I’ve never really seen the appeal of 3D films. It’s a gimmick that many modern films essentially tack on as an afterthought, and as a quick revenue boost. The 80s 3D films were more blatantly obvious in what they were doing, shoving a multitude of things into the audience’s faces. It was interesting, but not the reason I’d go see the films. Speaking of the 80s, the film that pretty much started the 3D craze in the decade was Ferdinando Baldi’s spaghetti western Comin’ At Ya!. The film was dusted off and given a new restoration in 2009, and this restored version subsequently had a premiere screening at the Berlin Film Festival in 2011. Now, MVD Visual has brought the film to Blu-Ray 3D.

While in the process of being married, gunslinger H.H. Hart (Tony Anthony) is shot and left wounded by brothers Pike (Gene Quintano) and Polk (Ricardo Palacios). The dastardly duo also carry off Hart’s wife-to-be, Abilene (Victoria Abril), as part of a larger plan to round up more women and organize an auction for brothel owners to divide and plunder the victims. Patched up, Hart saddles up with revenge on his mind.

Obviously, the main draw of this film is its 3D effects. You have hands, guns, fruit and bats coming at you, and the effect is done quite well. The film emphasizes this by drawing the shots out in slow motion, which when you think about it, does indeed stretch out the film’s runtime. The claim that these shots “fly off the screen” isn’t kidding, either. The goofiness of these effects obviously lose their lustre when viewed in 2D, much the same way that the 3D effects in Friday The 13th Part 3 appear silly when viewed traditionally. It’s a necessity that this be viewed in 3D, but fans obviously know this.

Apart from the 3D effects, there’s really not much going on. The film is lacking in its narrative content, for one. There’s very little dialogue, and what dialogue exists is both cheesy in substance and in delivery. It can be said that it’s all part of the film’s allure, which I can agree with. While Tony Anthony doesn’t have the screen presence of Clint Eastwood, he still manages to be a poor man’s version of The Man With No Name in H.H. Hart, but even that’s being generous. There’s also plenty of over-the-top brutality to be seen with Comin’ At Ya!, some of which isn’t the most pleasant to watch. Namely, the attempted rape of women, and women being beaten. Nevertheless, the perpetrators get the sh*t kicked out of them for doing so, so it’s a bit of restitution. Behind the camera, Baldi shows experience in framing shots, and some shots look quite beautiful, and the soundtrack by Carlos Savina is reminiscent of Ennio Morricone’s classic scores.

Still, as you’ve probably surmised, the film is rather pointless without seeing it in the intended way. The characters lack any substance and are cookie-cutter, and the slow motion effects tend to get tiring by the end of the picture. The biggest offense may be to the purists, however. For this restored version of the film, a handful of scenes have been given a black-and-white effect, most notably the opening sequence, with only some colour being left in for dramatic effect. This “George Lucas-ing” extends also to a revamped opening title sequence (omitting the original Filmways Pictures logo) and the edited end credits to reflect the work done by the restoration team (omitting the original credits crawl). Also missing is a ten-minute sequence that was never included in the original US release that involved Hart robbing a bank. Needless to say, this version will be a point of contention for fans who loved the original, and for those completionists.

Regardless, Comin’ At Ya! is entertaining for its 3D, and for its brutal take on spaghetti westerns. That charm is obviously relegated to a select group, but it’s also worthwhile as a piece of history. It’s not going to replace the classics of the genre, but it’s a fun time capsule that shows just how far film has come since the revival of 3D film thirty years ago.

Video/Audio:

Presented in 2.55:1 AVC-encoded 1080p and sourced from a brand new 4K master, the film can either be viewed in 2D or 3D, depending on your player. The 3D version is obviously the best option, as again the film uses the gimmick wherever it can to get things popping out at you. The effect is pretty good, although there are spots where there’s some flatness in the picture due to (I assume) the limitations of the technology. There’s also a little bit of double vision in some instances due to the compositing of the two reels. The picture is a bit soft (with some compression here and there), but it’s still quite viewable. Immediately, I thought of Friday The 13th Part 3 Blu-Ray in terms of the look. While the colour is strong, there’s noticeable dirt and scratches throughout the print. It’s not a big distraction, however. Overall, it’s the best that this film has looked in a long time.

There are two audio tracks available: the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. There’s not too much difference between the two tracks, save for the audio being given more room in the 5.1 mix. There’s a slight crackling sound throughout both, but it’s not obtrusive. Dialogue is clear and free of distortion, and there’s obviously more noticeable movement in the 5.1 mix. Both options are perfectly serviceable, but don’t expect anything to amaze you.

Supplements:

The only extras on this disc are a five-minute promo piece that highlights the 3D parts of the film, with some being the new black-and-white parts and the rest in colour, and the film’s revamped trailer. I say “revamped” because the original 1981 trailer is nowhere to be found. This trailer was known for being less about promoting the film, and more about demonstrating the technology. This trailer was included on the original Rhino DVD.

Even more egregious is the fact that we don’t get a pair of 3D glasses included in the case. Seriously?! The DVD release years ago had the glasses included, so what’s the deal, MVD? Also, purists will be mad that we don’t have the original unedited version of the film, sans tweaked black-and-white sequences.

The overall audio/video package is a substantial upgrade for fans of the film, but the lack of any extras (including the infamous original trailer or a pair of 3D glasses) or the original version of the film are a sore point. Keep your original Rhino DVD if you’re a purist.