge of Ivanhoe¨ (1965) , ¨Buffalo Bill Cody¨ (1965) and this one , ¨Dynamite Joe¨ (1967). He was married to Emily Frankel and Anita Ekberg, and he died in 2005 . Sexy female cast members accompany to him , such as Halina Zalewska , and Merce Castro . Support cast is pretty well , filled by intimate faces as Spanish actors : Barta Barry , Ricardo Palacios , Alfonso Rojas , Saturno Cerra , and Italian : Renato Baldini , among others . The picture well photographed by Manuel Merino . However , being necessary a fine remastering because of the film-copy is washed-out . Mostly filmed in atmospheric scenarios on location in Almeria . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and adequate production design by the usual Teddy Villalba , he creates a good scenario . Very enjoyable musical score by Carlo Savina , including catching songs at the beginning and the end , including a couple of songs by a saloon girl .

This oddball motion picture was professionally directed by Antonio Margheriti , though it has flaws and gaps . Antonio M. Dawson was born in 1930 , Rome, and died in 2002 . He was a director and writer , and especially known for his works with miniatures , explosions and flood sequences . Antonio shoots with ordinary aplomb and being famous for Yor (1983), Virus (1980) and Horror castle (1963) . Italian writer-director of horror and exploitation films, a former university engineering student who began in films in 1956 . He was also an expert in special optical effects , FX , and model-making . Often used the pseudonym 'Anthony M. Dawson'. He directed all kind of genres such as Wartime : The last hunter , Tornado , Code Name : Wild Geese , Commando Leopard , Der Commander ; Sci-Fi : War of planets , Planet on the prowl , Criminali Della Galassia ; Action : Operazione Goldman , Indio , The Squeeze , Cyberflic ; Terror : The Virgin of Nuremberg , Virus or Cannibal Apocalypse , Alien from the Deep , Flesh for Frankestein and Spaghetti : Joko , Dynamite Joe ,The Stranger and the Gunfighter , Take a hard ride , And God Said to Cain .

DYNAMITE JOE is a cheerful spaghetti western directed by the one and only Antonio Margheriti, who shoots with his typical aplomb: he brings a lightness of touch to the proceedings and fills his film with plenty of action too. Despite this, DYNAMITE JOE feels like a rather superficial movie, lacking in the kind of depth that makes a spaghetti western classic.

The film features Rik Van Nutter as the peroxide blond hero, a Bond-style protagonist who has something of a passion for explosives. The plot involves the transportation of a shipment of gold through enemy territory, and the enemies faced along the way; a number of rich businessmen turn out to be unsurprisingly corrupt, and Van Nutter has his work cut out dealing with them.

Unsurprisingly this is an effects film for the most part, with plenty of explosive action and even a few of Margheriti's infamous miniatures in a flood disaster scene. However, it's not very funny, and Van Nutter's hero is more than a little irritating. It's not a film I'd hurry to watch again, put it like that.

What I will say in this one's defence is that it felt a little different for a spaghetti western. The tone was completely at odds for what we have come to expect from these types of films, with a central character who doesn't have deadly gun skills but instead is a dab hand with a stick of dynamite! Despite (or maybe because of) these distinctive characteristics, Dynamite Joe is a mediocre-to-poor western. It's essentially about a government agent who is tasked with protecting a gold shipment from bandits. His weapon of choice is, needless to say, explosives.

This one was helmed by jack-of-all-trades director Antonio Margheriti, who made films in many different genres. He does solid enough work here but the material is just a bit too tedious for its own good. The star actor is a guy with the spectacularly silly name of Rik Van Nutter. Seemingly he was the guy who played Felix in the early James Bond movies, although I would never have known if I hadn't read it here on IMDb. Overall, this is a film that certainly doesn't take itself very seriously but at the same time it isn't very good either.

Spaghetti westerns are very variable in quality, not a lot of great ones and not many terrible ones either, somewhat in between. 'Dynamite Joe' is a relatively obscure film, except that the full film is on Youtube and it just aired on Movies4Men just now.

Watching it via the latter with little else to do, 'Dynamite Joe' turned out to be an okay one-time watch, particularly if one is a Spaghetti western completest and wants to see even the obscure ones, but is easily forgettable and doesn't have enough to warrant repeat viewings. Not awful by all means (you can do with so much worse), but there is not much explosive here let alone enough to live up to its title.

'Dynamite Joe' does have its good things. It's not bad looking, it's evocative in design and has the right amount of rustic grit and much of the photography is lovely, especially the opening shot. The music fits quite well, sometimes rousing and at other times subtle, it's not the most lushly orchestrated score in the world but it at least is not discordant with the setting. The songs are catchy.

There are moments of amusing comedy and occasional exciting action.

On the other hand, both the direction and pace are pedestrian, especially in the far-too-long-to-get-going first half and the story is far too ordinary and seems reluctant to give any tension, imagination or conflict. Instead it tries too hard to be light-hearted and ends up playing it too safely and politely.

Regarding the script, some amusing comedy aside, it lacks lustre as well and doesn't flow naturally. The characters are little more than bland, indifferent in development clichés and the acting is nothing to write home about. Rik Van Nutter sleepwalks through the lead role, and the rest are either bland or over-the-top.

In summation, okay but forgettable very soon after watching. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Anyone expecting another grim, operatic Italian revenge oater can skip Dynamite Joe. Rik van Nutter is an Eastwood lookalike from a few angles and Antonio Margheriti plays that up in the first few minutes before Joe goes back to a Robert Conrad/Wild Wild West style hero who's a specialist with explosives. van Nutter does an all around good job as a womanizing, easygoing troubleshooter. Hired to transport a gold shipment, Joe sets off huge explosions, romances two pretty girls, tangles with Mexican bandits and crooked American politicians. The cinematography is good, the music by Savina fits the tone of this wacky film and the action is fine, especially a stage coach Chase. There have been comedy westerns alla Italianni before such as Any Gun Can Play and straight westerns with some humor in spots but Dynamite Joe is total silly tongue in cheek slapstick which probably accounts for the heavy criticism.