Fantozzi to the Rescue: Still Got It (Sort Of...)

Alright, fellow GenXers, moviebuff_marc here. I finally got around to watching "Fantozzi to the Rescue" (1990) the other night. Look, Fantozzi, man... it's like comfort food. You know what you're getting. It ain't "Citizen Kane," but you're not expecting it to be. This one's got our boy retired, but, of course, retirement to Fantozzi is like a vacation to Freddy Krueger. He's still getting tormented. I gotta say, the bit where he's still going to the office and they're using him as an example of dedication? That's some classic bitter satire, man, right up there with some of the best moments from the earlier films. Darkly funny, but it hits a raw nerve. I mean, who hasn't felt like they were a cog in a machine that doesn't even appreciate them? Is it as good as the first few? Probably not. Let's be real, the magic faded a bit as the series went on. But Paolo Villaggio, God rest his soul, still brings that incredible physical comedy and that hangdog expression that just makes you wanna feel sorry for the guy, even when he's messing everything up for everyone around him. There's this one scene where he's trying to impress some visiting dignitary and, naturally, everything goes hilariously wrong. You just know EXACTLY how it will pan out by now - but you still smirk. Now, the plot's kinda thin, and some of the jokes are, let's be honest, a little dated. Some of the supporting characters are forgettable. But honestly, if you're already a Fantozzi fan, you'll probably get a kick out of it. It's like visiting with an old, slightly senile, but still entertaining, relative. You know they're gonna repeat some stories, but you still love 'em anyway. Definitely a late-night watch with a pizza and a six-pack kinda movie. Don't expect too much and you'll probably enjoy it for what it is: another chapter in the endlessly tragicomic life of Ugo Fantozzi. And one last thing: the director is unknown? WTF?! That's almost as Fantozzi-esque as the film itself!