Ace High (1968) User Reviews

Comic western epic with plenty to recommend

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 16 January 2015]

This early outing for Bud Spencer and Terence Hill sees the pair in fine form in a huge spaghetti western with loads of story, characters and tons of action to recommend it from the start. The meaty running time consists of dozens of plot twists, dupes, swindles and betrayals and the film never lets up from a spot-on pacing which holds the viewer's attention at all times. The three main ingredients for the film are drama, action and comedy and all are served up in spades. Obviously the Spencer/Hill relationship is played for laughs and both actors put in commendable performances; Hill as the Eastwood-style sharp-shooter, the intelligent member of the pairing, and Spencer as the clumsy but lovable oaf who's as strong as an ox and complements Hill's character perfectly.

The dramatic angle of the storyline comes in the sweaty form of Eli Wallach, reprising his role from THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY as a bandit with a heart of gold who ends up being used and abused by those he considered to be his friends. Wallach's mission of justice makes up the bulk of the film and once again the actor puts in an excellent performance which hugely enhances the film. Writer/director Giuseppe Colizzi understands the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" in regard to Wallach's performances so gives the public more of what they have seen already in the Sergio Leone film and the result is no less successful. The script is unusually fine and lends plenty of comic banter and interplay to the scenes between the action sequences.

Speaking of action, there is plenty ranging from bloody boxing matches to more traditional shoot-outs, prison breaks, brawls and even a massive gun battle with a machine gun involved. The suspense is gradually upped for the genius climax, set in a dodgy gambling house as our heroes attempt to make themselves some cash by hiding in the loft and cellar and using the fixed roulette wheel for themselves with disastrous results. The film then plays its own ace by introducing arch-villain Drake, acted by American import Kevin McCarthy (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) as one of those slimy villains you just love to hate, and the resulting climax is wonderfully exciting.

Great use of widely differing music is made throughout the film from epic-sounding vocals to waltzes at the end! Technically the movie is proficient with a more than adequate budget put to good use in the sets and costumes; solid, slightly artistic photography; and well-staged action. One of the best I've seen from Spencer and Hill and a film guaranteed to please fans of the genre.

Delightful Romp

[ndrejaj1969 · 6/10 · 3 March 2002]

A Leone pasta western without the pretentiousness. Easy going romp of crosses, double crosses, and triple crosses. Wallach is just fine and dandy reprising his Tuco role from GOOD, THE BAD... this time playing an ethnic Greek-Mexican bandit with a Yiddish accent (oy vey) manipulating ol' buddies Hill & Spencer into a scheme to get back at the people who left him out to dry years back. Along the way they pick up acrobat (!) Brock Peters who becomes crucial to their plan. Kevin McCarthy is the target of their wrath. The film concludes with a satisfying round-up. Colizzi directs with a sure hand, even allowing New York method actor Wallach to kvetch for several minutes at a time. No wonder he returned to Italy and Spain from time to time to make these films. No where else would a director allow his star to chew the scenery in such a way. The comedy is not broad or overpowering as most films in this sub-genre tend to be. The characters are uncharacteristically likeable, thanks to the cast. Great scene: revelutionaries mete out rough justice to a town's leaders. Later, our trio, with the help of some greedy peasants retake the town and mete out the same justice to the revolutionaries!!! I've never seen that done in a Euro-western.

Ravioli and Fagioli Western from Giuseppe Colizzi trilogy with Terence Hill as Cat Stevens and Spencer as Hutch

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 21 March 2013]

I Quattro dell'Ave Maria (original title) is an entertaining and amusing Macaroni Western starred by the notorious Italian couple , Hill and Spencer , pre-Trinity and Bambino . Likable Terence Hill and stocky Bud Spencer team up again as the valiant and enjoyable duo . The agreeable crew makes a new adventure movie plenty of fist-play , action , shootouts and entertainment . This fun Pipperone Western deals with our intimate friends in Far West , they're two bank-robbers , the blue-eyes and sympathetic Terence Hill as Cat Stevens and a grumpy and goofy Bud Spencer as Hutch . Then appears Cacopoulos (Eli Wallach) , a cunning thief who arranges to save himself from being hung on a fake charge , as he breaks out and steals Cat Stevens (Mario Girotti or Terence Hill , Massimo Giroti'son ) and Hutch Bessy (Carlo Perdesoli or Bud Spencer) a lot of cash and he also robs their horses . This results in a merry pursuit and Stevens and Bessy turn into unwilling allies in Cacopoulus' vendetta against the people who double-crossed him and accused him to get their loot back . Cat Stevens and Hutch unite Cacopoulus , after that , the trio joins forces with a circus artist (Brock Peters) taking on nasties . Nevertheless , the cruel baddie is still alive and seeks avenge , he is a relentless saloon owner (Kevin MacCarthy of Invasion of the body snatchers) and supported by ominous hoodlums .

