Tony Mastroianni Review Collection
Eastwood Western Is Indigestibles
Cleveland Press May 25, 1967
Over violent, over sadistic, over-done and over-long is "For A Few Dollars More." This movie is a sequel to "A Fistful Of Dollars," the Italian-Spanish Western which starred Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name.
The first time around there was enough novelty in once more having a Western that was more action than talk that one tended to forgive the excessive violence.
In order to stick with a winning formula, nothing has been changed -- only added to.
Our anti-hero protagonist speaks little and softly, draws swiftly, shoots accurately and can kill three men (at least) before they can draw their guns.
A second sure shot mysterious stranger has been provided in the sequel in the form of Lee Van Cleef who does everything the Man With No Name can do and does it with a fancy arsenal that would do justice to a James Bond movie.
The two men are rival bounty hunters, out to kill wanted criminals for the reward involved. They run into each other over a prize catch of an entire gang of desperadoes led by a merciless killer who has moments of insanity.
There are a couple of subplots that add nothing but length and additional sadism to a movie that already is upsettingly heavy with violence.
Men shooting each other down in cold blood is one thing, but extending it to a woman and a baby is a little more than I can stomach.
