Ricco is basically a Mafia revenge story which begins with Ricco's release
from reform school. Some time earlier, a mob boss had killed Ricco's father and got him arrested.
The mafioso then took over the Ricco family business and even stole Ricco's
girlfriend (Malisa Longo).
Ricco's sister (Paola Senatore) urges him not to seek revenge, but his
mother has a different attitude, especially since the mobster who killed
Ricco's father blew away his face in the process. Ricco sides with mom. He hooks up with the daughter of a counterfeiter (Barbara Bouchet), and
together they make the mobster's life miserable. After Ricco successfully rips the mobster off
for a lot of money and diamonds, he also seduces the former girlfriend who is
now the mobster's moll. The infuriated capo decides to make Ricco mad enough
to cause a direct confrontation. He kills Ricco's sister, his brother-in-law, and his mother,
then boils Ricco's ex-girlfriend into soap. Understandably, these actions get Ricco a bit miffed, leading to the final
showdown.
My problem with the film is with Robert Mitchum's Bambi-looking son
Christopher, who plays Ricco. He just does not come off as a tough guy. In
fact, despite his reputed black belt in judo, he seems more like a
hairdresser.
.
If you are not familiar with our grading system, you need to
read the
explanation, because the grading is not linear. For example, by
our definition, a
C is solid and a C+ is a VERY good movie. There are very few Bs
and As. Based on our descriptive system, this film is a:
