The Stranger Returns

I'm usually up for a good spaghetti western, but I found "The Stranger's Return" for the most part to be a below average sampling of the genre. While most other spaghetti westerns were able to take low budgets and squeeze every last penny out of them to make solid production values, this time around the low budget really shows. That would be a minor quibble had the movie been given energy and speed, but the movie feels very, very tired. It moves really slowly, and there is no feeling of passion at any moment. Instead, there is a crude and clumsy feeling, like the filmmakers were making things up as they went along and didn't have the time or resources to think things over carefully before shooting. As for the title character, Tony Anthony has absolutely no charisma. Oddly, his facial expression for most of the movie makes it appear that he's about to burst into tears at any moment. There are a few good touches that manage to come out here and there - the musical score, for one thing, isn't bad at all - but the movie as a whole is a tough slog to sit through.

There is a certain simplicity and naive attitude in this movie but this was its strength, in my opinion. Doing the simple things in a good manner it is the recipe for success. I love the close-ups that show the dramatic expressions and focus on the characters (typical of movies from end of 60s and 70s). If we add a certain irony and drama to this film, it makes it a pleasant and must-see one to watch and to add in the spaghetti-western bucket list. Well done.

A fun Western with breathtaking duels , thrills , horse pursuits , twists and turns . A tough , cynical stranger , Tony Anthony , takes the identity of a postal inspector and along with a preacher become involved into a confrontation with an ominous gang commanded by En Plein: Dan Vadis and his henchmen : Raf Baldassarre , Mario Novelli or Anthony Freeman, all of them want to rob a valuable stagecoach . The stranger rides with a queer name and carries a Pink parasol. He's after a solid stagecoach made in solid gold and a band of cutthroats .Trap him ! Tease him ! Throw him in a coffin..but don't get the stanger mad !. It is the living and dying-end in excitement ! Can he roll a cigarette ? No is he interested in women ? When he has time ! Can he kill ? Only when necessary.. and it's always necessary when the stranger returns ! Nice Spaghetti Western packing shootouts , violence , high body-count , fast moving, ironical touches and entertainment enough . There is plenty of action in the film , guaranteeing crossfire or stunts every few minutes . Made on a fairly middling scale with acceptable set design , colorful cinematograpy by cameraman Marcello Masciocchi and stunning musical score in Spaghetti style by Stelvio Cipriani . Stars Tony Anthony , he's very fine , giving even comical and ironical touches here and there . Tony Anthony starred some Westerns mostly directed by Luigi Vanci and Ferdinando Baldi, playing similar role as a cynical antihero, such as : A dollar between the teeth 1967 by Luigi Vanci, The Stranger in Japan 1968 by Luigi Vanci, The Blindman 1971 by Ferdinando Baldi , Get Mean 1975 by Ferdinando Baldi , Comin' at Ya ! 1981 by Ferdinando Baldi . Here Tony Anthony is well accompanied by various Italian familiar faces such as Daniele Vargas, Ettore Manni, Raf Baldassarre, Mario Novelli or Anthony Freeman , Luciano Catenacci, Fortunato Arena, Giuseppe Addobbati or John Mac Douglas and the American Dan Vadis who starred several Peplums and Jill Banner who played the cult movie Spider Baby but she died early due to a road accident. The motion picture was competently directed by Luigi Vanzi who directed a few movies in all kinds of genres, such as : 1931 once upon a time in New York, East Connection, America paese di Dio, Sette a Tebe . Rating : 6,5/10 , riotous Western in which there's much action and violence and excitement enough .

"The Stranger Returns", is much better than the first "Stranger" movie, just as "For a Few Dollars More" eclipsed "A Fistful of Dollars". The score here is an absolute "killer" , and very Morricone like. I would say that Warner Brothers has done a great job with the Archive Collection transfer. Colors are sharp and the musical score is clearly a highlight. The story itself, has Tony Anthony playing the low key sly fox, taking a beating, but eventually outsmarting Dan Vadis and his gang. There are several chuckles that actually work, and the action, although predictable, moves along at a good pace. I consider this film to be one of the better non-Leone spaghetti westerns, and is recommended viewing, especially for "spaghetti" fans. - MERK

This second installment of the Stranger series is significantly better than the first film, and is a pretty average/middling entry to the Spaghetti Western genre. Its an amazing testament to the popularity of the Spaghetti Western that the first bland Stranger film was able to spawn any sequels at all. .As the Stranger appears, riding a black horse under a tattered umbrella, my first thoughts were of El Topo, but this isn't an Existentialist Western. This sequel is much more lighthearted a more easygoing tone than the first film, with some bits of humor (like his horse named `Pussy') and a more upbeat score. This time the Stranger is a bit more like Trinity than the Man with No Name, but the film still suffers from overall clumsiness and Anthony's lack of presence (and bad hair). Once again the Stranger tangles with a group of bandits after gold, their leader being a good cold-hearted villain, who is known for never missing a shot. The bandits and the Stranger are after not a wagon carrying a load of gold, but one actually made out of it. In this and the first Stranger film (Stranger in Town), they borrow the Fistful of Dollars/Django device where the Stranger is caught by the bad guys and beaten badly only to escape and exact his revenge, but it doesn't work in the same way. When Eastwood or Nero is captured and beaten, its like they have taken down an unstoppable giant, whereas with Anthony's Stranger he just comes off like a luckless weakling. To his credit, Anthony did co-write The Stranger Returns and it is a pretty good Spaghetti story, but why he allowed the pink shirt I'll never know. The finale is, once again, rather clumsy in its execution, with some badly composed action- for instance, a man follows the Stranger into a room only to quickly give up looking for him and start goofing off in front of a mirror, or the Stranger disguising some water barrels that a villain cant tell are water barrels even though he is only about two inches away, and an awkward face off at a table full of food that is supposed to be humorous. Overall though, it is better in style, story, and characters than the first Stranger film, and gets a 6/10 for the genre. Nothing special but well worth a look for the Spaghetti fan.