This article was long overdue.
I grew up on Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movies and if I look back at who my childhood heroes were Bud Spencer and Terence Hill were number one. I think they are the first ones who made me appreciate action movies and if there is one duo that personifies the term “Bop and Rumble” it's the duo of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. They made beating up people into an artform. Yes, Bruce Lee did that too, but in the case of Bud Spencer And Terence Hill, they made it funny and entertaining.
I am also convinced that Jackie Chan had them as an inspiration for his movies. I have said it many times and I will say it again. I can only watch the movies in German dubbing.
Bud Spencer was voiced by the legendary Rainer Brandt and Terence Hill was voiced by Thomas Danneberg, who even gave Stallone a better voice that Stallone himself. Those voices are so distinctive and add to the humor of the movies. Yes, the movies are very humorous and quite frankly I don't know any other movie duo that made as entertaining movies as Bud Spencer and Terence Hill did. And I am glad those movies were never remade, because I don't think that void could be filled with maybe one exception. The creator of Germany’s 2024 hit TV show Crooks said, that the 2 main characters are based on Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. I once mentioned one of the Crooks characters reminded me of Bud Spencer and the creator confirmed this. However, the 2 main characters don’t do the funny fighting that Bud Spencer and Terence Hill do.
I have to add that the soundtracks of those movies are fantastic. They are none of that bullshit that you see in today’s movies. They are songs that add atmosphere, set the atmosphere and are often quite catchy. Oliver Onions, aka as Guido and Maurizio de Angelis made various unforgettable songs for the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movies.
I hate Christmas, but they always show nearly all the Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movies on German TV during Christmas. Nothing celebrates the Christmas spirit more than Bud Spencer and Terence Hill beating the shit out of people
Without further ado here is the top 10 of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movies.
10. Qui trova un amico trova un tesoro (He Who Fiends A Friend Finds A treasure) 1981
Leave it to Bud Spencer and Terence Hill to find a great location to film a movie. Finding nice locations was definitely a trademark of them. This is an adventure movie, because Bud and Terence want to find a treasure on some exotic remote island, so hilarity is guaranteed.
9. Non c'e¨ due senza quattro (Double Trouble) 1984
Bud Spencer and Terence Hill play double roles in this movie. They are hired to impersonate to rich softies, who get death threats. So you know that the people who do the threats will be beaten up. This is probably the movie with the least fighting, but the humor is just great. When they play the rich softies they portray them as real soy boys.
8. Altrimenti c’arrabbiamo (Watch Out. We’re Mad) 1974
This movie shows a period in which I would have loved to live. What great scenery it has and how life was simple and good. There is a Bud Spencer and Terence Hill video game that is hilarious and most of the levels are from this movie. And they drive in a buggy in this movie. How cool is that? There is also a biker gang that is just too funny. I personally think Clint Eastwood stole the idea of the funny biker gang for his movie Every Which Way But Loose.
7. I due superpiedi quasi piatti (Crime Busters) 1977
Want to see a funny cop movie? Well, look no further than Crime Busters. Are there more funny cop movies? Probably Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon. Fuck Police Academy.
6. Porgi l'altra guancia (Two Missionaries) 1974
This is the first Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movie I ever saw. I must have watched that movie at least 20 times, before I got my hands on the other movies. This one I saw on tv. Bud Spencer and Terence Hill play 2 missionaries who bring peace with their fists.
5. Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità (They Still Call Me Trinity) 1971
The sequel to the wonderful original Trinity movie. Westerns comedies the way they are supposed to be. Bud and Terence have a lot of fun in this movie, and it shows. When people think of westerns they think of Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. Well, with the Trinity movies Bud and Terence showed they belong in the upper echelon of western movies.
4. Lo chiamavano Trinità (They Call Me Trinity) 1970
The western genre was never my very favorite genre of mine. However, movies like My Name Is Nobody and the Trinity movies I can always watch. Especially Terence Hill is on fire in those movies, and it always seemed that Terence Hill was born for westerns. I guess that's why he also got the role of Lucky Luke in the Lucky Luke tv show.
1. 3. Più forte ragazzi! (All The Way Boys) 1972
Another very entertaining Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movie. Bud and Terence doing what there are the best at. Beating up people. This movie had, for once, a sad ending. If that ending doesn’t leave you with a lump in your throat, you are inhuman.
2. Io sto con gli ippopotami (I’m for the Hippopotamus) 1979
This movie takes place in Africa and the scenery is quite breathtaking. The gang of baddies is just too funny getting the snot beaten out of them. I think this is also the first time that Bud Spencer has trouble beating up a guy nearly his size and it quite hilarious in a way.
1. Nati Con La Camicia (Go For It) 1983
By far my favorite Bud Spencer and Terence Hill movie. This James Bond spoof is full of hilarious fights and hilarious conversations combined with an awesome soundtrack. And the car they drive in that movie... I want one of those. This movie is also the first time that Terence Hill has to fight a woman, who is one of the baddies.
Bonus: Solo movies
Bud Spencer and Terence Hill also did a few solo movies. Bud Spencer had the better once in my opinion. He had the successful Piedone movie series, in which he plays Detective Rizzo of the Napolitan police. He has 4 of those movies. He made 2 kids movies, the so-called The Sheriff movies about dealing with a kid who is an alien. Those 2 movies were of the quality that Disney could never reach and the kid in it was not annoying unlike Disney kids.
Terence Hill had the legendary My Name Is Nobody, which is my favorite western ever. Not only is it timeless, but the humor and the music are fantastic. There was also a My Name Is Nobody sequel, but that one was really bad. Renegade is another one of his, but that had hardly any fighting. It was more of a road movie.
All in all, whether they teamed up in a movie or did solo movies, they delivered. A lot of actors would be jealous of the great and entertaining movies Spencer and Hill made. And name me one movie duo, that made more entertaining movies than Spencer and Hill did. You can’t.
NOW STAY AWAY FROM REMAKING ANY OF THOSE MOVIES, FUCKING HOLLYWOOD!!