As Alfonso Brescia movies go, this one isn't half bad. The worst thing about it is the pacing. The film goes through exactly 11 minutes of globe-hopping to Iran (accomplished largely via stock footage),New York, Italy, and Turkey before finally getting to the opening credits. After that roughly 40 minutes go by before the film gives us any action... but once it gets going it isn't half bad, if a tad chaotic. What's funny is that Gianni Garko is set up early-on as the protagonist of the story, but he's basically forgotten about as the film goes on in favor of Mario Merola's character "Don Francesco", a mafia bigwig who makes a deal with the cops. Lots of screen time in the last act is devoted to filler footage of a huge Italian wedding.

Also quite atrocious is the dubbing, which is particularly heinous in the case of Don Francesco's annoying son played by Lucio Montanaro. You'll notice a lot of familiar voices like Greg Snegoff, Ed Mannix, Larry Dolgin, etc. but they had a rush-job on this decidedly minor cheaply-made crime movie. Similarly the shootouts and car chase are quite poorly filmed with too little coverage and/or few transition-shots to make them make much sense.

Casting-wise the movie isn't half bad with good early roles for Lorraine De Selle, Sabrina Siani, etc. Antonio Sabato makes an okay idiotic villain and Jeff Blynn is on hand to try to capitalize off the fact that he looks like Maurizio Merli's lost twin brother. Amusingly Franco Diogene reprises his role from MIDNIGHT EXPRESS as a sleazy Turkish lawyer who gets blown up right as the beginning credits chime in. Considering the Turkish uproar over the prior film, I'm surprised Turkey allowed him into the country! Perhaps nobody made the connection? The two best points are the gritty photography and scene-setting music. A lot of the cinematography is real up-close in-your-face gritty establishing shots which do a good job promoting the seedy Neopolitan atmosphere. The music similarly is really infectiously Neapolitan with a mean-spirited sleazy undertone to it. Good stuff in an otherwise daft film which I'm sure was cynically churned out with a minimal amount of effort to make maybe a tiny profit.

The Poliziotteschi genre is mostly populated by maverick cops and sadistic criminals; so The New Godfathers is something of an original addition to the genre. As the Italian title suggests; this film focuses on contraband - which a popular focus for this genre, but rather than focus on one side of the war; the film is instead bolstered by a working relationship between a customs officer and a top criminal as they work together for mutual gain. It has to be said that the film has some problems in terms of plot pacing and it's not exactly a thrill a minute; but some good characters and interesting plot development at least ensures that the film remains decent for the running time. The New Godfathers begins with a heroin shipment in Iran being halted by a revolution. Naturally there's people intent on getting this heroin to the USA; and so decide to run it through a small group of smugglers in Italy. However, Italian customs get wind of what is going on and seek to strike a bargain with the local criminals.

The most interesting parts of the film focus on Naples' smuggler community and thankfully director Alfonso Brescia (who previously directed the disappointing Giallo Naked Girl Killed in the Park) spends a lot of time on this element. There's also a subplot involving two young kids in love that works better than it really had any right to. This genre is usually bolstered by high speed car chases and gunfights; although this one doesn't feature as much of that as other genres, which is disappointing; although it made up for by some superior characters and acting. The cast is lead by the pairing of Mario Merola and Antonio Sabato, who will both be familiar to Eurocrime fans; having starred in a number of these films between them. The second half of the film is more action packed than the first and the move towards the story's conclusion is carried off with style and verve; although the final sequences could have been better edited. Overall, I wouldn't exactly say that this film is at the pinnacle of its genre; but it's a more than decent watch and Eurocrime fans should give it a look.

The new godfathers isn't a great polizia/gangster movie nor is it a terrible one either. if like me you spend your time tracking down every giallo and eurocrime from the 70's and early 80's you will have also seen far far worse and while not blown away its a decent 90 min fix. Set mostly in Naples its no Contraband (Fulchi's not the recent Marky Mark guff) but uses it and its other locations well, always cool to see how places looked in the 70's .The relationship between the Don and custom officer works pretty well the inclusion of the smuggler kids also adds to the character development seldom seen in these types of movies. It has its compulsory car chases and shootouts which are ok, its certainly no where near a Lenzi or Di Leo but if you have already done the best that this genre has to offer then this won't be a waste of your time. As in the title I came across this on Amazon prime with a whole host of other italian gangster, polizias , giallos and post apocalyptic movies, so fair play.