In a world filled to the brim with Asgardian gods, agile assassins and Batmen, it's easy to forget that other countries have their own superheroes as well. I mean that as someone living stateside, who spends most of his time staring at men of steel, wonder women and arrogant archers all the live long day. That being said, I was introduced to a new hero this afternoon, as I experienced a new trailer for Gabriele Mainetti's 2005 Italian superhero film THEY CALL ME JEEG.
The events of the film tell the tale of Enzo, a lonely and misanthropic small time crook, who uses the superpowers gained after falling in the radioactive waste-filled Tiber river to chase down a crazy gangster called "The gypsy". Enzo essentially goes full Toxic Avenger (without the deformities) and then proceeds to learn about caring for humanity thanks in part to a traumatized woman who's convinced that Enzo is the 1970s Japanese manga character created by Go Nagai, Steel Jeeg – whose adventures have dazzled Italian comic book fans for years.
I've got to say, this is indeed an attractive looking trailer. The cinematography has this film looking particularly gritty but with a polish that gives it plenty of ambiance and style. I also dig the blatant name-drop of Superman and the mention of radioactive spider-bites – it's a nice nod. You know something … I think I'm going to seek this one out and give it a watch. There's more than enough here to pique my interest, and I wouldn't mind seeing a superhero film from across the pond.
THEY CALL ME JEEG will touchdown stateside on March 17, 2017.