They Called Him Bulldozer (1978)

They Called Him Bulldozer is the kind of crowd-pleaser that reminds you how effortlessly Bud Spencer could turn sheer size into charm, comedy, and a surprisingly cozy sense of camaraderie. Michele Lupo keeps the vibe breezy and sunlit, mixing scrappy underdog sports energy with the satisfying, old-school rhythm of action-comedy where the punches land hard but the spirit stays light. Watching Bulldozer drift from quiet fisherman to reluctant mentor is pure comfort cinema—full of colorful characters, playful one-upmanship, and the simple joy of seeing bullies meet their match. If you’re allergic to broad humor or 1970s genre looseness, it may feel shaggy, but if you want a warm, brawny good time that never takes itself too seriously, this one delivers.

They Called Him Bulldozer is trying to be a laid-back crowd-pleaser: Bud Spencer coasts on sheer charm and size, mixing fish-out-of-water comedy with a scrappy underdog sports setup. The problem is that the story is basically an excuse to string together broad gags, simple training-montage beats, and the kind of cartoonish brawling that feels repetitive if you’re not already on Spencer’s wavelength. If you want sharp comedy, real tension, or believable sports drama, this will feel floppy and low-stakes, like it’s happy to meander until the next punchline. But if you’re in the mood for easygoing 70s Italian comfort food with a likable lead and a few satisfying knockabout moments, it does exactly that and doesn’t pretend otherwise.