This funny story contains crossfire , the usual slight fights and a little bit of action , pursuits and circus spectacle . The humor is based on physical and personality differences of the starring , as Terence Hill is the sympathetic and brave hero and Bud Spencer is the corpulent and hunk man . The movie contains gun-play , action Western , bloody spectacle and fist-fights . The film isn't always good , sometimes is fresh and diverting and on a couple of memorable occasions , it's frankly delicious . Terence Hill as a two-fisted gunslinger and Spencer as a bouncing hunk are good but still not personified the Trinity hero characters . Later on , the 'big time' duo of Spaghetti Western with humor such as ¨They call me Trinity¨, ¨ Trinity is still my name ¨ and sequels as ¨Troublemakers¨ were run out and for that reason were transfered in modern era film , playing the police/action genre and adventures as ¨All the way boys¨ also titled ¨Plane crazy¨ ; after that , they starred the successful ¨ Miami police series ¨, which belong the followings : ¨Crime Busters¨ , ¨Superfuzz¨ and ¨Supercops in Miami¨. However , being the great American actor Eli Wallach from ¨Actor's Studio¨ who steals the show as Cacopoulus , a similar role to Tucco he performed in ¨The good , the bad and the ugly¨ . At the picture appears customary Spaghetti secondaries who played ordinary characters as villains in numerous Spanish/Italian Western as Livio Lorenzon as Paco Rosa , Steffen Zacharias as Harold , Rick Boyd as Drake's blond henchman , Bruno Corazzari as Charlie , Frank Braña and Riccardo Pizzuti ,habitual secondary in Hill-Spencer films . The movie is finely photographed by director of photography Marcello Masciocchi , and of course is shot in Almeria , Spain, location where were filmed hundreds of Western in the 60s and 70s . Evocative as well as atmospheric musical score by the usual Carlo Rustichelli , conducted by Bruno Nicolai , ordinary collaborator to Ennio Morricone .

The motion picture was regularly directed and produced by Giuseppe Colizzi . Giuseppe directed a trilogy starred by Hill and Spencer as Cat Stevens and Hutch Bessy respectively . The first , superior and the best outing was ¨Dio Perdona..¨ with Frank Wolf and Jose Luis Martin ; this second installment also titled ¨Four gunmen of Ave Maria¨ or ¨Ace high¨ with the great Eli Wallach and more camp tendencies ; and the third is ¨Boot Hill¨ with Woody Strode , Eduardo Ciannelli , George Eastman , Alberto DellÁcqua and Romano Puppo . A bit later on , Colizzi again directed Hill and Spencer at an adventure movie titled ¨Più Forte, Ragazzi!" or ¨All the Way Boys" or "Plane Crazy" , USA title . Giuseppe subsequently realized another buddy movie ¨Joe and Margherito¨ with Keith Carradine and Tom Skerrit , being his last movie a real flop titled ¨Switch¨ , starred by Annie Belle , until his early death at fifty years old . The flick will appeal to famous pair fans , in fact , this was the second teaming of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer .

A great comedy/western

[christophaskell · 28 September 2003]

The second, and in my opinion the best in the Cat Stevens/Hutch Bessy trilogy, ‘Ace High' has enough fun for everyone to come out and play. Everything from the heist to the violence was done in a light-hearted way, and without a hint of pretension. Eli Wallach joins the party for this film and, as a testament to the quality of actors involved, does not steal every scene he is in. He is par for the course, however, which means he does an outstanding job in a supporting role. Director Colizzi went on to direct a few more films, but overall had a short-lived career, which is unfortunate because he tells a great story, and doesn't shy away from adding humor in awkward places, or generally being a little unconventional. If you're a fan of spaghetti westerns you'll understand a lot of the humor herein, but even for the casual viewer there's plenty to keep you entertained. Rating: 26/40

Aces good

[westerner357 · 7/10 · 13 May 2005]

(aka: ACE HIGH)

Eli Wallach plays Cacopoulos, a generous bandit who gives away all he steals to those less off than he is. That is, until he steals $300,000 from bounty hunters Cat Stevens and Hutch Bessy (Terence Hill and Bud Spencer) who then come trailing after him all over the southwest (or in this case, Almeria Spain) and want their money back.

When they catch up with him, Cacopoulos let's them in on his primary motive. To get back at three men who double-crossed him 15 years before, letting him get caught and sent to prison. He already killed one, and the other was killed in a Mexican shootout earlier in the film. That only leaves Drake (Kevin McCarthy) and since Cacopoulos had already gambled all Hill & Spencer's money away in Drake's gambling establishment, it's only natural that they help Cacopoulos out in getting their money back.

Reluctantly, Hill & Spencer agree and with the help of circus tightrope walker Thomas (Brock Peters), they stumble onto the fact that Drake's establishment has the roulette wheel fixed, with lookouts in the ceiling and a magnet in basement room under the roulette wheel itself. Needless to say, Drake will get his just reward for ripping the town off with his fixed gambling tables and Cacopoulos will get his revenge. I won't say how so you'll have to see for yourself.

The first half of this film is pretty standard, but the second half involving Drake is where the film really distinguishes itself, imo. It turns into a caper yarn. It also has it's funny moments but isn't as humorous as Hill & Spencer's later spaghetti western; THEY CALL ME TRINITY (1971). Btw, this is their second appearance together, the first being GOD FORGIVES, I DON'T from the year before.

The anamorphic Paramount DVD uses an excellent print although I think the widescreen is a bit too cropped on both top and bottom. Sound is also good with English subtitles (if necessary) and another excellent score by Bruno Nicolai.

If you like the genre with a little humor thrown in, then you might like this one. I did. Above average.

7 out of 10 -

Eli is the ACE...

[Manco · 7/10 · 26 June 1999]

Character actor Eli Wallach is the real treat here as he carries his Tuco role from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" over to "Ace High." This is a pre-Trinity pairing of Spencer, Hill and most of the fun and hilarity is carried on the able shoulders of Eli Wallach, who is more than up for the assignment. Wallach steals every scene he's in and this only means total enjoyment for the viewer. A must see for all western fans!

"They sure got nasty folks around here".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 16 March 2016]

I think another reviewer for the film here got it right, it's got the trademarks of a spaghetti Western but may not suffice for the casual viewer. I felt the recurring double crosses got tedious after a while and the story lasted a lot longer than it needed to in order to get to the final resolution. I've seen enough of these European Westerns to realize the circus elements are par for the course but even so, it was a little distracting to see that marching band come through town and the principal characters ride past an assemblage of colorful blocks in the middle of the desert - what were they supposed to be? I've seen the Hill-Spencer team up in a couple of other films ( "Boot Hill", "God Forgives...I Don't") and I just don't see the chemistry. Eli Wallach is your main reason for tuning in here, and he's a pretty endearing sort of outlaw except that one time when he said "I spit on your mother".

Well, no. Money corrupts men, it softens him. So to keep you young and pure, I think I'll take everything.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 16 December 2019]

Ace High is directed by Giuseppe Colizzi and Colizzi co-writes the screenplay with Bino Cicogna. It stars Eli Wallach, Terence Hill, Bud Spencer, Brock Peters and Kevin McCarthy. Music is by Carlo Rustichelli and cinematography by Marcello Masciocchi (Technicolor/Techniscope of course).

After Cacopoulos (Wallach) manages to save himself from being hung on a false charge, he robs Cat Stevens (Hill) and Hutch Bessy (Spencer) of a lot of money and steals their horses. This results in a merry chase and Stevens and Bessy become unwilling allies in Cacopoulus' revenge against the people who deserted him and framed him towards the rope...

Is it a spoof or a parody? Well I'll leave that to the hard core Spag Western fans to decide, what I do know is that it's good entertainment. Plenty of daft sub-genre staples are adhered to, as are the many cool action sequences as our gruff anti-heroes go about their greed and revenge fuelled ways.

Colizzi wisely keeps his cards close to his chest as regards our trio of lead characters, who in true Spag convention are making it unclear where we are heading. The action is wonderfully kinetic, with some sterling sequences unfolding when our leads get involved in a Texan/Mexican battle. Why I'm still not so sure, but it's exciting stuff!

