Gabriele Mainetti
Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot

In an era where superhero movies have increasingly become overblown cartoons filled with special effects and characters without background, thrown onto the screen like soccer sticker albums, films like "Il Ragazzo Invisibile" by Salvatores and "Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot" by Gabriele Mainetti quietly emerge in Italy, two fundamental pieces in the national cinematic landscape. Two very different films, yet both reveal in their boldness to dare that Italian entertainment cinema hasn't completely lost its sheen, and that it can still (when it wants) communicate something. Particularly "Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot" made a big splash upon its release, loved by both audiences and critics, who praised the story, direction, and actors' performances. I usually take it slow when a movie is overly hyped, but this time I decided to trust and hope not to face the usual pumped-up superhero movie about breaking bottles and killing families. I was wrong, indeed.

"Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot" is the story of Enzo, a small-time crook from Tor Bella Monaca, a Roman suburb, with a cold and isolated character, passionate about yogurts and porn films. While escaping the police, he falls into the Tiber River and comes into contact with nuclear waste, which gives him superhuman strength. He lives next to Alessia, a troubled girl obsessed with Jeeg Robot of Steel. But when he confronts his own power, he must protect the city from the rise of a criminal known as Lo Zingaro. Through his relationship with Alessia, and his own power, he learns that "with great power comes great responsibility." Sorry for the popular line, but I couldn't resist.

So, the story, contrary to what many might think, doesn't offer anything new or unseen in a superhero movie. Or rather... not exactly nothing, as what truly captivates in the film is primarily the characterization of our characters. Enzo is the quintessential anti-hero from a Marvel product. Forget the classic handsome guy with abs doing acrobatics across the city, living in a luxury tower, loved by women, and such things: our character is sad, gloomy, lives in distress, without the slightest desire to smile or interact with people, and when he gains powers initially uses them for a heist, tearing an ATM from a wall. The video goes viral, and consequently, our character attracts the attention of both Alessia, who falls in love with him, and Lo Zingaro. The former helps Enzo unpick the knots within himself, especially regarding his own shyness and awkwardness with women, while the latter decides to confront him for interfering in his affairs and becoming an obstacle to his plan to conquer the city. Claudio Santamaria, known for being the voice of Christian Bale in the Italian version of Nolan's Batman, convincingly portrays our Enzo, providing just the right charisma while constantly playing under the radar to maintain the mysterious and pessimistic portrayal of our hero; to play him, the actor gained 20 kilos. But the character that truly steals the scene is Fabio, known as Lo Zingaro, played by Luca Marinelli, becoming a phenomenal nemesis. A role the actor relishes from start to finish, teetering between Joker and a jittery small-time gangster fresh out of "Romanzo Criminale", obsessed with conquest and icons of Italian pop music. Not only does he have a blast committing acts of violence, but you never know what to expect when he steps into a scene, as he is capable of exploding into madness at any moment; unsurprisingly, he's the protagonist of some memorable sequences, from his entrance at the karaoke of "Un'emozione da poco" by Anna Oxa. By exploiting such a strong character both in writing and interpretation, the character of Enzo becomes even more intriguing in his portrayal, since when the villain in a superhero story works very well, there's always the risk of overshadowing the hero, fundamentally always tied to the usual four lines of writing. Here they practically go hand in hand, up until the pre-final confrontation. The character of Alessia is equally well-written though I wasn't entirely convinced by Ilenia Pastorelli's performance; interesting how here the "damsel," who is normally always saved by the hero, is actually the character that helps the hero himself gain confidence and awareness of his mission, making him more "human" and teaching him to love others, despite being a girl with traumas in her head following her mother's death. Noteworthy is the sex scene, where Enzo's primal and extroverted instinct suddenly emerges, turning an initially "romantic" sequence into disgust. The cast also includes an amused Salvatore Esposito (yes, him) in the role (no surprise) of a Neapolitan gangster, and an exceptional Antonia Truppo as the leader of a group of Camorristi.

Gabriele Mainetti's direction flows very well, feeling at ease in both dialogue and action sequences. We're finally not facing special effects reminiscent of Rai dramas (I recall with regret the atrocious Pinocchio with Bob Hoskins and Litizzetto), but rather a greater technical care, especially in visual violence, which never devolves into exaggerated splatter, maintaining realism even though it's basically a "fantastic" film, that cleverly combines other cinematic genres from Italian pulp and gangster movies (Lenzi and Sollima teach us) to anime (starting from the cartoon’s own character). Excellent work also concerning the cinematography, showcasing a dull Rome that appears like Gotham City, along with the screenplay itself, full of twists and tender moments (primarily the relationship between Alessia and Enzo) without ever becoming excessively sentimental, making this love story interesting that partly nods to the magnificent "Léon" by Luc Besson, especially in the representation of the protagonist.

"Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot" excels on every level. A fun, mature, adrenaline-pumping comic film, full of surprises and eagerness, made with intelligence and passion. There's talk of an official sequel, but to be sure, we'll have to wait a little longer. Meanwhile, for those who haven't seen it yet, enjoy this little gem, which, although not saving Italian Cinema, brings it back towards a dignified conception, compared to what we happen to see every day in multi fiction on television.