Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- breezy
- retro movie night
- western marathon
What critics said
Critics and retrospective commentary regard it as an entertaining but uneven spaghetti western whose comic ambitions are less successful than its dramatic and action elements.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joe Thanks builds an elaborate scheme to steal Major Cabot's money while relying on disguises and double-crosses.
Joe teams with Bill and Lucy, whose naivety and differing motives create both friction and comic momentum.
The central target is the Indian-hating Major Cabot, making anti-Native American hostility part of the film's villainous social context.
The planned theft of $300,000 structures the disguises, hostage situations, reversals, and chases.
Films like A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot, and why
They Call Me Trinity
shared spaghetti western setting, comic outlaw caper structure, and playful genre tone
Trinity Is Still My Name
shared Terence Hill comic western energy, buddy chemistry, and frontier adventure
My Name Is Nobody
shared Italian western style, irreverent humor, elaborate scams, and charismatic con artists
The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid
shared comic western conventions, eccentric outlaws, and fast-moving chase-driven entertainment
Movie Details
- Director
- Damiano Damiani
- Release Date
- 1975-12-16
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (196)
Cast
- Terence Hill
- Miou-Miou
- Robert Charlebois
- Patrick McGoohan
- Raimund Harmstorf
- Piero Vida
- Rik Battaglia
- Mario Valgoi
- Mario Brega
- Jean Martin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, MovieMe
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot about?
- A swaggering frontier con man recruits two unlikely partners for a disguise-filled raid on a prejudiced military strongman.
- What is A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot as moderate.
- What did critics think of A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot?
- Critics and retrospective commentary regard it as an entertaining but uneven spaghetti western whose comic ambitions are less successful than its dramatic and action elements.
- Which films are like A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot?
- Films with a similar feel include They Call Me Trinity, Trinity Is Still My Name, My Name Is Nobody, and The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid.
- How long is A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot?
- A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot?
- In United States, A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, MovieMe.
