Final Justice (1984) User Reviews (59)

I've seen it un-MSTed...

[Erich-13 · 1/10 · 8 March 2000]

I notice from the comments that most of the people discussing this movie are basing their remarks on the MST3K airing. That's fair enough (that is, after all, how it got its widest exposure), but, having had the misfortune of seeing "Final Justice" in its original form, I'd just like to share a few thoughts and comments on the uncut version.

First off, it must be admitted that the original version is slightly more coherent than the MST3K broadcast, owing primarily to an expository scene between Rossano Brazzi and Venantino Venantini (I COULD use the characters' names instead of the actors', but I just love typing the words "Venantino Venantini"), explaining why Venantini's fugitive character can't just leave Malta right away. (It's not a very CONVINCING plot point, but at least the filmmakers tried to cover it.) Whether this scene was cut just for time or because it didn't provide much fodder for riffs, I don't know.

Another plot point missing in the original: The stripper's betrayal of Venantino Venantini to Joe Don Baker, seemingly unmotivated in the MST3K version, is explained by an earlier, extremely unpleasant scene in which Venantini rapes her in the shower. While this does give her a motive for turning against him, the whole scenario is just really...icky. (There's no other word for it.)

Some of the MST-worthy moments (the perpetual truncated shouts of "Son of a--" and the "deja vu" shooting of the sheriff) were purely the result of the edited-for-TV print they worked with, and were absent from the original movie.

One scene I wish had made it into the MST3K version: Before entering the bar to question some people, Joe Don asks the Maltese policewoman accompanying him to stay outside, because "they see that uniform, they won't cooperate." However, Joe Don himself is wearing his ridiculous cowboy-slash-sheriff outfit, complete with shiny badge! I can't imagine why they passed on that great opportunity to make fun of him...

One final observation on the original, uncut version of "Final Justice": Why, oh why, did they feel the need to put Venantino Venantini's naked butt up on the screen?

White Hot Joe Don Baker Action!

[zmaturin · 1/10 · 27 March 2002]

Human pot roast Joe Don Baker (MITCHELL) stars in this dull, unremarkable `action' movie as Deputy Geronimo, a fat, gassy slob who sits around in a stupid looking cowboy suit, listening to country music and eating too many donuts. Meanwhile, a vaguely criminal guy named Palermo (played by the guy who owned the drill in Fulci's GATES OF HELL) stumbles into Joe Don's territory and shoots the sheriff in a poorly edited scene. Joe Don- slowly- gives chase and offs Palermo's brother after uttering his now legendary catch phrase `It's your move. Think you can take me? Well, go ahead on'. For some reason Joe Don, a Texas lawman, must transport Palermo to Italy (`Mr. Palermo's been a major source of embarrassment to the Italian government,' says Mr. Wilson, another vague character played by Bill McKinney, who was in MASTER NINJA 1, SHE FREAK, and a lot of good Clint Eastwood movies).

Anyhoo, Joe Don's plane must land on the island of Malta, where Palermo escapes with the help of a briefcase and a guy who looks like Jon Lovitz. And that's where the movie grinds to a halt. For the rest of the movie, Joe Don looks for Palermo, looses Palermo, ends up in a jail cell, is yelled at by the Malta chief of police, and then is let go with a warning not to look for Palermo any more. Then Joe Don keeps looking for Palermo, looses Palermo, ends up in a jail cell, is yelled at by the Malta chief of police, and then is let go with a warning not to look for Palermo any more. Then Joe Don looks for Palermo, looses Palermo, ends up in a jail cell, is yelled at by the Malta chief of police, and then is let go with a warning not to look for Palermo any more. This is one aggravating movie.

At one point Joe Don is thought to be dead at sea. All the other characters wonder if he's dead or not, finally concluding that he is. But then he shows up (he was rescued by a poor family) and no one mentions the fact that he was missing at sea for several days. Even his cute, Julia Louise-Dreyfuss-esque sidekick doesn't welcome him back. She does, however, offer to help him find Palermo, so Joe Don looks for Palermo, looses Palermo, ends up in a jail cell, is yelled at by the Malta chief of police, and then let go with a warning not to look for Palermo any more.

Highpoints include, a bizarre carnival with strange colorful floats, some sexy strippers, a shoot out involving a kid dressed like Napoleon AND a cart of tomatoes, a chase scene involving a guy dressed like a monk, and any scene without Joe Don. Lowpoints include Joe Don threatening a stripper with a coat hanger.

It should be noted that this is from Greydon Clark, director of ANGEL'S REVENGE, who appears as the sheriff. Ick!

Aw, please, can't I have just one more "Justice"?

[Mister-6 · 2/10 · 28 August 2000]

Joe Don Baker. He was great in "Walking Tall" and had a good bit-part in "Goldeneye", but here in "Final Justice" all hope is gone...the dark side has won.

As with most of humanity, my main experience with this one was on MST3K, and what an experience it was! Mike and the robots dig their claws deep into Baker's ample flesh and skewer this flick completely. It's obvious they were just beginning with "Mitchell" on their anti-Joe Don kick and here lies their continuation on a theme.

It makes for a funny experience, though: there are plenty of choice riffs. My favorites - "John Rhys-Davies for sale", "It's 'Meatloaf: Texas Ranger'", "none of them are sponge-worthy", "Why was she wearing her prom dress to bed", and my favorite - "'Son of a...'? What? What was he the son of: son of a PREACHER MAN?"

By itself, "Final Justice" is, as Joe Don puts it in the movie, "a big fat nada". But here, it actually has some entertainment value. You get a chance, catch THIS version of "Final Justice".

Two stars for "Final Justice". Ten for the MST3K version ONLY.

Oh, and try not to visit Malta when Joe Don's in town.

More sausage for your money!

[thefountainmenace · 9 September 2001]

The MST3K print of this is, in my humble opinion, one of the funniest things they have ever done. I was on the floor. That is primarily the fault of the movie itself, though. OK, we've got a Texas "Indian" (despite the name Geronimo, which I thought was just an amusing nickname, I had no idea he was supposed to be Indian until the end). He lumbers around and when challenged, says, "You think you can take me? ....Go 'head 'on. It's your move." Possibly the stupidest catch phrase ever. The plot keeps going in the same circle - Joe Don is told by someone to let things alone, he doesn't, he manages to destroy something or someone, he is hauled back into an office of authority, lectured, and told not to do it again. Then he sneers and goes and does it again. As seems to be typical of Joe Don in these years (see Mitchell), he intentionally plays his hero as a clumsy, close-minded, stupid but dogged individual. I mean, I appreciate realism, but I don't exactly want to see my hero hit his head on ceiling posts, stumble over tables, or dribble food down his shirt. Let's leave those little enticing details of the human condition out of a two hour film. Man, this movie is packed with laughs...see it if you can, preferably MST version, but this one is so 'good bad' that you can pretty easily supply the commentary yourself, even if you don't consider yourself a renowned wit.

Joe Don after final justice.

[Aaron1375 · 2/10 · 19 February 2003]

Joe Don Baker is an alright to good actor in small roles here and there...he was alright in Goldeneye and made a pretty good Bond villan in The Living Daylights and has appeared in various other movies. One thing he can't do is carry a movie as the lead, which he is in this extremely bad revenge movie set in Malta. Joe Don's partner is killed so he kills the killer's brother and escorts the killer to Italy, but some guys cause the plane to set down in Malta and the killer gets away. The rest of the movie is seeing Joe Don chase the killer here and there, Joe Don getting taken into custody various times, Joe Don torturing a bartendar and being interrupted and so on. The movie is quite bad and you won't find yourself exactly pulling for Joe Don's character. You will be amazed at how many times Joe Don the hero gets taken out by one punch and how incompetent he proves to be. The crowning part of the movie comes when Joe Don chases the killer all over Malta with the killer in a priest robe and then they get in boats and he chases them all around Malta. This movie also features one of the worst closing lines to end a movie ever.

