"Pari e dispari" or "Odds and Evens" or "Zwei sind nicht zu bremsen" is a co-production between Italy and the United States from 1978, so this one is already over 40 years old and maybe even over 50 when you read this review of mine. Depends if you show up anytime soon. I am writing this at the very end of 2020. To the title it can be said that there is a gambling reference included in terms of numbers, at least in the Italian original title and English-language title. The German title is completely different. It could honestly be used for pretty much every Spencer/Hill movie and is really generic. If you are optimistic, then you could say that the "Two can't be stopped" is linked to the speed component here with the duo riding a truck for quite some time and this truck plays an especially big role for Spencer's character. I mean he even says on one occasion that it is worse he lost his truck to a friend than losing his girlfriend/wife to a friend. Enough said. It does not sound half as funny as it was in the movie and it was not even among the funniest moments. Anyway, I will go back a bit and elaborate on some basic aspects for now. This one here is certainly among the famous duo's longer movies at 115 minutes. The DVD version is only minimally shorter. The rating here on imdb is also higher than for the majority of other Spencer films, even if the number of votes is not gigantic. But yeah well, they are not famous in America, so this explains it. There is nonetheless a bit of a modern western component to this film with the truck background and of course the film is set in America, which explains why the USA are one country of production here. The director here is Sergio Corbucci and he is most known for his western movies, so the reference is fitting, even if this movie is somewhat set in the now. He is also part of the writing staff and so is his brother Bruno. Plus there are two other writers, so a quartet if I am not mistaken and this is quite a lot, even if it is not a short movie. It is also nowhere near the earliest or latest of Spencer/Hill movies time-wise. Somwhere in the middle. As for the rest of the cast, they shall not be forgotten either. As almost always with movies starring Spencer and Hill, you will not find any big names here at all. But that is not a problem. Maybe the big names stay away because this is always a bit of comedy here and not the most challenging kind. Or they were just scared because they could never take attention away from Spencer (and Hill). Giovanni Cianfriglia can be mentioned, although he plays a really minor character only. He was an incredibly prolific actor (actually he is still alive, just not acting anymore) and stuntman and as you can see from his picture, he was also a swimmer and boxer in his younger years. Not sure from which this was taken. But it fits nicely because Spencer himself was an olympic swimmer and the cast Bugner for other movies, a world champion in boxing. Catenacci, Borgese and Woodbury also showed up in other Spencer films, not just this one, so you can say that they recast actors many times, but it's not a problem at all. One who deserves a special mention is Riccardo Pizzuti. This one is very easy to recognize and remember and I have seen him recently in at least two other Bud Spencer movies playing villains, but not really the main antagonist I think, always a top henchman. I like him somehow. Also, even he played antagonists, he still looked entirely different in all of those depending on when and where these films were set. Very nice. Would be cool to spot him in further films. He is also still alive and like Cianfriglia no longer acting and deep into his 80s. We also have two female actors in here. One palys a nun with a soft spot for gambling and she is closer to Spencer's character, which fits because he rarely has romantic involvements in his movies and the other is played by an actress who has never been in a film before or after this movie apparently. Surprises me a bit because Kim McKay's character was not truly minor here. She played the potential love interest to Hill's character. He often has romantic involvement in his movies (a bit like Bond), but even if it is never graphic or anything things do get a little bit more complicated because she belongs to a group of gangsters.
Okay, now I will mention a few scenes and plot inclusions I really liked from this movie. I think it was at its very best early on. Basically almost everything before the scene with Hill's character alone at the casino or bar where he meets the lady was really good. These scenes that Spencer and Hill have together there. Also pay attention to how Hill is always first credit in their films apparently. Anyway, the first meeting is also pretty fun with the blackface for Hill's character (oh how the politically correct would whine today, really shameful, I am so glad we have these scenes in old movies, it's such harmless fun, but today people get offended so quickly) and you could wonder if Spencer's character really does not know it was him when later on he asks if he has a Black brother or something. But the best is probably early on when they (especially Spencer's character) stand up against the bullies in the restaurant and the cake stuff etc. But the truck action is also alright. After the scenes in which Hill's character plays cards things also get funny quickly again when he says something like there is a big bum sleeping inside and of course he means Spencer's character. The fight sequence that ensues is just as funny when they wake up Spencer's character. Later on, we also have the conversation on the phone when Hill's character is standing right next to Spencer's and that was fine too, but not among the best. There are so many fun moments here in this movie that I can impossibly mention all of them. Like in the end they end up at a casino again and there is a big fight and there Pizzuti's character loses some teeth and like balls they fall into a roulette. Some really small moments, but they are funny enough. Or when Bud Spencer was dressed up as a baby and the bad guys wonder about the beard and next moment we see through the camera on the outside how they are basically knocked out of a window. Really funny. Also you will see Spencer's character being physically active here (with wild curly hair) in a sport I don't think I have ever heard. A bit like squash with the difference that the thing they are hitting with is entirely different. And the ball too I believe. But seems like fun. Luckily we have a commentator explain how exactly it works, not that it would have mattered really. Isn't it a bit unfair that the guys who play last have a bigger advantage? Anyway, it was still fun to watch and I'd try it as well. Buddy's character is winning of course. No surprise here. But for once he is not beating somebody up. He does on several other occasions though. Oh and yeah there is this brother/father story. Okay, that was a bit strange, definitely over the top, but also so exaggerated that it felt really funny again. Like when the old man poses as a statue. or when he runs away from the crooks. Or when he is caught by Spencer's character finally and of course he is not blind and how he reacts there as if some miracle healing happened. Anyway, Spencer's character has forgiven him quickly in the end as he would win anyway, no matter which side of the coin shows up. He may seem gruff, but Spencer's character is very kind and friendly deep down in his heart as always in these movies. I just think he forgave him or maybe he knew that the seagull would show up and catch the coin because of the noise he made. Nice little referende there on talking to animals. I think other animals were featured earlier too like the dolphin. So the orphanage got all the money in the end. Also nothing unusual that in terms of money the good cause wins in these films and our heroes are not as rich as they could be eventually. As for Spencer and Hill, they always have a bit of a love-hate relationship in these films, but they stick together. Just take the one early on with the bet and how Hill's character manages to use a non costume to get inside the cabin. And when Spencer's character is really about to start eating the seafood because he lost the bet, Hill's character gets in the way and says it's alright. Ooooh I almost forgot about the Spencer photo early on when Hill's character is said he will cooperate with the man on the picture, but it is already unrealistic enough that he knows who the man on the pictures, but also that he just met him. And who is it? Yep a beardless picture of Spencer. Haha that was so fun! And props to him for recognizing the man. I know I would not have. Probably because I know Pedersoli only with his thick beard. And how he paints the beard on the picture afterwards and when he is done we see it is a picture where the beard was printed on. And despite all these irregularities and maybe lack of realism, it is fascinating how this movie gets away with it all. Just gotta love it. So many fun moments and I really want to watch it again soon, at the latest for the 2021 holidays. These Spencer (and Hill) films have such a massive fun factor it's pretty unreal. They make me laugh a lot for sure. It's also not just the playful fighting, but also the dialogues to a great extent. I mean I am not sure how good they are in Italian, but the dubbing could not have been any better, especially with the banter between the two and the coolness factor of Spencer's characters' words in particular. Always calm, restrained and in control the big bear. No surprise at all this once more won the Golden Screen because so many people headed to theaters to watch and also Hill was nominated for a Jupiter Award and Spencer won the category, not sure if for this movie though and he won over the likes of Reynolds, Moore, Travolta, Beatty and de Funès. Enough said. Watch this film!
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