It's all very derivative, there's no getting away from that, and as the genre often does, it renders the porotags/antags under developed. Yet for fans of such fare this is well recommended, with lovely cinematography that gives some authenticity to the era, Wallach channelling a Tuco clone, and Hill and Spencer doing their Spaghetti Abbot and Costello thing, it's all good really. 7/10

wonderful movie

[42zaphod · 10/10 · 24 May 2004]

I was completely amazed by this fantastic movie. I am not sure why - it isn't any much funny, the plot is unnecessarily complicated, there are few unnecessarily long scenes ... but still, the characters, the atmosphere, and the great musical score almost made me cry in the last scene where our three heroes are leaving together. All the actors do great work - from Spencer/Hill duo and Wallach himself to the black boxer champion, who gets beaten by Bud Spencer for $50. Another funny scene is where Wallach talks about his Greek ancestors, and thus makes his guards sleep. Or, when he breaks the bank in the casino. The movie is definitely worth seeing, and it does not disappoint even when watched more times. Nice!

Interesting Western!

[Mark-371 · 7/10 · 24 December 1999]

I have to say this is in the top 5 best movies with both Terence Hill and Bud Spencer! I don't want to tell you the plot. ( read other reviews for that ) But it's very interesting. It may be 2 hours long, but if you see it in a movie store or a video rental, get it! One bad thing about this movie is Eli Wallach. I wish he didn't act in this one!!!! Every time it shows him, this movie seems to get boring. ( Thank god they don't show much of him in this movie ! )

Aces High get a 7/10.

too early, Giuseppe!

[elvinjones · 5/10 · 26 August 2002]

giuseppe colizzi was a fine underrated director dead too early that invented the characters of Spencer-Hill. Differently from E.B.Clucher, Hill is more Eastwood-way then Trinità but the substance is the same. Colizzi was a well competent director, more american then italian, with strong sense of spectacule and correct with the particulars. In Italy is very underrated, I don't know why. "Ace high" is, probably, his best western. It's also hard to see his movies in tv. You can only see every summertime "Arrivano Joe e Margherito", but this is not his best. I hope one day critics rediscover the art of this modest, hard worker artigian of the screen.

Great fighting movie

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 1 April 2020]

Don't you hate it when a good punch up movie is spoiled by a hard to follow plot or meaningful dialogue??? Well this isn't one of those

"Money corrupts men, it softens him. So, to keep you young and pure, I think I'll take everything."

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 5 January 2018]

"Ace High" is an adequate example of the Spaghetti Western genre that top-bills Eli Wallach as Cacopoulos, a bandit released from jail who's determined to avenge himself since his partners had abandoned him. He doesn't exactly endear himself to bounty hunters Cat Stevens (Terence Hill) and Hutch Bessy (Bud Spencer) when he takes their money and decides to share the wealth with those less fortunate. Yet, they all hook up (along with Thomas, an acrobat played by Brock Peters), in various attempts to get rich.

Directed by Giuseppe Colizzi, this so-so film lacks the mastery of Sergio Leone, and doesn't tell a particularly interesting story (at least, not one that sustains itself for over two hours). Its action scenes are decently executed, but not numerous. It does bear some of the trademarks of its genre, such as the impressive widescreen photography and an appropriately melodic music score (by Carlo Rustichelli). However, it's really the sense of humour that is the films' strong suit, as it does get reasonably amusing at times. It also travels a fair distance on the chemistry between the charismatic star trio. Wallach is amiable as the slippery rascal who makes guards fall asleep to the tales of his Greek heritage. Of course, it's always a pleasure to witness the Hill-Spencer pairing. Peters has an engaging presence as well. However, if you're intrigued by the casting of Kevin McCarthy in such a lark, be advised that he doesn't show up until an hour and 46 minutes into the story.

The unorthodox robbery of a casino during the climax does help "Ace High" stand out a little bit. It may plod too much, and it never gets truly exciting, but overall it's pleasant enough to make it acceptable viewing.

Six out of 10.