That's a change-the luggage hitting the gorilla!

[Oosterhartbabe · 1/10 · 5 March 2005]

Joe Don Baker is...Thomas Jefferson Geronimo, a pudgy, sweaty murderous oaf in a stupid cowboy suit that Roy Rogers would have laughed at. Somehow he still has a badge, probably because he lives in Texas and they'll let ANYTHING be law enforcement there.

This greasy loser is a deputy sheriff near the Texas border. Not surprisingly, he was once a Texas Ranger but got kicked out because he seemed to think that the law was his own personal bouncing ball to be played with at his discretion. This includes shooting suspects who are over the international border into Mexico, beating up on suspects, cheating in gun fights, threatening women, starting gunfights that could have been avoided AND managing to get the life of a child threatened in the process, letting women he promised he would help and protect get killed just so that he could get out of jail, etc, etc. This guy makes L.A. cops look like saints in comparison.

When his partner is killed by a pair of wandering Italian assassins, Joe Don's character hunts them down and kills one of them. Then he takes the other to Italy at the behest of a Mr. Wilson, who rightly thinks that Joe Don will screw up big time. In record time, he loses the Italian and gets a Maltese cabby blown up in the process. This is just the first of the many deaths and major destruction that Joe Don leaves in a trail behind him as he rampages across Malta looking for Palermo(the Italian assassin).

Thus begins the mobius strip part of the movie, in which our hero gets arrested, lectured by the Maltese chief of police, goes out and causes more trouble, gets arrested, gets lectured by the chief of police...and so on, and so on. Until you want to blow your brains out with Joe Don's ivory handled pistol and be done with the horror.

Joe Don proves his uselessness not just in the first time Palermo escapes, but in the subsequent boat chase in which he goes down in just one punch. Then he gets taken by Palermo after he threatens a woman with a coat hanger. You hope that Palermo will actually get to torture him in the basement cell he's put in, but no-the stripper he threatened came and got him out, because he promised to protect her. Her throat promptly gets cut(big surprise) and Joe Don escapes into the night.

And here you hope he might have been drowned in the (yet another) boat chase. But even the ocean doesn't want him, and spits him up on a shore where he's nursed by a poor Maltese family(what did they ever do to deserve that?) he returns to the city, where he's arrested by the police, lectured by the police chief...arrrgghhh! The female police officer who's been escorting him around frees him so that they can go get Palermo. Why she would do anything so brain dead as to destroy her career for this great slob is beyond me. It's just head scratchily puzzling.

They go out to the villa where Palermo is hiding, and start a shoot out. Joe Don blithely cheats, and kills Palermo. He then utters the great and dazzling last line of the movie: "The big one has my badge. Can you go get it for me?" Thank you for that immortal line, Mr. Baker. That will go down in the annals of movie history as the most literate, amazing, wondrous last line ever uttered by a character in a film. It certainly falls into line with everything else about the character. Bravo.

Ack! Gag!

[Retro-11 · 2/10 · 23 June 1999]

I can count (on one hand) the number of good movies starring Joe Don Baker. This is not one of them.

Interminable chase scenes, dim-witted dialogue, and terrible lapses in continuity made this movie a prime choice for getting the send-up on MST3K.

And that is the only way I was able to watch this...

I wish I was illiterate so I didn't have to write this review.

[mazec666 · 1/10 · 23 April 2012]

The uncut version of FINAL JUSTICE is without a doubt the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. On the hand, the MST3K version is one of the funniest episodes ever produced. The riffs centering on Joe Don Baker's weight and ineptitude are pure comedy gold from beginning to end.

Greydon Clark (ANGEL'S REVENGE) is the culprit responsible for this pointlessly violent, boring stinker. And he also plays a sheriff who is killed about ten minutes into the movie which is good news for the viewer.

