Poliziotti violenti

When para Paolo Altieri (Henry Silva) brings up the awkward matter of defective chutes that have claimed two lives, he is given a promotion to major and a comfy office job in the city, where he can be less of a bother to his superiors. But trouble seems to follow Altieri, and, after foiling a kidnapping, he finds himself targeted by a gang of criminals armed with military issue machine guns—weapons that have only ever been supplied to his old unit. Teaming up with tough cop Paolo Tosi (Antonio Sabato), Altieri tries to find out who is supplying the gang with the guns, but in doing so puts the life of his girlfriend Anna (Silvia Dionisio) on the line.

Poliziotti violenti is a fairly routine poliziotesschi, meaning that it delivers lots of noisy shoot outs (innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire, with excessive use of bright red squibs!), fist fights, car and motorbike chases (with stacks of crates being knocked in all directions), and general acts of violence, plus a smattering of gratuitous nudity, the lovely Dioniso baring her boobs for a couple of scenes. All of this is set to a wonderfully funky '70s soundtrack. Unfortunately, the unexceptional story, which primarily serves to deliver the regular bouts of action, is far from gripping, while Michele Massimo Tarantini's direction is lacking in style, making this particular thriller rather a forgettable affair, at least until the surprisingly downbeat ending.