A Plot with Several Strange Detours

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 18 May 2017]

This film essentially begins with a man named "Cacopoulos" (Eli Wallach) sitting in jail waiting to be hung for a murder he didn't commit. Fortunately, he manages to escape and then proceeds to rob two drifters named "Cat" (Terence Hill) and "Hutch" (Bud Spencer) of a large amount of gold that they had just acquired from a bank the day before. Needless to say, wanting their money back both Cat and Hutch set out in the same direction as Cacopoulous in an effort to track him down before he can spend all of it. However, once they catch up to him he agrees to return the money if they can help him get revenge on the people who set him up. Unfortunately, this proves to be more complicated than any of them initially imagined. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film is a sequel to the movie "God Forgives...I Don't!" which is probably best to see first in order to gain a better understanding of the overall course of events. It is also followed by another sequel "Boot Hill" which was produced a year later. In any case, although the film contained some pretty good actors I thought that the plot took too many strange detours which caused the film to lose some of its coherence. Because of that I have rated the film accordingly. Average.

Tough boys Hill and Spencer

[Petey-10 · 6 March 2007]

The comical duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill are teamed with a likable crook played by Eli Wallach.Hill as Cat Stevens and Spencer as Hutch Bessy show the western people what they are made of.Wallach as Cacopoulos is fantastic with the stories about his grandfather.And another veteran actor Kevin McCarthy makes a great character as Cacopoulos' third enemy, the sniveling casino owner Drake.All these people work great together in Ace High from 1968.There are some great scenes in this western comedy.Bud boxing with the champion is brilliant.Guess who wins.The sequence in the end with the roulette table and the violin...beautiful, just beautiful.These movies bring me back to my childhood, back to the early 90's.Those were the days Bud Spencer and Terence Hill ruled the world.

Amusing and better than some

[forbesrobb · 6/10 · 6 July 2005]

Compared to the gratuitous bloodletting of a lot of this genre, this is quite a genteel effort. The plot wanders for most of its length and only (in my case) just holds the viewer's interest. At times it is very hard to get the point of the whole story. Wallach has spent the last 15 years in jail after being abandoned by his cohorts in a robbery. Out at last, he is looking for revenge. During this he steals money owed to Hill and Spencer. They chase him and get it back, he steals it again, they chase him etc.etc. The end of the movie is also bit flat and seems to peter out. However, it is amusing and has one major saving grace in Eli Wallach. Wallach is probably one of the world's best character actors. Hill and Spencer are wooden and this shows when pitted with an actor of Wallach's calibre.The guy is supposed to be a villain but you just can't help feeling sorry for him. The film is worth seeing for his performance alone. One to watch on a rainy afternoon,but would you want to watch it twice??

Ace High doesn't ace

[greatalpacaeye · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

What a strange film. Every once in a while there's something interesting; much more often things seem completely random. Characters motivations are inconsistent. The plot is needlessly complex. And someone shoved random scenes and plot elements into a shotgun and fired at the script: a multi-barrel gun (which I don't recall being used), a boxing match, a card game to reclaim some money. It's all over the place. At one point, an antagonist makes a racist remark and we get a fast zoom (the funniest shot) on the face of a black character. Racism wasn't an established theme in this movie before this point. And despite the drama, nothing comes of this. The ending is interesting--contrapuntal music, a timing device, a many-peopled showdown. But it's surrounded by peculiar inexplicable details.

Outwitting the outwitted.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 5 September 2020]

This Spaghetti Western comedy is mostly a lively live action version of the Road Runner / Bugs Bunny cartoons with Eli Wallach hysterically funny as the Bugs / Road Runner character, outwitting a group of fellow outlaws every chance he gets after he claims a reward for a bank robbery that they were about to claim themselves. But Wallach shouldn't underestimate some of the people that become involved in his little scheme, especially Brock Peters and Kevin McCarthy. As for the others (Terence Hill and Bud Spencer), well, they get pretty much what happened to the coyote and Elmer Fudd.

Probably one of the first westerns that I can recall having a waltz as it's score, this is a gorgeous spaghetti western, filled with action and violence, yet funny and fortunately missing unnecessary sexual innuendo. This is about the chase, and sometimes, the chased and the chaser sit down to have a little chat. It keeps you in suspense, has a lot of nice little twists and turns, and it is a pleasant surprise among the many films of its type to come out of the 1960's.

Many good moments in a moderately good spaghetti Western

[guisreis · 7/10 · 29 June 2020]

The very first scenes depict style, with good cinematography, edition, cuts, like the best movies from this genre. It repeats several times in the film, however, not throughout it, as the movie is irregular in its pace and story. You have many good moments in a not so good film. Good enough, anyway. Neither among the best spaghetti Westerns, nor (far from) the worst.

very delightful western comedy

[Frank-87 · 9/10 · 25 May 1999]

fun, fun, fun; well made in every detail; fantastic score, beautiful photography, story with twists, lots of action, fun actors - having fun doing the movie and being fun to watch, this western comedy is a delight. By the way; I'm NOT exaggerating. One of the Hill/Spencer highlights.

Poor

[Cedric_Catsuits · 3/10 · 10 July 2006]

I am a huge fan of the three main stars of this movie - Wallach, Spencer & Hill - so it is with sadness that I have to report negatively on it. Even as a sort of benign curiosity, it fails to work for me. This is a very poor imitation of spaghetti westerns such as 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly', and Wallach tries hard - but ultimately fails - to successfully re-create a Tuco-style character here. Hill is a good-looking, charismatic chap, but he's no Clint Eastwood. He and Spencer are magnificent together in more honest, comic capers like 'Watch Out, We're Mad' but this movie tries to be something it's not - stylish.

I guess it proves how brilliant Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone are together, and how futile it is to attempt to copy their works. If nothing else it proves the old adage - stick to what you're good at.

One of the better spaghetti westerns!!!

[zardoz-13 · 9/10 · 13 March 2005]

"Ace High" (1968) qualifies as one of the better hybrid action/comedy spaghetti westerns that followed in the wake of Sergio Leone's trend-setting bounty hunter movie "A Fistful of Dollars." Variously titled overseas as either "Revenge In El Paso" or "Four Gunmen of Ave Maria," this handsomely-produced, elaborately-staged, sun-drenched, shoot'em up shares something in common with the Lee Van Cleef oater "Death Rides A Horse" (1968) in that our lice-ridden hero (EIi Wallach) got double-crossed by his outlaw buddies and left behind for the law to catch while they made good their escape. A two-bit bandit of Greek heritage, Cacopoulos winds up serving fifteen years in prison. Once he gets out of prison, he is framed by crooked banker Harold ("Trinity" alumnus Steffen Zacharias in a dramatic role) for a murder that he didn't commit, and then sentenced to hang by the neck. Although this Giuseppe Colizzi written & directed effort contains about as many twists and turns as a diamond-back rattlesnake, the scripting is often haphazard but nevertheless entertaining. Our heroes participate briefly in the Mexican revolution, a favorite theme of late 1960s and early 1970s spaghetti westerns, which hikes the body count substantially. Italian western buffs who aren't familiar with this well choreographed dustraiser need to saddle up and watch the bare bones Paramount DVD with enhanced widescreen to see what other less well-known helmers were doing with the genre while Leone rode herd over sagebrushers.

For the record, blue-eyed Terence Hill plays Cat Stevens (like the folk singer but no relation to him) and Bud Spencer co-stars as Hutch, his beefy, barrel-chested sidekick who shuns a Stetson. They are an arresting pair to watch in their sweaty, greasy, western outfits, on horseback in the blinding sun prancing around mainly on the plains of Almeria, Andalucia, Spain, where veteran cinematographer Marcello ("Assignment Outer Space" & "The Stranger Returns") Masciocchi lensed this sprawling western in widescreen splendor. A clue to its filming location is the lopsided anvil-shaped mountain in the background that dominates the long scenes not only in "Ace High" but also "For A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" the way that the Paramount logo mountain stood out against the studio sets in the old "Bonanza" TV series. Another dead giveaway that this is a foreign western is the perfectly synchronized but too cool dubbing of Hill and Spencer. Their perfectly modulated dialogue foreshadows the dubbing on anime adventures of the 1990s. Some of the dialogue sounds like it was translated into the English by foreigners, because nobody would talk that way, but that's what makes Italian movies of any genre so much fun.