Baker, reprising his classic role from MITCHELL, stars as an incompetent, overweight Texas sheriff. Jeez, that's a stretch. Throughout the entire film, he spends most of the time chowing on donuts, gulping glasses of milk, causing havoc, getting into useless shootouts and assaulting citizens while wearing a cheesy cowboy outfit raided from Colonel Tom Parker's closet.

Are you getting any of this? Good.

Anyway, the actual plot has our idiot hero escorting a thick-accented mobster (Venantino Venantini, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) back to Italy. Unfortunately, Joe Don loses Venantini, gets arrested and yelled at by the Maltese police. This act happens not only once, not only twice, but a thousand times.

See a pattern here? Good.

Sure FINAL JUSTICE is garbage, but the film contains many bizarre characters and images such as a colorful carnival, pirate strippers, a Warholesque hit man, a boat chase involving a monk, a clichéd bar fight, Jon Lovitz, and let's not forget the three-inch taxi driver. Man, David Lynch would be jealous right now.

MY ADVICE: Skip the film, and track down the MST3K version.

"Think you can take me? Well, go ahead on. It's your move."

[bensonmum2 · 3/10 · 21 November 2008]

After apprehending the man responsible for the murder of his boss, Deputy Sheriff Thomas Jefferson Geronimo, III, is assigned the task of taking the killer back to Italy. On the way, however, the plane is diverted to Malta. Not long after landing, the killer escapes. Now, and with little help from the Maltese police, Deputy Sheriff Geronimo is out to recapture a murderer. But will his "shoot first, take names later" brand of Texas justice work in a foreign country?

Let me get this out right up front, I've seen Final Justice both with and without the Mystery Science Theater 3000 commentary. I've seen the scenes that were cut that help make the movie a more coherent whole. And I've seen the cut-up TV version that was used for MST3K. Having said that, I've got to admit that I much prefer the MST3K version. Why? Because Final Justice is one lousy movie. The MST3K commentary helps make it much more palatable. On its own, it's a real snoozer of an action movie with corny dialogue (often delivered with such thick Italian accents that it's impossible to understand), bad acting, weak direction, gigantic plot holes, and most everything else you'll find in a bad movie. And if most of Final Justice wasn't "so bad, it's good", it would be one terribly dull movie on top of everything else. So, yes, I enjoy the often very funny MST3K commentary over the bad movie on its own.

My main sticking points with the MST3K commentary and with most of the reviews I've read on Final Justice, however, involve the criticisms of Joe Don Baker. The main weaknesses in Baker's performance actually have nothing to do with his size or the wardrobe choices of his character or any of the other jokes flung in his direction. Instead, I think much of it is has to do with the poor decision to cast him in the lead in the first place. Joe Don Baker has always struck me as a decent enough actor, but he's not the kind of guy I would call an "action hero" by any stretch of the imagination. He's more of a sidekick as he demonstrated with solid performances in a couple of James Bond movies. Or if you really want to blame someone for the problems with Final Justice, point your finger at director Greydon Clark. Clark's resume can't begin to compare with Baker's. So I say, "Lay off Joe Don Baker!"

MST3K Strikes again!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 1 March 2019]

Recently, IMDB changed the criteria for inclusion of films in their infamous Bottom 100 List. Now, films must have at least 10,000 ratings to be on the list...making the list more for mainstream releases instead of small, obscure films like it used to be. Another thing the list used to be was a place for people who love "Mystery Science Theater 3000" to trash films. Let me explain: Folks see movies made fun of on this show and they assume these are the worst films ever made...and so they give the films scores of 1 on IMDB. The problem is that many of the films that are poor or mediocre are made fun of on the show as well...most likely because there is such a limited supply of horrid films that they could license for the show. Among the poor but not horrible films they mocked that were on the old list would be "The Girl With Gold Boots" and "Final Justice". I would never argue these are good movies....but I am not even sure I'd put them in a Bottom 1000 List if there was one! This review is for "Final Justice"...a dopey film, indeed.

