A remake of the Italian movie “Watch Out, We’re Mad” (1974) from the classic era of European “Spaghetti Westerns” has been brought to the screens of Netflix with the same title. However, questions remain as to how much this 2022 remake was necessary. Filled with excessive action, a pinch of 70s nostalgia, and comedic dialogues, this remake tries its best to provide entertainment, but let’s find out how well it succeeds in doing that.
Spoilers Ahead
The Origin Story
“Watch Out, We’re Mad” begins by narrating that classic story in a display of comic art. In the story, two friends enter a car race to win a dune buggy. But the problem arises when it becomes impossible to share the dune buggy. So the competition began between the friends to eat sausages and beer. But before the result, a goon came and set fire to their red dune buggy. In a fit of rage, the two friends washed the goon off, forcing them to buy dune buggies for each of them. But eventually, one of them caught fire again, leaving another dune buggy on which the two friends continued to fight.
How does The History repeat Itself with Carezza and Sorriso?
The scene shifts to another story where those two friends’ sons, Carezza and Sorriso, playfully run away with the red dune buggy of their fathers, but are blocked by a group of bad guys who offer to gamble. Despite Carezza’s disapproval, Sorriso agrees but ultimately loses. As a result, the bad boys escape with the dune buggy as per the terms of the gamble. This time the timeline shifts to the present, where Carezza and Sorriso have grown up. Carezza lives with his dog, Geremia.
At a circus, we are introduced to a female ringmaster named Miriam. But immediately, a group of goons named Cobras, who belong to a notorious businessman named Torsillo, arrive at the circus. But Carezza isn’t afraid of them, but with a strong slap of his hand, Scajone, the leader of the Cobras, turns his head. Torsillo has his eye on Miriam’s circus grounds, where he wants to establish his Torsillo Tower, but Miriam is a tough player to give it to him. Then comes the grown-up Sorriso, who is still angry about the disappearance of the old dune buggy. But they want to settle the case again by naming them in the competition like their predecessors. Torsillo’s son, Raniero, who lacks diplomatic intelligence and common sense like his father, is named in the competition as well. Unfortunately, he doesn’t even reach the halfway point of the race due to his own failure. On the contrary, Carezza and Sorriso repeat history by reaching the dune buggy together. So both are declared winners.
The decision of who will be the owner of the dune buggy is still a doubtful decision to them, so they try to pick the actual winner of the dune buggy through the old-fashioned beer and sausage competition, but the Cobras steal their dune buggy while Carezza and Sorriso are busy shoving their mouths with sausages. Sorriso tries his best to form a love angle with Miriam, but after a lot of heckling, Miriam tells him that their dune buggy is with Torsillo, but as a cost of that, she demands that when Sorriso approaches Torsillo, he will have to threaten him to take his eyes off the circus grounds. Carezza and Sorriso muster their courage to reach Torsillo and threaten him to return their dune buggy, but not having planned, they can’t tell if they can do any harm to Torsillo. On his return, Sorriso pulls up the model of Torsillo Tower, saying that Torsillo has to get his eyes off the land of the circus. Torsillo thinks he can answer it differently.
‘Watch Out, We’re Mad’ Ending: How Do Carezza and Sorriso Take Their Dune Buggy Back?
Torsillo arrives at Carezza’s place to prank them with a small toy model of the dune buggy. Carezza and Sorriso knew they wouldn’t get their car back so easily, so after Torsillo’s departure, they beat the Cobra gang, breaking all the bones in their bodies. While Carezza and Sorriso are watching Miriam’s circus performance, Torsillo’s son Raniero arrives with the dune buggy. When Carezza comes running in joy to see his car, Raniero sets fire to the yellow roof of the dune buggy, causing the entire circus to burn. Carezza rescues his dog Geremia, and Sorriso runs to save Miriam. But Miriam learns from her brother that their circus tiger has escaped. Together, Miriam Sorriso and Carezza plan to make Torsillo’s end.
The next day, when Torsillo throws a party with his business clients, Carezza walks in as a musician and catches Scajone’s eye. while Torsillo’s enlarged and more powerful Cobra gang attacks them, Carezza and Sorriso, along with the circus men, beat the gangsters of the Cobra gang and make their situation worse. When Miriam finally blocks Torsillo’s way after a violent riot, he points a gun at Miriam. But she survives when her escaped circus tiger pounces on Torsillo. Carezza and Sorriso get their dune buggies back. But the fight for rights over it continues, so Sorriso and Cariza go back to the restaurant for a beer and sausage competition. But while they are both busy eating, Miriam escapes with the dune buggy again.
We also saw before Miriam came to disrupt Carezza and Sorriso’s sausage competition, right before their dune buggy was stolen in the first place. However, it is quite possible that Miriam stole the dune buggy and left it near Torsillo so that Sorriso and Carezza take their revenge and Miriam gets her land back. It could be a possibility that Miriam is sketching a new plan, but what is that? However, “Watch Out, We’re Mad” ends here with her plan remaining a secret.
Final Words: An Unnecessary Remake
“Watch Out, We’re Mad” is a very unnecessary remake that has only re-enunciated the name of the 1974 origin story. Otherwise, it doesn’t have much of an impact. Rather, in the classic one, the script and acting were much more powerful, whereas the 2022 Netflix-remake may annoy you with its silly comedic approach, and the cringe-worthy plotline. There is no unique twist in the story of this movie, and half of the screen time is occupied by nonsensical actions that are also presented very poorly. So, all in all, go watch 1974’s “Watch Out We’re Mad” once again, putting this remake on the list of trash.
“Watch Out, We’re Mad,” or “Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo,” is a 2022 Action Comedy film directed by Younus.