Actually, "Ace High" is the second entry in the only cinematic trilogy that Hill and Spencer starred in. Remember, they only did two "Trinity" movies together. "Ace High" picks up where Colizzi's "God Forgives, But I Don't" wrapped up with the explosive death of bandit Bill San Antonio (American expatriate Frank Wolff of "A Stranger In Town"). Our heroes trundle into town with a wagon load of gold, $300-thousand, and try to collect the bounty on Bill, though all they have of him is his boots and hat. When they cannot convince the law as to the authenticity of their claim, they traipse over to Harold's Bank and blackmail him into giving them an undisclosed fortune that Hutch at least plans to retire on and run a small ranch. Seems that the late Bill San Antonio and Harold were in co-hoots in stealing from the bank. Spaghetti westerns always had more plot than they needed. One of the neat touches that occur through "Ace High" is little bits and pieces like the dusty boot prints that Cat and Hutch leave when they saunter across Harold's blood red carpet in this upstairs office. Meanwhile, Harold springs Cacopoulos and hopes that he will kill Cat and Hutch. Caco does steal their newly acquired fortune, but not before he deals with the slippery as a rattlesnake Harold, one of the three men who set him afoot after a bank robbery. Anyway, Cat and Hutch chase Caco across the parched southwest and run across a traveling circus sideshow Thomas (Brock Peters) who performs high-wire (in this case—rope) acts. Eventually, all team up to rob a casino—think a lean, mean, "Ocean's Eleven" with only one casino. The music is pure spaghetti. "Ace High" is tops!

Mediocre spaghetti Western.

[gridoon · 5/10 · 11 October 2003]

Bud Spencer and Terence Hill click perfectly as a team and Eli Wallach, obviously enjoying himself, provides some funny moments. But the plot is so rambling that for about the first three quarters of the running time (a slow 120 minutes) it is never entirely clear what the various characters are trying to accomplish; they simply seem to be going from one place to another. It all gets more involving in the last 30 minutes or so, but still, if you're not a VERY dedicated fan of the genre, you can safely miss this one - it is nothing special. (**)

Has all the trademarks and weaknesses of the genre and may not suffice for the casual viewer

[bob the moo · 4 August 2006]

When he escapes the noose, criminal Cacopoulos flees the charges against him and, on his way, robs two banker robbers – Cat Stevens (no, a different one) and Hutch Bessy. Unwilling to kill the two men, Cacopoulos heads off with the money while Cat and Hutch begin the long walk out of the desert. Getting back to civilisation, they vow to track down Cacopoulos and get their money back. They start their search for him but meanwhile Cacopoulos is also bent on revenge on those that betrayed him – and plans to get Cat and Hutch to help, whether they know about it or not.

Screened under the main English title of Ace High, I recorded this film on late night TV hoping for a typical spaghetti western. While that is pretty much what I got, I must confess to being a bit put off by how silly it was at times. I know it was meant to be a comedy of sorts but it didn't sit very well with the spaghetti western genre because it made aspects of that feel like they had been badly done, as opposed to done for laughs. The plot is solid enough but the running time is too long for the material to sustain, making many scenes feel dragged out beyond their intended time. The action (as in movement generally) also suffers because of this perceived slow pace.

The cast are suitable for the genre, but this is not the same as being any good. Eli Wallach has fun in the central role and his performance is good value. I couldn't shake the feeling that Hill had borrowed his performance from many other actors but hadn't been sure how to make it work for him; he didn't really have the screen presence required to carry off the character. Spencer is better in terms of presence but his performance is a bit wanting. The support cast are all so-so, which works within the genre and as always much of the dialogue has that strange bad ADR/bad dubbing feel to it that I think is a prerequisite for the spaghetti genre.

Overall this is an enjoyable enough spaghetti western but if you only know the Eastwood, "Fist Full" or Leone spaghetti films then you'll probably come away thinking this is a low-rent version of those (which I suppose it is). With all the trademarks and weaknesses of the genre, this one will most likely please fans but probably not the casual viewer.

Oh look, another underrated spaghetti western

[andiarrhonds · 10/10 · 21 February 2022]

Movie was worth it for Terence Hill and Eli Wallach alone.

Not sure why anyone would rate this so low. Yes, its obviously not a big budget film, but the actors and the setting are some of the best. People like this just dont exist anymore. Its such a unique style of film from a period of time never coming back. Young Terence Hill is perhaps one of the most stone cold hombres I've ever seen. Its such a perfect casting. And Wallach... Wallach is always pleasant to behold. The film is not bad at all despite the use of dubbed voices. True, the acting is perhaps not the most vibrant, but I dont look at this as a shortcoming at all. I think it only adds the overall character of the film.

I'm so disappointed in the current user rating being under 7.0. I just cant understand why this would be. Doesn't feel right.

My personal and realistic rating as a fan of westerns from the early 1930s, and all the way up into 1979, would be a score of 8.5.

However I'm giving it a full 10 score here in hopes it might someday elevate this current and low user rating. It deserves it.