Umberto Lenzi is u;;ndoubtedly the :@/king of It$$@alian crime movies, %+but u<`+;nfor*;tunately;\ Syndica#`te <[&S]adists is not & ]the best e/xamples of his wor\#k `in this ge#?nre. Lenzi's crime*>% flicks tend to b.%e a %,*cut a%bove the rest because )he makes fi#l;^!m[s ba) sed on  stories with a[@= poi$`/nt, and they don't l"ac_^'k directi o]&n(; but @=this fil?;m feel[)-!*s a b!*i
.]=t too wayward to full()y fit with ;the #"rest of his st&
&_u ff("
. T: he f,il*:m takes>' obviou- s \]influenc=e from) Sergio Leone's lan`^dma/rk we@st]=`ern$/
`'A Fistfu?#l+?: of Do*"llar"[s' (wh@ich i%+n tur\\+>n, ^) took infl#uence from Aki,!@:r&(a Kur:osawa's _?`landmark samu+rai % ,.f!]l;[ick Yo\ )jimbo)?<], !in that>] @\it 
features tw#]&o
 ]_warring families an]_d a stron?g chara),./cter at th ^"e c&[+entre. The =crim[:e that Lenzi\%+\ focuses on i) #=s kidna!&pping;/,^)" and we cent^.r`e on a character called 'Ra'mbo'. Ra%`mbo
is dragg']
*ed into .]the  wa[r be&+tween the two families after his brother is kille\d b^'ecause o.%"f it. Ram."bo uses his brains and b rawn t.[-o pit th+e t=_>wo families ag$]#'ains\_t on !e another, in the hope of?. gai, /ning r?"e/[venge fo.>r h?is %/+broth@er's death,
rescu.`ing a young ^boy '&:that they've kidna.
p-pe#*d, and ultimatel! y le +tting t"$he tw
o sides destr=.oy one +>another!+.  )　　The !.film's $ bi\`g^^>g)
est asset is!+ undoub\#t e]>*dly Tomas *[Milian. Milian'[= w'>as put to great use&@ by^^<% Le\#@nz<:i i]
n almos>?t /a-l^%l of his crime thr<>;[ill(.ers. The r;=ange (@of chara]#)cter@[s he has played- for@
- Lenzi %is imm,-=[
ense, and this&%\] one > is easily one of" the coolest"<@. The cha].rac`ter is called -Ram
,b+]o, which i\.mmediately 
/ sprang t%\o mi*nd"#! the popular S! ylv _\#est,er Stallone charact[%e 'r (-;@ bu ,t ,**for once_ ]], the Italian&s& (actually have& ^!n _'(t stole.n t his nam`_/e as Syn_ dicat'!e Sadist #" s was re<leas@;ed fi& rst!% As #usual, t?-he film[%=@ is w'-ick(%edly" $en#&te
&-rta\"ining, as w>e get to watch Milian .get h(:i[/ms e%[lf i[$[nvolve>!d in the usual a#,rr,ay # o;;`f car c ."=hases, s//hootouts ,.and bra.wls. Lenzi h*.%%as got ??him ri!ding a !motorbik! e ; this time .$rou@/nd=/],']; \ and every scene featuring it a.):`nd Milian is a real stan;*dout! Howev/er, the (:^film o>.fte!n feels lik,s mea'ns tha@t the /ru,nning ti,me i s s +tretche+'\d out .=-'more than < :it should b!:e. %Co^.mpared to the.]=: cr$#ime fi*lms o*f oth-er Italian `d
irectors, Sy%@ndic ate = Sad] _is\ts"=]is
+ ?#)more t*./h -;an above average; but in^ re\la"
ti([o%n to Len
zi c[rim;e flic&^ks such as Almost .? Human a?(nd ^The Cyni]+c,/#$ The >^ Rat and The Fi:>(st - / ),it#`
does!>!^"n't
 s& +(tand\ t.all *;as one of[[# $Lenzi's best.$ 'S`till, if you're looking for ninety minutes of t@estost# erone fuelled mayhem -? Syndicate Sad i%"sts will@ s.'>u/\ ffice!