Rating: **
Alternate Titles: "Preparati La Bara", "Viva Django"
Review Date: 5/29/17
Cast: Terence Hill, Horst Frank, George Eastman
One of many unrelated sequels to the wildly successful "Django" (1966), featuring Terence Hill in the title role instead of Franco Nero. It's an alternate history for Django, as he's a professional hangman whose wife was killed during a gold heist by the nefarious Lucas (George Eastman). Django fakes the deaths of the men he hangs and uses them as part of his plan to get revenge. However, things don't go quite as smoothly as Django hoped and he nearly gets killed in the process, but he eventually comes out on top with his "deus ex machine gun." And no, I can't take credit for that quote.
It's a mildly entertaining Western, but a severe letdown compared to the original "Django." The film is overlit and visually uninteresting, which makes it a tad dull. Terence Hill is a good looking actor who physically resembles Franco Nero, but he lacks Nero's dark charisma and tragic intensity. The other actors aren't particularly noteworthy, with the exception of a well-groomed George Eastman and his amazing hair. He makes an excellent villain who is physically intimidating, but also shows a hint of cowardice and weakness. Sadly, the lightweight plot is held back by too many lame attempts at humor, and the acting fails to add any dramatic substance.