Action movie maestro Fernando Di Leo (Caliber 9) directs another wildly entertaining crime film with Loaded Guns (Colpo in canna), starring the incomparable Ursula Andress (Dr. No, Casino Royale). Andress plays Nora, a stewardess who finds herself in the center of a gang war in Naples. If anyone can undermine an ancient mob blood feud and come out on top, it’s the effortlessly clever, sexy, and downright devious Nora, played with verve by the stunning Andress. More of an action-comedy than the gritty cop films Di Leo was known for, Loaded Guns shows that Di Leo was more than a one-trick pony.

For thoughts on Loaded Guns, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/FZa2peI-zyg?si=HvpVsdUHjlG8dGNR&t=3806]

Video Quality

Loaded Guns debuts on Blu-Ray with an AVC-encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 from what appears to be a restoration conducted in recent years. There seems to have been some care put into preserving this one considering the degree of detail and texture in every shot. There is not much in the way of nicks or scratches to be found. The close-ups hold more visual delights than many of the long shots, which can occasionally appear a bit soft. Black levels are robust with fine detail in shadows and no major instances of crush. Digital noise is avoided while the rich natural film grain shines through. Colors are saturated in a way that brings a unique flavor out of the locales, and the color grade is pleasant and consistent. Raro Video has treated this one with respect.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a favorable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Italian with optional English subtitles, along with an English dub in the same format. Not only does the original language track prevail for artistic purity, but the English dub track also sounds weaker with a very thin presentation compared to the strong Italian track. There do not seem to be any significant instances of age-related wear and tear, but you can spot some areas where the source is not in top shape. Dialogue stays grounded in the center channel as it comes through clearly without being swallowed up by competing elements. Environmental sounds such as car engines or gunshots are rendered faithfully alongside everything else. The score comes alive with nice fidelity throughout the film. This audio presentation serves up exactly what the film needs.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Rachael Nisbet provides a very informative commentary track in which she discusses where this falls within the pantheon of Italian crime films, the comedic tone of the story, the work of Fernando Di Leo, the locations within the story, the backgrounds of the performers and more.

Fernando Di Leo – Parody Of A Genre: A 20-minute archival piece focused on the career of director Fernando Di Leo, the tonal departure of Loaded Guns, the rejection from mainstream audiences, the casting of Ursula Andress, and more.

Final Thoughts

Loaded Guns is something of a surprise for anyone who thinks they are viewing a typical Italian crime film. The feature upends what we know about the genre by both indulging in and poking fun at the classic tropes. The comedic tone is an unusual one for director Fernando Di Leo, but we love seeing him having fun while delivering something fresh. The film maintains a fine pace throughout along with some decent twists and turns. It is unexpected, but it is quite a bit of fun. Raro Video and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and a decent collection of supplemental features. Recommended

Loaded Guns is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Raro Video and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.