THUNDER

Italy, 1984, 84 minutes, Colour.
Mark Gregory, Bo Svenson.
Directed by Larry Ludman.

Thunder is an Italian exploitation movie - taking the main strands of its plot and characters from First Blood.

The Italian team has gone to Arizona (with the help of the local industry and politicians) to film a story about bigotry against the American Indians,- especially by workers who have no idea of conservation and are building an observatory on Indian cemeteries, and a tough sheriff with his henchmen. The Arizona scenery is filmed spectacularly - and keeps the attention. Bo Hopkins has the role of the sheriff confronting the artful Indian hero. He is supported by a great number of American rednecks (making one wonder why the governor of Arizona permitted the film to be made.

The 'hero' is the tall almost non-speaking hero Mark Gregory, from Enzo Castellari's The Bronx Warrior films. Here he strides around laconically, is humiliated and persecuted, his girlfriend assaulted, his grandfather burnt to death - enough for him to wreak vengeance on his pursuers. There are some exciting enough action sequences in the mountains - always echoing the guerrilla tactics of Sylvester Stallone in First Blood including an extraordinary high dive. The film ends with expectations of a sequel.

The film is not of great value in itself - though competently enough done in a popular way. It is an interesting comment on Italians going to a great deal of trouble aping the conventions of American films, going to America for production. This is a comment on the response of European audiences - as well as of American and overseas audiences who have made this kind of film popular, especially for drive-in audiences.