La poliziotta a New York (1981)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Michele Massimo Tarantini

Writers:

Jean Louis (writer)
Luciano Martino (story)

Release Date:

18 December 1981 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Italian Sex Comedy | Sex Comedy | New York | Policewoman

Cast

Edwige Fenech	...	Gianna Amicucci / Pupa
Alvaro Vitali	...	Alvaro Tarallo / Joe Dodiciomicidi
Giacomo Rizzo	...	Il Turco
Edith Peters	...	La cameriera
Enzo Andronico	...	Insegnante di dialetto palermitano (as Vincenzo Andronico)
Galliano Sbarra	...	Padre di Gianna
Fidel Bauna	...	Nero (as Fidel M'banga Bauna)
Jacques Stany	...	Commissario
Renzo Montagnani	...	Maccarone
Aldo Maccione	...	Big John
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ennio Antonelli	...	Amico di Gianna
Paolo Merosi	...	Mafioso

Also Known As:

A Policewoman in New York (International: English title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Imp.Ex.Ci.

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa # 77251 delivered on 5-11-1981.

Movie Connections:

References "The Flintstones" (1960)

The final insult

This Polizziota series gets sillier with each installment. For starters, Renzo Montagnani is supposed to be an American FBI Special Inspector called Maccarone. He is on the trail of Big John (who's last name turns out to be Corleone, ha ha) played by that other fat big nose, Aldo Maccione. The plan is to find a couple of doubles to infiltrate the organization. By pure coincidence our heroes from the two previous Poliziotta flicks, Gianna and Alvaro are played by the same actors as Big's sexy girlfriend Pupa and ugly little bodyguard Dodiciomicidi (Twelve murders). After a few irritating imitation lessons, Edwige Fenech and Alvaro Vitali (for it is them doing double duty) board a plane to the states. Strangely enough, Gianna is already wearing the same dress as Pupa even thought they are planning the switch during Pupa's daily jog in Central Park (shame on you, continuity girl).

Pupa is the ultimate Italian fantasy: gorgeous and content to stay at home knitting. Don't expect any split screen lookalike mix ups either, as most of the budget went into shooting on location in NYC. After the impostors have taken their place, the moll and her ugly wart companion have little else to do in this picture. The undercover cops enter Mr Big's mansion, which in early eighties fashion is completely automated. Edwige constantly has to find ways to escape the big ones attention, and Alvaro has an unwanted love interest too. Good thing he has a knack for figuring out machines, so he's not completely useless after all. Soon they have taken pictures of the secret plans (when did this become an espionage movie?) but of course the roll of film gets lost in Gianna's cleavage.

Meanwhile Big John is meeting his rival the Turk at a pizzeria (where else). Renzo comes along dressed as a sheik (I was wondering where that eighties cliché was gonna fit in) while Edwige wears some kind of low cut stewardess outfit. This must be another continuity error, for the plane does not appear until the final act. When they start spraying laughing gas the movie turns into a cartoon. Alvaro has a smelly running gag featuring an inflatable stomach while Edwige is kidnapped by the Turks, only to escapes by practicing some unconvincing Kung Fu. Meanwhile Renzo and Alvaro crash their car in an alley and come out in black stained underwear. Just when you thought it could not get any more juvenile, the two of them dress up like Indians.

Gianna sets up a trap for both gang leaders aboard a plane. Renzo is on the scene in his big inconspicuous cowboy hat and takes along the real Pupa and Dodiciomicidi for no good reason. Obviously the writers were hoping to end the series with a spectacular 'Cannonball Run' finale, yet the most spectacular thing is Edwige's low cut Jessica Rabbit dress. After some ludicrous high jinx in the sky (mostly made up out of stock-shots and miniatures) we still have to sit through the usual fake car chase (the kind where the cars are obviously standing still during close ups). In the end even Edwige has to admit on camera that this is the end of the series.

5 out of 10