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6/10
Most Competent Rudy Ray Moore Movie
DrSatan12 August 1999
I've seen Dolemite and Disco Godfather as well as Human Tornado...I'm something of a Rudy fan. I must say, however, that Human Tornado is the most competant Rudy Ray Moore movie I have seen (admittedly I have not seen Petey Wheatstraw or Monkey Hustle). The direction, camera work, and acting, while still substandard is no where near as atrocious as in Dolemite or Godfather. The story is simple and routine, but the dialogue and rapping is high-larious. My favorite scene for all out ridiculousness was when Rudy and "Miss Wonderful" get naked and....excercise in bed. Literally. I must say, however, if you're looking for the highlarious incompetency of Godfather, it won't be found here.
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7/10
Great movie for bad movie lovers
Frick15 January 2001
As a lover of bad movies, I definitely hit paydirt with this one. The plot isn't really that bad, but there are a few instances where you really have to ask yourself "what the heck is going on here?"

There are many many things that make this the funniest bad movie ever. First off, Rudy Ray Moore had gotten so fat and slow when this movie was filmed that the special effects consist of speeding up the fight scenes to double time. There are also scenes where there is a slow-motion instant replay, jumping onto a ten foot high wall (by playing falling off of it backwards), naked men walking out of huge letters, and sex that literally brings down the roof (with the cable holding up the roof catching on fire).

Of course, no Rudy Ray Moore movie would be complete without a completely gratuitous and random comedy club scene where Rudy makes fun of all the customers, interposed with people doing some odd dance. There are so many things bad about this movie, but they're bad in an entertaining way, and if you take your eyes off the movie, you might miss another mistake.

Rating: 1/10 for actual value, 10/10 for cheese factor, 10/10 for picking out mistakes and goofs, averages out to 7/10.
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6/10
The pure smell of the seventies's Blaxploitation!!!
elo-equipamentos19 August 2020
Get ready to be back at seventies, those crazy days where the Blaxploitation genre explodes, in his lastest breast, The Human Tornado was a sequel of the successful Dolemite which he returns more furious than ever, track down the same steps of his predecessor, in absent of a reliable plot the movie survives in Rudy Rae Moore's humoresque style, for some taste would be a off-color, this turn he told dirty jokes, introducing many black bands and singers, also he enforces an unerring approach of sexploitation on countless sex scenes when he wildly gonna crazy made justice in your nickname Human Tornado having sexy with nympho Mrs. Cavaletti when the roof fell off in such fury, a real mind-blowing sequence, also provides a chamber of fear where two naked black girls were tortured in all worst ways by a deranged mind of the odd Mr. Cavaletti, to close the movie in high style Rudy supplies a smashing fighting, breaking all around, despite a mess this movie is really appealing, made by an autodidact black guy who follow his survival instinct , not seriously of course, however far away to be bad, in time the fine Ernie Hudson on early days!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.25
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Wild, Over-the-Top Sequel
Michael_Elliott9 February 2017
The Human Tornado (1976)

*** (out of 4)

Comedian Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore) has to defend his black people when a racist white sheriff starts trouble. Soon Dolemite and his clan are on the run and going after a white gangster who is taking black women are selling them.

This sequel to DOLEMITE is actually a better movie. Well, let me put that another way. The first film was a fun and somewhat well-made movie that became a box office hit so a sequel had to follow. This sequel is incredibly silly from the opening credit sequence to the final moment and everything in between is just rather nutty and over-the-top. There's not a single second where anything you're watching should be taken serious and as long as you're in for a good time then you're bound to have one here.

To me THE HUMAN TORNADO is just one of those films where the director, writer and producers just throw everything on the screen and hope that something sticks. The great thing for fans is that quite a bit sticks here and the end result is a campy but fun action picture. I mean, just check out the opening sequences, which catches Dolemite doing a stand up routine where he throws countless jokes at the crowd ala Don Rickles. From here we're treated to non-stop big-breasted women, crazy kung fu fights and one of the craziest sex scenes that you're ever going to witness.

Rudy Ray Moore was certainly a personality and that leaps off the screen here. I'm not going to call him a brilliant actor but there's no question that the camera loved him and his spirit just makes it impossible to take your eyes off of him. The supporting cast of players are fun but special mentions needs to go to J.B. Baron who plays the redneck sheriff. You've even got a young Ernie Hudson playing a small role.