When the story begins, an insane and totally over the top villain, Joe Palermo (Venantino Venantini) shoots a guy whose car broke down and then he shoots and kills a Sheriff...leaving his Deputy (Joe Don Baker) to give chase. Palermo is captured and is extradicted to Italy (why is uncertain...considering he just killed an American lawman). Deputy Geronimo (Baker) is escorting him but the plane is sabotaged and diverted to Malta. Soon, Palermo's pals rescue him...with much bloodshed. Now Geronimo is determined to capture the killer.

What follows are one gun battle after another...with the baddies trying to kill Geronimo and Geronimo miraculously not getting killed. And, again and again, the local authorities are angry at Geronimo even though the baddies always opened fire first. Finally, he's placed on house arrest until his plane leaves for the States, as the locals see him as a one man disaster area! Will Geronimo manage to stop Palermo anyway?

"Final Justice" is a cheap film. The sound quality, combined with heavy accents, make understanding the dialog difficult at times....and the captions (if you use them) don't help much as they appear to be generated using a lousy computer program. A few examples: Pig is translated Peak, Maalox is translated Maylocks and A Game is translated Again.

In addition to being cheap, the film has a lot of gratiutous nudity. But what bothered me is that is also graphically showed a rape....and tries to titilate the audience at the same time! That's pretty sick. This is reason enough not to recommend the film.

Apart from all this, the movie is at best just okay and Joe Don Baker is an odd choice to have flitting about Malta, that's for sure. A dumb and offensive film....but certainly not as horrible as the MSTK300) crowd would have you believe.

Mitchell is Geronimo!

[bat-5 · 1/10 · 5 August 1999]

Final Justice has the great Joe Don Baker running around Texas, shooting people who shoot people. Then he's off to Malta where he shoots more people. He gets locked up many times for shooting people. Then he gets into a gunfight with the bad guy, who is dressed like a monk. There is a boat chase, and Joe Don winds up in jail again. Finally Joe Don, with the help from Elaine from "Seinfeld" kill the bad guy, blow up a boat or two and someone gets shot with a flare. All this and a catchy theme song, just like Mitchell!

A beer drinking, butt kicking slice of quality 80s Action!

[flickhead · 8/10 · 28 March 2007]

Joe Don Baker is one of a handful of actors who is often better than his material, and almost always under appreciated. He's been in a ton of films either as a heavy or a hero, and has the type of strong, solid presence that Wallace Beery did half a century before him. Baker can delivery material that would sound ridiculous coming out of another actor, and that's what's so great about him. He really seems to mean what he's saying, regardless of how cliché, obvious or silly, which puts him in a league with Tommy Lee Jones, Oliver Reed and Don Stroud. It's what made the WALKING TALL Trilogy work so well, and that same magic is here in FINAL JUSTICE. This was a substantial hit in theaters and on video in the 80s, and it has aged a lot better than many of the perhaps better known action flicks of the era. By moving the action from Texas to Europe, there's a real timeless quality that doesn't jar you away from the action on screen. To be honest, I've always enjoyed the films of Greydon Clark, who is a no-nonsense director in the same vein as 1970s Clint Eastwood, and this is one of his best. FINAL JUSTICE is one of the lost gems of the late 80s, similar to MAN ON FIRE in its true grit and violence. I suppose if they remake this with The Rock, a whole new audience will come to love it as much as I do.

Hillarious parody of "rogue cop" movies

[robertmurray-70637 · 6/10 · 9 October 2019]

Big, bad, Texas sheriff hunts a Euro trash gangster with the help of a female detective on the Island of Malta.

Reading the other reviews I have to say, "Lighten up people." This film was done for laughs, and it succeeds, especially the MST3K version. It's also got some nice location shooting on the Island Malta which has an interesting history. From what I have read online, the people of Malta were delighted to see a film made there, and treated Joe Don Baker like a superstar. He camps it up as an over-the-top Texas cop drawing on every stereotype people around the world (even in Malta) associate with that state. Since Joe Don is a native Texan, he does it perfectly.

Joe Don Baker Is Back In Action!

[sethn172 · 1/10 · 31 March 2006]

There are movies that are awful, and there are movies that are so awful they are deemed long-forgotten and unwatchable. Also, lots of violence and bad stuff (not just cheesy stuff; you know what I mean) add to the mix as well. What is the result of bad movies with such raunchy content? Why, "Final Justice," of course!

Remember "Mitchell?" Joe Don Baker was the star of that movie, and that was riffed by Joel and the Bots on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." Now this time, with Mike taking Joel's place on the Satellite of Love (but with the same bots), that trio got to make fun of MST3K's second Joe Don Baker movie, "Final Justice." Of course, much of the naughty stuff that I mentioned was removed for television release, but still, I want to watch that episode (and "Mitchell" as well), because what does Joe Don "hate" the most? Why, none other than "Mystery Science Theater 3000!"

P.S. If you have a Big Lots nearby, check that store for the uncut tape! LOL That happened to another user!

Geronimo (no, not the real one) is a jerk

[paulo20 · 27 June 1999]

Unbelievably pointless

How many times can you watch Joe Don Baker getting up from a cell bunk? Or hear him say "Go ahead on"? Well this piece of cinematic detritus will test your endurance to the max, and chances are, perhaps, that you won't be able to make it; at least not without the cast of MST3K, who are masters at turning mere nonsense into hilarious nonsense. Not only is the alleged hero a thoroughly unlikable lout, but most of the time, when he's not bullying the stereotyped Maltese locals around, he's getting beaten up, jailed or he's making bad on promises. Plus he says "Go ahead on" alot. Annoying as hell, I tells ya. In short, complete, nigh-ineffectual jerk. He seems real good on the draw, however, thanks to bad editing and timing.

Doesn't deserve the hate

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 23 October 2016]

The fact that the perfectly serviceable '80s actioner FINAL JUSTICE appears on the bottom 100 films of all time IMDb list shows the ridiculousness of said list. The only reason this film makes an appearance at all is because it featured on the irritating spoof show MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000, which mercilessly ribbed it. I despise the whole MST3K thing so am not particularly impressed. Not when there are literally hundreds of worse films in existence.

FINAL JUSTICE is your usual cop thriller directed by Greydon Clark, the man behind THE WARNING and other B-movies. It stars Joe Don Baker as a no-nonsense Texan cop who makes Dirty Harry look like a liberal. Baker is sent to Malta, of all places, on the hunt for some murderous bad guys, and all manner of police film clichés and violent shoot-outs ensue. Sure, FINAL JUSTICE isn't particularly good; it's a forgettable film with lapses in logic and a tired, seen-it-all-before feel to it. But Baker remains entertaining and the Maltese locations are different if nothing else. One of the worst films ever made? Please!

What good movies starring Joe Don??

[Gislef · 2/10 · 16 July 1999]

I've never been impressed by JD anyway, and Final Justice (which I hadn't seen prior to its MST3k airing) proves to be no exception. It's not that the character is any less likeable than Mitchell: it's just that there's less that Geronimo ("Call me 'Heronimo') to dislike.

In fact, one suspects that Mitchell and Final Justice were all schemes of a revenge-seeking agent of Joe Don's trying to get the "star" killed by inducing a heart attack.

Joe Don must have found a new agent, since he's now graduated to "comic relief" in James Bond movies. The problem is, it's hard to tell the difference between his comedy characters there, and his "serious" characters in his action-movies like this one.

As for the plot...umm, what plot? They repeat the same set pieces so repeatedly you'll think you were watching Groundhog's Day 2. Presumably, the fact they keep using the same scene of Geronimo getting out of jail is supposed to be comic relief of some sort. Ummm, yeah, whatever.

On the plus side, the Malta scenery is pretty gorgeous, so that kicked it up to a 2 for me. One suspects this flick set Maltese tourism back a couple of decades, though.

Joe Don Baker at his worst

[NateW · 2/10 · 28 June 1999]

I didn't think it would be possible for Joe Don Baker to make a movie as bad as his stinkbomb 'Mitchell', but this one succeeds.

I wouldn't recommend this if you're a fan of Joe Don Baker's MUCH better work. But,if you like to watch fat guys sweat and really, really drawn out gun fights, you'll love this movie.

Ahhh another classic movie starring Joe Don Baker...

[Animus · 3/10 · 21 June 1999]

This movie was just heckled by MST3K and with good reason. First and foremost because it is a "cop" movie starring Joe Don Baker, who we all know is about as good a cop actor as Michael Jackson is a country western singer.

All the typical cop movie plot devices rear their ugly heads, bar fights, children hostages in shoot outs, bad acting, lame police chiefs, bad acting, revenge/justice, endless goons , and of course, bad acting. Don't watch this without an MST3K filter folks.

I'm taking you to get final Justice, I just have to finish this box of jelly doughnuts...

[Cloud-6 · 1/10 · 8 August 1999]

From the Star of "MITCHELL", From the director of "Joysticks" and "Angel's Revenge"!!! These are taglines that would normally keep me from seeing this movie. And the worst part is that all the above mentioned statements are true!!! Ugghhh... Joe Don Baker eats every other five minutes in this film. It's like a bad remake of "Coogan's Bluff"

A big fat nada

[filmboy280 · 1/10 · 28 January 2000]

Joe Don's opening line says everything about this movie. It takes place on the island of Malta (the island of pathetic men) and involves Joe Don Baker tracking down an Italian mobster. Joe Don's character is named Geronimo (pronounced Heronimo) and all he does in this movie is shoot people and get arrested over and over agin. Everyone in the movie hates him, just like everyone hates Greydon Clark. I liked an earlier Greydon picture, "Angel's Revenge" because it was a shirne for thriteen year old boys. Avoid this movie at all costs!!

Best Part- The Blonde Stripper Chick!

[craiger-6 · 1/10 · 19 November 2005]

What reviewers and MST3K left out is the best part (and only memorable scene) of this otherwise dreadful movie: There is a very good rape-in-the-shower scene committed by the bad guy (Ben Gazzara look-alike) on Maria (as mentioned, killed later through T.J.'s ineptitude). Perhaps rape is too strong a word, "prison mating ritual" may be more appropriate. The background behind this chance, yet forced meeting is the mobster who is hiding "Ben Gazzara," introduces him to the girls hanging out at his pool. The 30-ish blonde disses him, but our villain must be quite smitten by her, because the courtship is on at that point. His first move is to attempt drowning her, until his mafia don benefactor tells him to knock it off. Kind of like the girl in high school you didn't like, but still wanted to have carnal knowledge of anyway... Let's just say, he catches UP with her in the cabana later.

Joe don baker is the g.o.a.t.

[auburnwa · 10/10 · 14 February 2021]

This movie is fire I could care less about the hate for this film.Entertaining and funny with good looking topless woman and shootouts.You have to have a certain love for 70s and 80s movies to enjoy this.

WESTERN IN MALTA

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 7/10 · 9 February 2022]

Greydon Clark has always been a movie maker who wanted to do things his way and was successful at it. You may not recognize his name but Clark has directed 21 films and they all were successful, making back the money on a small investment. His films were independently made and thus never had the huge push that major studios put behind their films. And yet you may remember such titles as SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS, WITHOUT WARNING, JOYSTICKS or WACHKO. One more of his films is being released as part of MVD's Rewind Collection.

