I'm for the Hippopotamus/Io Sto con gli Ippopotami (1979) - Spencer & Hill make a low-brow killing in Africa

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The beloved star duo are back for new shenanigans on this poster for Italo Zingarelli's I'm for the Hippopotamus

Two competing cousins find themselves in Africa, liberating animals and handing out punches.

 

I'm for the Hippopotamus is written by Barbara Alberti (Ernesto (1979)), Vincenzo Mannino (Cobra Mission (1986)), Amedeo Pagani (Colpita da Improvviso Benessere (1976)) and co-writer/director Italo Zingarelli (Una Prostituta al Servizio del Pubblico ed in Regola con le Leggi dello Stato (1971)). The title is a literal translation of the original Italian one.

Terence Hill (Botte di Natale (1994)) and Bud Spencer (Un Piede in Paradiso (1991)) goof around in many lame gags in this African comedy adventure that is often unreal. But it works well as warm and wacky, forgettable entertainment for fans of the star duo.

 

  

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: Unknown, projected 3 mil. $

Box office: Projected 25.1 mil. $

= Uncertain but projected a mega-hit (projected return of 8.36 times its cost)

[I'm for the Hippopotamus was released 1 December (Spain) and runs 104 minutes. Shooting took place in South Africa. Although the cost is unknown, it seems certain that the film was a major hit, based on the box office information available: It sold 2.251 mil. tickets in France, 4.91 mil. in West Germany, 720k in Italy, (ironically Spencer and Hill were bigger outside of their native country), and 286k tickets in Denmark. That is 8.167 mil. tickets in these 4 markets alone, with 12 more markets left unaccounted for, although two of them (Turkey and Hungary) did not get the release until far into to 1980s. It was not released in North America but it was released in Australia. With a conservative final projection of 10 mil. sold tickets at a 2.51 $ average prize, the film would have grossed 25.1 mil. $, an enormous sum. Zingarelli only returned as a producer of two more films more than ten years later. Spencer returned in Piedone d'Egitto (1980); Hill in Super Fuzz/Poliziotto Superpiù (1980). 9.4k+ IMDb users have given I'm for the Hippopotamus a 6.6/10 average rating.]

 

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