THE HUMAN TORNADO is a wild little gem that fans of blaxploitation should enjoy.
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7/10
Dolemite
SnoopyStyle25 November 2019
Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore) opens this movie with his stand-up. He donates to a boys' home. White hillbillies call up bumbling sheriff to take care of their problem. He raises up a posse to clear out Dolemite's party. He finds his wife in bed with Dolemite. There's a shoot out. Dolemite and his boys go on the run to California. Queen Bee and her Kung Fu fighting hoes battle a local white crime-lord with Dolemite's help.

It is utterly ridiculous and fun. It's weird and silly. It's also a bit of black cultural blaxploitation. After watch Eddie Murphy and then Dolemite, I had to check this one out. It does not disappoint. In many ways, it's better than Dolemite. Rudy Ray Moore is fully committed to the character. After a great start, it does get bogged down while trying to make the story work with way too many filler musical interludes. The movie is still at its best with Dolemite on the screen. Every time he shows up. He brings a smile to my face. He is a surprisingly charismatic performer in only his second movie.
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6/10
Dolmite is back!
HaemovoreRex2 March 2009
The hilariously foul mouthed Rudy Ray Moore strikes back as his bad ass pimp creation, Dolemite in this sequel to his earlier cult hit. The good news is that this effort actually surpasses its predecessor in terms of pure entertainment value although I must say that the finale in the first film beats that found here by far. Nonetheless, this manages to up the sleaze level ten fold along with more martial arts (and I use the term VERY loosely!), more politically incorrect stereotypes, racist cops and some welcome returning characters from the first flick.

If it's high end quality you're after you'd probably be best advised to steer clear of this but on the other hand, if you can overlook certain poor production values i.e. virtually everything in this(!) and merely appreciate the raw intentions of the makers, then you may well enjoy what is on offer here.

Best scene of all for me though is an hilarious sequence wherein our hero leaps down a steep bank - the stunt being stopped mid-jump and reversed as Moore commentates over the soundtrack how cool it was(!!!) Damn, why don't they make films like this nowadays?
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7/10
A great classic comedy
diegonegro12 February 2007
Not only is this a great African-American classic comedy, but one of many great American cult classics.I have recently purchased the collection edition of Rudy Ray Moore.If you love the old school karate movies and black comedies, this is for you! They don't make movies like these anymore. My entire family are movie buffs, so this site is an extreme help on solving many debates. I am deployed in Iraq right now. This helps me to stay connected to world that I know in the states. Thank you IMDb.I recommend this site to all my friends. Dolemite rules! Don't just take my word for it, check them out for yourself. Ten lines is a lot for commenting on one movie I think, but if it gets the point across, I'm all for it!
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2/10
Compared to "Dolemite", this isn't that bad...but that isn't saying much!
planktonrules14 December 2019
Although it has a respectable score of 5.8, Rudy Ray Moore's film "Dolemite" is among the worst blacksploitation films ever made...and among the worst films ever made. It was so bad and unintentionally funny that it was celebrated in the recent Eddie Murphy film, "Dolemite is My Name"*. In many ways, this Murphy film is like "Ed Wood" and the way they celebrate the god-awful mess of a film "Plan 9 From Outer Space". So, because it was so bad and unprofessionally made, his second feature film, "The Human Tornado" simply couldn't be any worse!! And, "The Human Tornado" is better....but that's like saying rectal cancer is preferable to Ebola! Both are truly dreadful!

The film begins with an ignorant white sheriff and his racist friends attacking a bunch of black people who are having a party. In the process, the sheriff discovers Dolemite making sweet love to the sheriff's wife....and the evil white folks kill the wife and try to kill Dolemite. After taking out some of the evil white villains, Dolemite heads to California because he heard that Queen Bee needs help.

When Dolemite arrives in California, he learns that the evil Caveletti is holding some of Queen Bee's friends prisoner and he's forced Queen Bee to work for him in his club. Naturally, Dolemite is going to dispense some justice to Caveletti...but how and when you'll learn this through the course of the film. And, as for the evil sheriff....he's still alive and looking for revenge.