Made in 1985 FINAL JUSTICE stars Joe Don Baker as Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III, a deputy sheriff in a small town along the Texas southern border. Geronimo (pronounced Heronimo) took the job after a shooting incident that cost him his job in Dallas. As the sheriff heads home one night he and Geronimo step out to see two men across the street with car problems. When they call out to them, one of the men shoots and kills the sheriff. Geronimo shoots and kills one of the men and arrest the other.

It turns out the men were hit men for the mob trying to cross the border and get away. The dead man was Tony Palermo and the one arrested Joseph Palermo (Venantino Venantini), the more murderous of the pair. He swears revenge on Geronimo. Before he can be charged with the death of the sheriff, the State Department is contacted by the Italians and plans are made to extradite Palermo back home. Rather than use one of his men Chief Wilson (Bill McKinney) puts Geronimo in charge of escorting the prisoner home.

En route the plane has trouble, caused by two suspicious looking men on the plane. The place is forced to land in Malta with no plane scheduled until the following day. As Geronimo and Palermo head for a hotel they are stopped and Palermo is rescued, turning and shooting the car they were in until it explodes. Thinking Geronimo is dead, they head to the home of mob boss Don Lamanna (Rossana Brazzi).

Geronimo survived the attack and was arrested on the scene by the local police. Told to return home he has to wait till the next day for the plane heading back. With time on his hand and revenge in mind he sets out looking for Palermo with the help of Officer Gina (Patrizia Pellegrino). Of course he'll find clues, Palermo will find out he's alive and an eventual showdown between the two will take place.

The film is fairly generic with little to make it stand out but it wasn't making an attempt to do so. This is a movie made because Clark wanted to make another movie. It tells a story and doesn't try to do more than that. It's an entertaining action flick and nothing more.

But at the same time while watching it you realize you're seeing a Western set in a different time and a different place. This is the old lawman with six gun strapped to his side pursuing the bad guy for the murder of his friend. There are select scenes in the film shot exactly as the old westerns were, in particular on where Geronimo faces off against the three men who snagged Palermo. Wearing his gun in its holster, legs apart, hand near his gun he challenges them to go for it. The film is edited like those classic spaghetti westerns of Leone. Him standing there, them facing him, his eyes, their eyes, sweat on their brows, looking around, hands twitching and finally guns drawn and they are killed in slow motion. This scene more than any other confirms that this is a western.

The film is well shot and directed. Clark also wrote the film and while the story and dialogue is well done there are momentary slips now and then. Baker who had a string of hits in the 70s always playing the tough guy was by this time not the box office draw he had been. And yet he does a fine job here. Perhaps the one down side to the film is in the character of Palermo. He's not just a ruthless killer but a sadist when it comes to women, choking and pinching them in the most painful ways possible. It's a bit disturbing to watch even today.

All in all this one is an entertaining film for those who loved films like the DIRTY HARRY movies. Extras on the MVD version include a new audio commentary track with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quinn of "Hack the Movies", a new "The Making of Final Justice" featuring all new interviews with Clark, editor Larry Bock and cinematographer Nicholas Josef von Sternberg, the original theatrical trailer and a collectible mini-poster.

"Aww, can't I have one more justice?"

[BigFlax · 1/10 · 1 September 2001]

I can't believe this movie was made as recently as 1984. It's got some laughable acting, not to mention one of the stupidest plots ever. Who would ever ask fat Texas sheriff Joe Don Baker to escort an Italian he illegally arrested in Mexico back to Italy? Not to mention that the title of the movie tells you pretty much nothing about it - in fact, it's about as generic a title for a wannabe action/cop film as I can think of.

I'm glad I only saw this on MST3K with Mike and the bots as a shield. They remark on the female lead's resemblance to Elaine from Seinfeld ("None of them are spongeworthy") and riff non-stop on Baker's weight. This movie probably isn't worse than "Mitchell," but Baker's reputation definitely precedes him here: when his title comes up at the beginning of the film, Tom says, "I wish I was illiterate so I wouldn't have to read that."