pabrcf11 Under-rated!!! OK, if you don't like spaghetti/schnitzel westerns, but if one has ever even mildly entertained you then you'll love this.Great acting, wonderful casting, incredible humor- and the best part is that it isn't trying to be funny, it just can't help it! Never silly, with so many sequences that are just...fun! I have been thinking since watching films like "One Man's Hero" that 1910 along the Texas-Mexico border is the best time and place for the genre and this one really proves the rule.More gritty than "Fistful of Dollars", better cast than "Once Upon a Time in the West" and it leaves you feeling better than "Shane". Yeah, it's that good, imho. Dig one of the original posters for it: http://www.allouttabubblegum.com/main/wp- content/uploads/2011/06/companeros_poster_01.jpg

Scott LeBrun Franco Nero exudes his trademark cool in the role of Swedish arms dealer Yodlaf Peterson, who comes to Mexico during the time of the Mexican revolution. He butts heads with volatile revolutionary El Vasco (Tomas Milian), while arranging a deal with El Vascos' boss General Mongo (Jose Bodalo) to travel to Texas to abduct Mongos' nemesis, the peace-minded political leader Professor Xantos (Fernando Rey). This is done for reasons known only to Yodlaf and Mongo, and El Vasco goes along to keep an eye on Yodlaf, a true scoundrel. When the two of them are able to successfully obtain Prof. Xantos, a marijuana-smoking maniacal gunslinger named John (Jack Palance) relentlessly tracks them down."Companeros" is a beautifully shot widescreen Spaghetti Western done by Sergio Corbucci, who did very fine work in this genre and deserves to be just as well known as the other Sergio. Teaming with Nero again after the classic "Django" and the 1968 film "The Mercenary" ("Companeros" is said to be a companion piece to the latter film), Corbucci tells an intelligent, politically loaded, and compelling tale of men who start questioning their own methodologies and learn what is really important to them. It remains to be seen if the self-serving Yodlaf is actually going to take one side or the other; as we can see at the outset, he's basically motivated by money. The antagonistic relationship between Yodlaf and El Vasco generates some good laughs and makes for fine screen entertainment.Nero and Milian do have very nice chemistry; the latter gives a truly excellent performance. Rey is absolutely wonderful as the kind hearted professor. And the oft grinning Palance is a delightfully wicked villain. Even in the midst of a very male dominated environment, lovely ladies Iris Berben as Lola and Karin Schubert as Zaira do make a strong impression.There's not a lot of action here, but when it comes along it's very violent and hard hitting. Ennio Morricone supplies yet another atmospheric and lovely score.Essential viewing for fans of this genre.Eight out of 10.

Claudio Carvalho In times of revolution in Mexico, the ignorant Vasco (Tomas Milian) is promoted by the corrupt General Mongo (Francisco Bódalo) to lead his men in the invasion to San Bernardino. Meanwhile the arms trader Yolaf "Swedish" Peterson (Franco Nero) arrives in the village to deal with Mongo; however the money to buy the weapons is locked in a bank safe. The only man that knows the combination to open the safe that was not murdered by Mongo's men is the pacifist Professor Xantos (Fernando Rey) that is prisoner in Fort Yuma in the United States. Swedish offers to release Xantos but the suspicious Mongo asks Vasco to go with Yolaf. The twosome is chased by the followers of Xantos led by the beautiful Lola (Iris Berben) that want to convince the duo to join the revolution; and by the mercenary John (Jack Palance) that lost one of his hands in a betrayal of Yolaf to save his life and uses his smart hawk Marsha to get Xantos to deal with Mongo."Vamos a Matar, Compañeros" is a funny spaghetti-western of Sergio Corbutti that has a story very similar to Sergio Leone's "Duck, You Sucker" of 1971 and plays with "Blood for a Silver Dollar". Franco Nero, Tomas Milian and Jack Palance are hilarious, and I laughed a lot with the scene when Marsha becomes a toasted barbecue. The music of Ennio Morricone is excellent, as usual. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Compañeros"

Coventry "Vamos A Matar, Compañeros" is another terrific and indescribably entertaining Spaghetti-western from the talented hands and brains of Sergio Corbucci ("Django", "The Great Silence"). Damn, what a fun movie this was! This film amazingly pairs two of the coolest and most brilliant contemporary Italian acting icons in the genre (Franco Nero & Tomas Milian); it has the catchiest Ennio Morricone score imaginable, a sublime albeit unobtrusive "Viva the Revolution" atmosphere, delightfully insane villains and a pleasing amount of exhilarating & violent shootouts. Franco Nero plays a smooth-talking Swedish weapon salesman, dealing with the corrupt & greedy army General Mongo. Tomas Milian is an ennobled street bandit also fighting for Mongo. They team up – reluctantly – to kidnap a certain professor Xantos, who teaches his youthful students to fight a bloodless revolution, but once they found and freed him from his prison cell, the way back to San Bernardino is still very long and full of obstacles, like defeating a marijuana-addicted criminal (the always-amazing Jack Palance!) with an artificial hand and a loyal pet-falcon. "Compañeros" is just pure fun! It's definitely not as sophisticated as Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western efforts and not even as politically engaged as most revolutionary westerns, but its entertainment value is enormous! The on screen chemistry between Franco & Milian is irresistible, mostly because they constantly argue and try to abandon each other, and whenever the action sequences are about to kick in the splendid title song begins to play. Jack Palance is deliciously OTT as loathsome gangster, while Iris Berben (as Lola the cherubic freedom-fighter) and Karin Schubert (as Zaïra the helpful prostitute) provide the film with some welcome eye-candy and even nudity. The script demonstrates a great and almost unique sense of humor, the filming locations are often extremely enchanting and the action sequences are rough and ingeniously filmed. "Compañeros" is a total winner and highly recommended to fans of the genre.