One billion dollars. A race against time. A conspiracy to prevent the heir from reaching his destination. It sounds like the perfect recipe for an electrifying film, but Mr. Billion (1977) loses its way in its own rush and stumbles where it should shine: in its narrative and characters.
Our protagonist, Guido Falcone (Terence Hill), an Italian mechanic with a heavy accent and a seductive gaze, sees his life change when he is named heir to an unbelievable fortune. But there's a catch (there always is): he needs to be in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, John Cutler (Jackie Gleason), a ruthless businessman, has other plans and is willing to do anything to make sure Guido never gets there - and if he can convince him to sign a contract handing everything over, even better. To achieve this, he enlists Rosie Jones (Valerie Perrine), a potential con artist, but her romantic subplot with Guido develops so quickly that we barely have time to care.
If the story fails to create memorable characters and an engaging plot, the action tries to make up for it. And indeed, Mr. Billion shines when it's in the air - literally. Helicopters on a collision course, skydiving stunts, car chases with moves worthy of Steve McQueen, and a spectacular sequence in the Grand Canyon prove that there's competence in executing these scenes. Unfortunately, the comedy doesn't match the same level. Cutler's henchmen are as efficient at tracking Guido as they are ineffective at stopping him, and their sabotage attempts lack both impact and humor.
The bigger issue, however, lies in the dynamic between Guido and Rosie. She's supposed to be a cunning scam artist, but she lacks the charisma needed to make this aspect interesting. And Guido, although charming when impersonating movie stars, falls into the trap of falling in love too quickly - quicker, in fact, than any vehicle involved in the chase scenes. If only the script had explored a previous connection between them, there might have been more emotional weight in their relationship.
In the end, Mr. Billion delivers a visual spectacle of action and stunts, but forgets to fill it with a good story. Guido might be good at fighting and know how to drive anything with an engine, but against a flimsy script, even he doesn't stand a chance.
