Ever since Sergio Corbucci's seminal Spaghetti Western Django became a big hit in 1966 in both Europe and the United States. They have been a number of producers and distributors who sought to cash-in on the ensuing Django craze by making quasi sequels. Some of them, have nothing to do with grimy Franco Nero's avenging gunfighter who drags coffins around, and a good example of one is this movie. Django Shoots First also known as No Mercy for Django, He Who Shoots First, Django- Only the Colt was his friend, I am Trinidad, and Do not Django Shoot; has nothing to do with the Sergio Corbucci's character, other than his name happens to be Django. The movie also tries to rip-off characters such as Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name 1964's Fistful of Dollars, Lawrence Dobkin's 1966's Johnny Yuma and Gianni Garko's Sartana. In this version directed by Alberto De Martino, Glenn Garvin AKA Django (Glenn Saxson AKA Roel Bos) is hunting down the bounty-killer, Ringo (José M. Martín) for killing his father. When he finds out that Ringo has already killed his father. Django kills Ringo, and heads into the town of Silver Creek to collect the bounty. It's odd that the person that plays Ringo seem more like Django, than Glenn Saxon's character. This main character in this film seem less like Django and more like Giuliano Gemma as Ringo in 1965's Ringo. Anyways, when he gets to Silver Creek, it's there that he learns that his father actually owned most of the town along with a banker named Ken Kluster (Nando Gazzolo). Kluster tries to turn Django away, but the man is determined to stay and claim his portion of the town after discovering that his father's death was set-up. Django gets help from a mysterious stranger named Doc (Alberto Lupo), as well as some townsfolk like Gordon (Fernando Sancho) to fight Kluster, setting a war between the two camps. Only one team can survive. Who will it be? Watch it to find out! Although the synopsis seem simple, Django Shoots First is a very well scripted film with good characters with clever twists. The movie plot mirrors that of Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers, but the Spaghetti Westerns add something new to it. Central characters like Django are defined not by their black and white moral code but, instead, by their moral flexibility, unpredictability, and cynicism. Simply, they were the defining anti-heroes of a genre that previously had been defined by clear cut perceptions of morality, justice, and manifest destiny. After all, Django is going after money, he really didn't earned. Could, the movie be helped if Ken Kluster was made to be more evil and Django more the hero? Yes, but it wasn't needed. Ken Kluster pretty much mirrors Django in every way. Both are willing to trick the public to get their way. Some people might hate it, but I didn't find it, unlikeable. Maybe, it gave the movie more depth. At less, it gave a pretty funny clever ironic punchline ending. Even the gun-fight action seem more realistic than a lot of Spaghetti Westerns. You have shootouts that amplified the tension by relentlessly cutting between wide shot, medium shot, close-up, and extreme close-up of characters, and a camera that sits unbearably close to character's reaction shots. Still, there were some hammy fist-fights that seem too cartoony even for my taste; mostly toward the end, where the movie morph in a near comedy with the bar room fight. The movie pacing might have done a little too long. They should had stop, after reaching the cave. For a Spaghetti Western, it's not that violent, but it didn't felt gimmicky. Not a lot of one-shot kills in here. You see all the ingredients for a good Spaghetti westerns like the pronounced use of widescreen vistas and extreme close ups. The sets and costumes all look strong and good use is made of the Spanish locations that give this film a very traditional Western feel. Indeed it was made in a Sergio Leone's style of filmmaking. The acting is pretty good for the most part. I did kinda mistake Fernando Sancho for Bud Spencer. Both are very similar in the way, they act. I'm still convince that is Bud Spencer in this film, but I might be wrong. One of the best part was George Eastman's cameo. So look forward to that. One thing; that was a bit disappointing is the female leads. Both Erika Blanc as the American Girl, Lucy & Evelyn Stewart AKA Ida Galli as femme fatale, Jessica Kluster are beautiful and alright in acting, but there are missing a lot of depth in their characters. The music score by Bruno Nicolai is beautiful and pretty catchy. While "Bolero" sung by Dino is great, it still sounds like something out of a 1960s James Bond movie. It might be a little out of place. Still, it was good enough that 2004's video game, Red Dead Revolver to use it. The movie is kinda hard to find, but most copies are decent. The DVD version that I had, had alright picture quality with some light grain throughout and some occasional print damage. The English dubbing was alright and the sound was very good, throughout the film. Although forced subtitles are not ideal and not there. Dorado Films is actually pretty good choice. Overall: This is a must-own Spaghetti Western. Recommended to genre fans.

After the Franco Nero film "Django" appeared, a lot of unscrupulous movie folks began releasing movie after movie with the name Django in the title--but they had little to do with this original film. "He Who Shoots First" (also known as "Django Shoots First") is one of these faux Django films. Now I am not sure if the film was meant to be a knockoff or if, perhaps, the folks doing the dubbing just decided on their own to make it a Django film. But, at least the leading man, Dutchman Glenn Saxson looks a bit like Nero.

The film starts with Django going to see his father and finding him dead--having just been shot down by a bounty hunter. Not wanting to pass up a good opportunity, Django shoots the bounty hunter and brings his dad's corpse to town to claim the reward!! Only later does he learn that perhaps his father was NOT a criminal but was up on trumped up charges by folks intend on stealing his half interest in a local gambling hall. So, for most of the rest of the film, Django needs to fight the local scum who are trying to kill him and then claim what is rightfully his.

Aside from the film having the audacity of having Django claim the bounty on his own dad(!!), I also really liked the ending as well as the music. The soundtrack was a good bit better than the average Italian western. But, apart from these things, the film had little to offer other than folks getting punched and shot. Not especially remarkable but a decent time-passer.

FYI--At one point, one of the folks says "A man can't testify against his wife" but in American law this isn't exactly true. A man cannot be FORCED to testify against his wife. But, if he wants to help the prosecution by testifying against her he is surely welcome to do so.

Easygoing saddle tramp Glenn Saxson finds his father cooling off on the back of a bounty hunter's horse. Killing the bounty hunter, he takes his father's body into town to claim the reward, where he's informed by ambitious local Fernando Sancho, that his dad was actually quite wealthy and set up by his greedy business partner. The two then team up with a mystery man, carrying a switchblade stiletto cane, to take on the murderous big-shot.

Django Shoots First is another colorful, fast-paced spaghetti western. There isn't much new here, but it's a pleasantly entertaining way to spend an hour and a half, with an adequate amount of action, plot-twists, and gun-wielding heavies.

There's also a good score by Ennio Morricone's frequent collaborator Bruno Nicolai and a neat early cameo in the film's final scene, by Italian genre favorite George Eastman, who's minus his distinctive facial hair.