Black Dynamite - Movie Review
Considering Blaxploitation traces its roots back to films like Shaft and They Call Me Mr. Tibbs, I would probably consider a film like Black Dynamite to be more a spoof of the genre than an actual representation of it. But that may be the direction these films have naturally evolved. This film goes to great lengths to insert B-film choppy cuts and poor cinematography as part of the spoof. Black Dynamitetakes exaggeration to a whole new level. The film is set in the 1970s, the heyday of this genre.
Ghetto folks don't use their given names, they have street names like Black Dynamite. Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) has a strong pimp hand. This cat can lay it down. When we meet him, he is simultaneously pleasing three women. I guess he must have some footstool action going on. When Black Dynamite comes around, suckas better scram. His Kung Fu is strong. And sometimes, he'll resort to the good old reliable beyatch slap. Black Dynamite has the lowdown, can you dig it?
It seems that Black Dynamite was in the CIA, operating in 'Nam with a lowlife honky named O'Leary (Kevin Chapman). When Dynamite's brother is murdered in an undercover operation gone bad, O'Leary fears that Black Dyamite will unleash a killing spree of revenge. He's right. While Dynamite attempts to get the skinny on his brother's murder, he uncovers a plot by "the man" to control the black population. Dynamite undertakes his cause, battling a variety of jive turkeys, along with his ace Bullhorn (Byron Minns). The conspiracy goes all the way to the top...and the top would be Tricky Dick (James McManus).
Michael Jai White created this script along with Byron Minns and Scott Sanders. Black Dynamite is far out. And that's not necessarily a good thing. The story is a complex mess of stereotypical gags and plot twists that go beyond strange. I understand that the story has a spoof quality to it, but it was just plain weird. I laughed out loud several times, but it was stuuupid. I guess I am a fool for laughing. This film is mindless fun, so if you are simply looking for a laugh, you could do worse. But there was not much substance to this story, the characters could not be more one-dimensional and the stereotypes were abundant. A redeeming quality for the writing would be the 70s dialogue, which was, well...hip.
The cinematography in Black Dynamite was horrible. Maybe it was intentional, but that is not an excuse. You could tell that the scenes were intentional, like when a boom mike accidentally hits Dynamite in the head. But it felt contrived. "Okay, this scene is a loser...let's make it interesting by adding something stupid." Things like a young actor that looks nothing like the main character saying "I am sixteen year old Black Dynamite, talking to you, my younger brother" type scenes felt like filler. If it were funny B-Film stuff, that would be one thing. But it was just weak. The transitions are all choppy, with obvious changes in scenery with different camera angles, another attempt to force the feel of a B-movie. I just didn't dig it.
Black Dynamite was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America. The introduction to Dynamite includes several partially nude women. The scene is a sex scene that was intended to be humorous, but missed the mark. The only nudity I recall after that was a prop that was intended to be a "Little Richard." The rating is probably more a factor of the adult themes, excessive violence and strong language. There was also talk about drugs, drug use (to include children junkies) and alcohol. While the humor in this film is sophomoric, the group that would appreciate the humor most is probably right on the edge of being old enough to see it. This is a film for teenagers or above. Run time is one hour, 24 minutes.
Black Dynamite received great ratings from IMDB. The film has a very solid rating that indicates the majority of people who see this film like it and would probably recommend it. Count me in the minority. I felt the film was forced and tedious. While I enjoyed the dialogue and some of the campy humor, the overall quality of the film lacked something. While I got a couple of chuckles from this film, I would not recommend it. 4.5/10.
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