So is the film any good? No...but it's better than the first film and is semi-watchable. Bad acting, bad direction, bad editing and Moore is hilarious doing his 'kung fu'....which seems LESS Asian than a can of LaChoy Chicken Chow Mein! He's a middle-aged chunky guy with zero martial arts skills....and his kicks often are not even knee-high! Well, that's typical Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite! To make up for his lack of any skills, the film does a slow motion scene (with the words SLOW MOTION emblazened on the screen) as well as speeds things up to cover his slow and ineffective fighting techniques. It is by far the funniest part of the movie! Fortunately for those that like GOOD action, a few in the cast actually DID know martial arts...a few....and for that I give this one a 2 instead of a 1!

If you do watch this film, it will be to have a good laugh...not because it's good in any way. However, be forewarned that compared to other blacksploitation pics, this one has a lot more nudity...including some frontal nudity. It's NOT a film to show the kids, your mother or Father O'Malley!!

By the way, based on my review DON'T assume I hate blacksploitation films. They are actually among my favorites--and many are classics. The genre did a lot to empower black America AND is often entertaining. But in some cases, the films just sucked. For a good blacksploitation picture, try "Truck Turner", "Shaft" or "Black Caesar".



*Some of the scenes in "Dolemite is My Name" are supposed to be from the first film, "Dolemite"...but many actually came from "The Human Tornado"...such as the funny and weird sexy(?) scene where the bed and walls move about as if in an earthquake.
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9/10
Rudy Ray Moore Movies: He's the Human Tornado! Rattlesnakes bite me they just crawl up and die.
Captain_Couth8 March 2004
Human Tornado (1976) is in many ways a better film than it's predecessor. The director knew what he had to work with and catered towards Rudy Ray Moore's limitations as an actor. It's a fun movie that's more technically sound and acted. The performers don't take themselves too seriously and it seems that this time around everyone is on the joke and goes with the flow. Rudy Ray Moore seems more relaxed in front of the camera and not as stiff like he was in Dolemite.

I enjoyed the film very much and I highly recommend it. Just like his first film, it's catered towards a certain audience (I highly doubt that Mr. Moore was trying to broaden his audience at this point in his career). Check it out!

Highjly recommended.
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7/10
Hilarious film, on a par with the original
Red-Barracuda4 July 2022
This is the sequel to Dolemite, one of the all-time craziest blaxploitation movies ever made. In this one Rudy Ray Moore returns as Dolemite (aka The Human Tornado) and this time he has to battle a racist sheriff and the Mafia. If you were concerned that the follow-up to such a legendary one-off movie must surely pale by comparison, then don't worry as this one is probably equally as funny as the first. It does seem to be better made and although that can fairly be considered a relative statement, this one at least doesn't feature a boom mic popping down on every second scene. Whatever the case, Moore is an absolute riot in the central role again. He doesn't have quite as many sweary proto-rap routines this time around but his karate moves will have you in stitches (it certainly seemed to be amusing the other actors who didn't seem to be trying too hard to hide their giggles). There are plenty of REALLY silly moments in this one to enjoy and its basically pure entertainment from start to finish.
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4/10
Human Tornado? Well the movie's a disaster of some kind anyway...
Mr. Pulse19 June 2000
I have seen Dolemite and also (Avenging) Disco Godfather, two other fine works of the blaxploitation canon from our friend Rudy Ray Moore. But this film, The Human Tornado (aka Dolemite 2) will always hold a special place in my heart. For sheer goofiness, lack of skill in film production, and absolute enthusiasm (frankly a little too much), The Human Tornado cannot be topped.

The opening scene sets the tone. Our old pal Dolemite is shacking up with a white woman, when some racist local cops raid the house for no good reason, and wouldn't you know it! The woman in bed with ol' Dole is none other than the sheriff's wife. Her cry when she sees him: "He made me do it!" Dolemite's cry: "&$*@$ are you for real???" Subtlety was never his strong point.

Highlights? The cameo by a very young Ernie Hudson (of Ghostbusters fame), the continuity errors (characters looking one way in one shot, and another in the next, Dolemite's suit changing colors in every single shot of his nightclub act), and Queen Bee's demonic eyes in her first scene.

