UmbertoLenziisundoubtedlythekingofItaliancrimemovies,butunfortunately;SyndicateSadistsisnotthebestexamplesofhisworkinthisgenre.Lenzi’scrimeflickstendtobeacutabovetherestbecausehemakesfilmsbasedonstorieswithapoint,andtheydon’tlackdirection;butthisfilmfeelsabittoowaywardtofullyfitwiththerestofhisstuff.ThefilmtakesobviousinfluencefromSergioLeone’slandmarkwestern’AFistfulofDollars’(whichinturn,tookinfluencefromAkiraKurosawa’slandmarksamuraiflickYojimbo),inthatitfeaturestwowarringfamiliesandastrongcharacteratthecentre.ThecrimethatLenzifocusesoniskidnapping,andwecentreonacharactercalled’Rambo’.Ramboisdraggedintothewarbetweenthetwofamiliesafterhisbrotheriskilledbecauseofit.Rambouseshisbrainsandbrawntopitthetwofamiliesagainstoneanother,inthehopeofgainingrevengeforhisbrother’sdeath,rescuingayoungboythatthey’vekidnapped,andultimatelylettingthetwosidesdestroyoneanother.Thefilm’sbiggestassetisundoubtedlyTomasMilian.MilianwasputtogreatusebyLenziinalmostallofhiscrimethrillers.TherangeofcharactershehasplayedforLenziisimmense,andthisoneiseasilyoneofthecoolest.ThecharacteriscalledRambo,whichimmediatelysprangtomindthepopularSylvesterStallonecharacter-butforonce,theItaliansactuallyhaven’tstolenthisnameasSyndicateSadistswasreleasedfirst!Asusual,thefilmiswickedlyentertaining,aswegettowatchMiliangethimselfinvolvedintheusualarrayofcarchases,shootoutsandbrawls.Lenzihasgothimridingamotorbikethistimeround,andeveryscenefeaturingitandMilianisarealstandout!However,thefilmoftenfeelslikeitdoesn’treallyhaveanywheretogo,andthismeansthattherunningtimeisstretchedoutmorethanitshouldbe.ComparedtothecrimefilmsofotherItaliandirectors,SyndicateSadistsismorethanaboveaverage;butinrelationtoLenzicrimeflickssuchasAlmostHumanandTheCynic,TheRatandTheFist-itdoesn’tstandtallasoneofLenzi’sbest.Still,ifyou’relookingforninetyminutesoftestosteronefuelledmayhem-SyndicateSadistswillsuffice!
