Il Cittadino Si Ribella is a typical Italian crime thriller; what it lacks in originality and consistency it makes up in action and kinetic style. The best element of Il Cittadino Si Ribella is Enzo Castellari's direction, which lends an amphetamine-laced touch to the film's familiar vigilante premise. He excels at crafting tight, claustrophobic action scenes, the best being the brutal bank robbery and car chase that open the film and the taut shootout-in-a-warehouse finale. Il Cittadino Si Ribella is also unique in that it replaces the standard-issue action hero with an average joe who has to grapple with fear and make mistakes before he can properly accomplish his revenge. On the downside, Franco Nero's performance is a little too over the top to be truly affecting and the short-lived romance subplot involving Barbara Bach is a narrative dead end. The film also never truly addresses the vigilante and justice themes it flirts with, instead opting out for easy, crowd-pleasing action. Ultimately, Il Cittadino Si Ribella lacks the dramatic substance that would have made it truly memorable, but supplies enough excitement to please action buffs. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