But the real joy here is Rudy Ray Moore himself. Did the man really think he looked cool in this movie? I certainly don't know why, but you have to admire the sheer enthusiasm he has. Whether it be jumping totally naked off a cliff, or barking orders to his gang in rhyme (e.g: Quick! Into the cave! I have a plan to let that mother $*@(%& dig his own grave!) the man commits totally. Certainly he goes overboard, nevermore so than any time he's doing kung fu. The climactic battle is filmed at high speed, but occassionaly slows down to let Rudy pose and grits his teeth. I'm not sure if they wanted it too look like they sped up the film as an effect or if they really wanted us to believe he was that fast. In any event, "The Matrix" it is not.

Human Tornado, much like the original Dolemite, is an incompetent film of enormous proportions. But at least it's fun, and certainly you have to give credit to these people for the effort. Just not that much. Enjoy with my hearty recommendations.
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8/10
He made me do it
nogodnomasters13 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Pronounced "tor-na-da" this is a parody of Blaxploitation. It shows blacks in a bad light and white people worse. Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore) starts the film off with a comedy routine that was more crude than funny, even for its day and age. In Alabama, Dolemite gets caught with the sheriff's wife which results in a self defense killing. Dolemite heads back to California where he hides in the open, assisting in club turf wars when he is not being paid for sex.

The nuts and bolts of the film are Ed wood bad. The sound didn't always match up to the scene (i.e. tires squeal after the car is stopped and guy is out the door) and the judo/karate/ninja moves would make "The Hillybilly Ninja (U-Tube sensation) cringe. The film is laughable on a number of levels and who doesn't like women kidnapped, stripped, and tortured.

Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity (Glorya de lani, Barbara Gerl, + 2 others) Openly racist with racist terms such as "boy", N-word, and Imus N-word.
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5/10
My least favorite of Rudy's cinematic output
dworldeater3 April 2020
First off, let me say I'm a huge fan of Rudy Ray Moore. Some of his movies, most notably Dolemite and Petey Wheatstraw The Devil's Son In Law are some of the most wild and entertaining movies I have ever seen. The Human Tornado is a sort of sequel to Dolemite and while it has its moments and Rudy Ray Moore is one of the coolest and funniest cats to have ever walked on this Earth, the movie is not that memorable and drags. If you are watching one of these films, you will give them some slack on the quality of production, acting or the normal standards that a movie can be judged. These movies were made on the ultra cheap, but the other movies succeeded as being really outrageous and fun. The Human Tornado as a whole is a mess and even worse is at times boring or getting too ridiculous for iits own good. This shows Ernie Hudson in a support role early in his career and while I can say bits and pieces of this are amusing, it makes The Disco Godfather, look like The Godfather. Of which, I would recommend The Disco Godfather to watch over this any day.
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Mr Moore and his hush puppies!
aswerve8 December 2003
Who said sequels suck? Not Rudy Ray Moore who IS the human tornado! You better hope you never meet Dolemite just before he drops one of his ass kickin', head beatin' rap soliloquay's, as this would warrant a reversed film jump onto a rooftop with a sloppy slap to the mouth, while his topless beauties sit in the background laughing it up in what must be the (intentionally) funniest Blacksploitation film ever (yes funnier than the original Dolemite film!)

You will not only laugh at the fight scenes, but the dialogue is hilarious! Forget competent filmmaking as that adds for all the enjoyment!. All serious expectations should be left at the front door when watching this.

