Opening with a funky 70's concert presumably in Italy, DEATH RAGE is an obscure Italian knockoff of the American action flick starring Yul Brynner in one of his final film performances. Brynner is really the only good reason to watch this movie, as there is very little special about it beyond that. Barbara Bouchet, Brynner's leading lady, is very sexy and does show a lot of skin, so there is some eye candy. Unfortunately, Brynner and Bouchet, in terms of acting, have almost no chemistry together (according to the trivia section at IMDb, they did not get along on the set--it shows). For those not familiar with Italian cinema during the 70's and 80's, keep in mind that the dubbing is never well done in these kinds of movies. The main focus is watching Brynner being a badass (which he does exceptionally well), watching Bouchet's body, and seeing lots of gunfights, car chases, and explosions. The plot is nothing new, and some of the dialogue is out-and-out stolen from other films. The special effects are standard for the time, and there is some animation featured during Brynner's flashback sequences (the "Death Rage" from the title). The movie follows retired hit-man Peter Marciani (Brynner), whose brother was, once upon a time, killed by the Mafia. He is lured out of retirement to hunt the man responsible for his brother's death, and travels to Italy, where he meets a goofy young wannabe named Angelo (Massimo Ranieri). Angelo shows him to his method for manipulating horse races, then takes him to a nightclub where Marciani is introduced to exotic dancer Anny (Bouchet). With his companions by his side, Marciani avoids death and struggles with his eye condition while trying to bring down the mob.
