Black Dynamite: Black explotation done right

Tagline:           He’s a powder keg of black fury that’s about to explode

Starring:          Michael Jai White, Obba Babatunde’, Kevin Chapman, Tommy Davidson, Richard Edson, Arsenio Hall, Darrel Heath, Buddy Lewis, Brian MCnight, Byron Minns, Phil Morris, Miguel a Nunez Jr., Nicole Ari Parker, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and John Salley.

Plot:                 Set in the 1970’s it follows the bad ass adventure of ex CIA, Vietnam vet, and pimp Black Dynamite as he uses his Kung Fu and swagger to crack down on dope selling crackers dealin to orphans, protecting the streets from tainted Anaconda malt liquor, and fighting the honkey all the way at the top.  

My Take:         As a spoof of all the Black Exploitation or Blaxploitation  films of the 70s, more famously Shaft, where it had heavy black stereotypes while having a mostly black cast usually in conflict with a white antagonist. Well this movie is no different but as a parody of all of them it pulls it all off perfectly. Between the Kung Fu, The action, and the dialogue, everything is delivered in perfect time . It has the slightly gritty look a lot of Blaxploitation films have. It even comes with the “Dynamite” jingle every time he does something BA. Every joke, every comical action scene is a done is such a way where you don’t feel like you’re watching a parody. For an example, While you’re watching Naked Gun, Hot Shots, or Kung Pow: Enter the Fist when a comical line is delivered or some silly action scene happens, they may stop the action and look at the camera and make a funny face. While watching Black Dynamite you will notice they won’t do that. I guess what I am trying to say is that they keep it serious while spoofing a whole genre of film.

                        As a side note: while watching it you get the sense that they had an a lot fun making this film. Not like most comedies where you watch it and because it’s a comedy you know they had fun on the set but still it lacks the character and heart per say. But with Black Dynamite you get the feeling that there was for a lack of better term a lot of soul put into this film. And I think that’s why it works so well.

Memorable

Quotes:           Black Dynamite: I think you're running a temperature. Let me see if I can find a thermometer for you.
[unzips pants]    

                        Black Dynamite: Your knowledge of scientific biological transmogrification is only outmatched by your zest for kung-fu treachery!

                        Black Dynamite: Ain't nothin' in the world get Black Dynamite more mad than some jive ass sucka dealin' smack to the kids!

                        Black Dynamite: Who the hell is interrupting my kung fu?

                        Black Dynamite: I guess you forgot about the time you and Bravo company left my black ass for dead, huh? But I remember. I remember everything. I remember Vietnam like it was yesterday. I remember that village in Tainan that we cut down. It was a massacre. All the dead Chinamen we left in our tracks. I remember the faces, the children. This one child I'll never forget. Poor little bastard was still alive. His little Chinese legs were blown clean off! Still see his little shins & feet hanging from the ceiling fan across the hut. He was charred from his head down to his little Chinese knees. He tried to get up, but he fell over when what was left of his right leg broke off. As he laid there, flat on his face, he looked up at me. His little Chinese eyes burned right into my stomach, deep into my soul. He said something to me in Chinese like, 'Boo coo sow!', sounded like some cartoon shit. But I understood it to be a question that he was asking me. And I don't have to know how to speak Chinese to know what that question was. 'Why, Black Dynamite? Why?'

                        There are so many more but to type them all out….hell I would be typing practically the whole movie.

Favorite

Fight Scene:     The Bar Room fight where Bullhorn slaps the thug, and then a bad edit occurs and you a see a stunt double standing in place of the thug and they re-shoot the fight scene.

Final Thought:   Grab hold of some of your jive talkin brothas, some Anaconda Malt Liquor, and some Waffles. Prepare for some laughs and some Kung Fu action and treachery. As Black Dynamite Explodes with black fury from your TV

                        I give it 5 out of 5 Cherry Cheese Danishes