A true gem that will never be recreated except in the music video's of Snoop dogg. (and thats a good thing!)
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5/10
Excessive sequel
Leofwine_draca10 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
THE HUMAN TORNADO is a quickly-made follow-up to Rudy Ray Moore's DOLEMITE and a much cheaper and more excessive affair than the original. Moore settles into his role comfortably in a new story that sees him heading off to California to help out an old friend who is in the middle of a war with a sinister gangster. There's very little in the way of plot here, just endless chasing around and bad-mouthed profanity. The sex and nudity content has been ramped up considerably, with one endless bedroom encounter that's played for laughs going on for ten minutes or so. The fight scenes have all been sped up so look as ridiculous as they sound. Watch out for a young and youthful Ernie Hudson as a heavy.
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10/10
If you want hard-core Blaxploitation action, look no further than this classic starring the multi-talented Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite, the baddest pimpin' hustler around.
dolemite-1426 February 1999
The Human Tornado is a campy 70's Blaxploitation movie starring nightclub comedian Rudy Ray Moore in perhaps his most endearing role to date. The movie tells the tale of Dolemite, a bad ass pimpin' hustler who gets on the wrong side of a white, racist sheriff by sleeping with his wife. Dolemite barely escapes, and journeys to sunny California to visit an old friend, a nightclub owner (and Madam to Dolemite's 'ladies') named Queen Bee. However, it seems that a rival nightclub owner with Mob connections is trying to muscle in on her racket, so Dolemite takes matters into his own hands. Rudy Ray Moore showcases many diverse talents in this landmark film, including strong dramatic skills, a mastery of Kung Fu, an impressive singing voice (he provides two of the songs on the soundtrack), a touching, compassionate side with the ladies, and an overall compelling charisma and keen sense of comic timing. This film has it all, people: A deep plot, blistering action, laugh-a-minute comedy, beautiful women in distress, a slam-bang ending...what more could you ask from a movie? Run, don't walk, to your local video store and rent The Human Tornado today. And be sure to share it with your family.
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2/10
Oh my gosh!! Are you Kidding me!!??
kschuler-0020424 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert!! The plot is the spoiler!! LOLOLMAO!! This was horrible! Sharknado 1, 2, 3 and 4 are 1000 times better than this waste of good film. The acting left a sour taste in my mouth after depositing my dinner in the toilet!!! I just kept shaking my head at the TV but what do you expect from a black station called BOUNCE!!! LOL I have to wonder if there were any good B movies in the 70's. I sure there were because this movie wasn't a B, more like a "F" movie. The fight scenes suck. Have you even seen blacks fighting like Bruce Lee?? This was bad!! Believe me, I am NOT racist!! If the actors were white, black, yellow, pink, or rainbow, they were all bad. The white actors in this Laurel and Hardy were just as bad if not worse. LOL Wait until you see the trannies in this thing!! That was the best part. Making me laugh so hard that I peed myself. AGAIN, I AM NOT RACIST!!!
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10/10
Yes, Comedy Gold.. no, Comedy Platinum!
deletewindowson13 February 2013
Now who could criticize a Rudy Ray Moore film? Why would you want to? You can't have accidentally wandered into it. And if you did you could walk out in the first two minutes and just forget about it. Why go out of your way to squawk. Makes no sense. Rudy Ray is what he is. This is burlesque: low comedy and semi-nude ladies. You don't wander into a burly-Q show and then squawk because it isn't Shakespeare or the King James, and if you do you're showing a real serious lack of intelligence. So, since I use a binary reviewing method, ie ON or OFF, I hereby give this appalling grindhouse classic a score of 10. Particularly comic is Rudy Ray's absurd vocalizations when he does his faux Kung Fu stuff, and the speeded up segments for the fight scenes. Everybody in the flick looks to be having fun. And why not?
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4/10
A HUMUNGOUS step down from Dolemite
kevin_robbins24 July 2023
Human Tornado (1976) is currently available on Tubi and Prime. The storyline follows Queen Bee's prostitutes being strong armed by a local gangster. The gangsters even kidnap two of the prostitutes. Dolemite can't believe what he hears and springs into action to save the captured ladies and get Queen Bee out from under the gangster.

This movie is directed by Cliff Roquemore (Peter Wheatstraw) and stars Rudy Ray Moore (Dolemite), Jack Kelly (Forbidden Planet), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Lady Reed (Dolemite), Fred Spencer (Hot Ice) and Annie Gaybis (Friday the 13th II).

This storyline wasn't as awful as it ended up being and fit the blaxploitation pictures of this era perfectly. Unfortunately, the acting and action scenes are absolutely terrible. Even Rudy Ray Moore's jokes and raps were a huge step back from Dolemite. I could never see Rudy Ray Moore naked again and it would be too soon, which is too bad because the ladies in this were gorgeous. I will say the attire, sets, props and jive in here were awesome, as was the soundtrack. The bedroom scene will always be legendary, as is the opening standup routine.

Overall, this is a HUMUNGOUS step down from Dolemite but still worth a watch for fans of the blaxploitation genre. I would score this a 4/10 and recommend seeing it once.
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Who's the King of Blaxploitation?
Backlash00720 January 2002
Dolemite, you heard me!!! That's right he's back, and meaner than ever as the Human Tornado. The Human Tornado doesn't have anything on the original Dolemite, although I don't really see how this is a sequel. How is Dolemite all of sudden a rich pillar of the black community? Why does Blakeley the cop from the original (he's credited as Detective Pete, but they call him Blakeley) not know who Dolemite is? Other than that, all of the new characters are instant classics, from the gay guy on down to the sheriff, and even the new "creeper" wanna-be. But no one can ever replace Mitchell and White. They should have escaped from prison and helped the sheriff hunt down Dolemite. Now can you dig that? The best part of the movie has got to be Ernie Hudson's dramatic scene when his brother is shot. "He's just playin'! He's just playin'!" Other greats include the intro and Rudy's theme song, and the brief second Dolemite is shown eating chicken during sex. Hilarious Blaxploitation. So all you no business baring, insecure, rat soup eating motha's better watch out for Dolemite!!
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9/10
Great 70's movie
spider-2021 June 2003
I've not only seen this movie but I bought it! I like the fact that it has everything you'd expect to see in a 70's era movie: kung-fu, sex, crooked cops and all the funky clothes you ever wished to see.

If you like low budget 70's movies, it doesn't get any better than this!

Check it out.
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10/10
Yes this film is great
Elbow28 June 2002
Rudy does it again with this hot off the streets follow up to Dolemite. This entry is filled with the requisite Rudy Ray Moore raunch, humor and martial arts. Rudy eludes a crazy red-neck sheriff in this movie that also features an infamous scene where Rudy dives down a steep hill. See it for laughs and for a brain-blasting hit of Blaxploitation magic.
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Has the strange ability to be both dull and exciting
tomgillespie200228 August 2012
Rudy Ray Moore reprises his comic character creation, Dolemite, the hyperbolic, Mohammed Ali-jive-talking, rhythmic discoursing, man of the people. The sequel to 1975's Dolemite, the film offers nothing new to the series, or to blaxploitation cinema, but simply adheres to the generic signifiers, such as female nudity, car chases, and the ubiquitous kung-fu cross-over. But significantly for the stylistic variations of the sub-genre, the subject of racism is the most evident theme - despite the fact that blaxploitation is readily accused of reverse racism (a term I have never understood, as this would suggest that racism is a purely white condition - it's all xenophobia).

Dolemite is caught in bed with the local red-neck sheriff Beaty (J. B. Baron)'s wife, who is then shot dead by his deputy. Escaping this situation, Dolemite flees to California, and the sheriff's crew follow, pinning the crime upon Dolemite. Lady Reed also reprises her role as Queen Bee, and she along with "her girls" have their club shut down by the mob, and it is up to Dolemite to settle the score.

Undoubtedly taking into account the failings of Dolemite, the sequel increases much of what makes exploitation cinema exciting. The violence is more nuanced, there is a lot more naked flesh on display, but more significantly, the comedy is far more indulgently silly, over the top ridiculousness. It's those rhythmic one-liners that Moore produces that increase the enjoyability of the film. And of course (as previously stated), no blaxploitation film would be complete without that other ethnic sub-genre, kung-fu, and here we are enthralled by the ferocious work of the Central American Nunchuck Champion, plus an early role for future Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson. Marginally better than its predecessor, it has a strange ability to be both dull and exciting.

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8/10
Dolemite returns badder and crazier than before
Woodyanders20 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Dolemite (a lively and engaging portrayal by Rudy Ray Moore) goes after a local mobster who has taken over Queen Bee's club. Meanwhile, a racist redneck sheriff (wildly overplayed by J.B. Baron) tracks Dolemite down to get revenge on him for doing the deed with his wife.

Boy, does this incredibly wild'n'nutty flick certainly deliver the hugely enjoyable lowdown trashy and wacky goods: We've got Moore telling some hysterically raunchy jokes, goofy sped-up car chases, paint-peeling profanity, a generous serving of tasty gratuitous female nudity, a sidesplitting example of instant replay, an outrageous bed-shaking sex scene that brings the ceiling down, and, best of all, plenty of gloriously inept and inane over-the-top martial arts action during the stirring climax. A very young and bald Ernie Hudson helps Dolemite out. Arthur Wright's funky-grinding score hits the get-down groovy spot. An absolute hoot and a half.
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8/10
Pure Blaxploitation Gold
brando64724 June 2012
The bad, bad Dolemite returns in a new adventure that drops any semblance of serious tone and goes right to the proof that, at this point, Rudy Ray Moore had lost his mind. The first movie was a prime example of the "so bad, its good" genre as it walked the erratic line between parody and poorly executed drama. Moore's second film as his iconic character, THE HUMAN TORNADO, is just downright insane. Moore isolated the craziest elements of his first movie, jacked the WTF meter up to 11, and created one of the most absurdly awesome movies of the 70s. The movie finds Dolemite living in the South. I guess. It never really establishes where he is, or why, but all of the white people are hillbillies. When he's caught in bed with the crazy, racist sheriff's wife, Dolemite and his posse hightail it out of town and head to Los Angeles where mob boss Cavaletti has shut down Queen Bee's club and taken two of her girls as prisoners. With the law hot on his trail, Dolemite arrives on the west coast and undertakes his own investigation into Cavaletti and plotting how to rescue the girls and end the gangster's stranglehold over Queen Bee and her girls. Having written that quick summation, I'm pretty sure I've already put more thought into the plot of THE HUMAN TORNADO than screenwriter Jerry Jones (who also returns as Detective Blakely) was ever required to. This is easily Moore's best film ever.

As if to warn the audience what they've wandered into, it opens with Rudy Ray Moore in various colorful get-ups and "karate" poses as the opening credits roll. The movie has also acquired a new director, Cliff Roquemore, who seems to have a better grasp on how to shoot a movie than D'Urville Martin. It's still low on production value, but at least you aren't spotting boom microphones in every scene and he tries to move the camera around a bit more. The acting is still horrible, but it aspires for all-new levels of horrible. J.B. Baron is near legendary as Sheriff Beatty, the racist hillbilly with a grudge against Dolemite. Baron is beyond over-the-top, bug-eyed and screeching racial slurs. The filmmakers obviously had a pretty low opinion of the South (although, considering the time this film was release…could you blame 'em?) and it's populated in the film by hate-spewing rednecks ready to drop what they're doing and form a lynch mob. The filmmakers' view on homosexuals isn't much better, with a gay man named Charlie becoming the victim of Dolemite's carjacking. He spends the trip squealing in delight at his captors and spouting entendres. Everything is taken to the extreme here. It more than makes up for the actual low quality of the movie itself with it's usual poor pacing, botched choreography, and failure to understand story structure. THE HUMAN TORNADO can't figure out which plot line is more important: Cavaletti's dirty business or the Sheriff's vendetta. So it crams in both. Also, quick note… Ernie Hudson is in this!

There is just so much in this movie that will leave the audience scratching their head in confusion, but in a fun sense. When I first saw this movie, I knew immediately that I had to share the wealth with everyone I could convince to watch it. There are just so many WTF moments. What was the deal with the old woman who loved to torture girls? Why did Dolemite's sex scene with Hurricane Annie cut away to a shot of them eating watermelon? Why did Jimmy get such an unnecessarily long death scene, seeing as how his character was so unimportant that I didn't even know his name until he died? Was the beard on the henchman running the torture chamber painted on with shoe polish? Was Java really a man? How many drugs were consumed when coming up with the dream sequence representing Mrs. Cavaletti's nymphomania? The movie is titled THE HUMAN TORNADO and the cover art depicts Rudy Ray Moore delivering a flurry of punches, but we come to discover that Dolemite's nickname as the Human Tornado has nothing to do with his ability to kick butt. No, no, no…even better. This movie is just so crazy that I can't describe how amazingly bizarre it is. All I can do is recommend that you watch it. I really hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did, but I know the humor might be lost on some. Give it a chance and it'll all be worth it by the time you arrive at the ten minute kung-fu action sequence with Rudy Ray Moore's closest approximation of martial arts as he waves his arms around and grunts as he battles his way into Cavaletti's home. Pure gold. THE HUMAN TORNADO, just as with DOLEMITE before it, is far from a "good" movie, but there is so much wrong with it that it works perfectly.
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