Super Fuzz (1981)

For anyone who grew-up in the mid 1980s and had this movie forever burned into their memory due to a certain pay-cable channel's penchant for running it roughly five-times-a-day, the good news is that Super Fuzz was not a sublime figment of your childhood imagination. Even better is the fact that there is no bad news, Super Fuzz still holds up as a fun, lightweight, and immensely entertaining way to spend a Saturday night with few friends. Difficult to find for many years following nearly ludicrous television overexposure after its original stateside theatrical run, this upbeat and decidedly innocent police comedy is dated for certain - though therein lies half of it's charm. From the upbeat, cheesy and infectious theme song (which viewers will no-doubt be humming for days), to the endearingly goofy turn by Trinity star Terence Hill, this super-silly Italian super-cop effort will no-doubt prove entertaining for those who escaped it's charm in their youth as well. Paired with a visibly flustered Ernest Borgnine (here standing-in for Hill's longtime partner-in-celluloid Bud Spencer), Hill's bid for stateside success (following a series of Italian westerns) may not have paid off as richly as intended, but that is to say nothing of his lighthearted charm and ability to mug for a priceless sight gag. As villainous money laundering gangster Tony Torpedo, character actor Marc Lawrence offers a crotchety caricature of gangster stereotypes, and his clueless minions as unintimidating as they are ineffective. With it's violence so outlandishly cartoonish as to be rendered harmless and no other questionable content to speak of, Super Fuzz can be enjoyed by equally by both adults who appreciate a mindless retro comedy, or children who enjoy such simple pleasures as the site of Borgnine dancing atop a giant, floating bubble-gum balloon. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide