Black Dynamite (2009) User Reviews

Best Spoof since the 80's ZAZ glory days!

[dale-lover · 8/10 · 18 October 2009]

This is what "Undercover Brother" and "Grindhouse" (minus the 'phony' trailers) wished they could have been but weren't: a tribute to a dismissed period of cinema that feels like it belongs (and comes from) its era.

But this isn't just a collection of random jokes or stabs at blaxploitation genre clichés without rhyme or reason. There is an actual story (convoluted and non-sensical but it's there, and even allows long scenes that advance the plot to unfold without a single obvious joke), there are real characters (over-the-top and cliché' but not two-dimensional walking cardboards) and there are action/fighting scenes (enhanced via the same seamless green screen/CG technology used in "Kung-Pow" a few years back) that make this an actual blaxpoitation movie that just happens to be funny because it's being so true and respectful to the genre it represents. Michael Jai White looks and inhabits his lead role like he stepped out of the 1970's; it's the best casting for a movie since Christopher Reeve got the Superman/Clark Kent role, and I'm not kidding. Supporting actors really get into their blaxpoitation roles (Arsenio Hall and Tommy Davidson are hilarious in too-brief cameos) but they don't overplay their OTT personalities or overstay their welcome. The way "Black Dynamite" gets around its 'R' rating to sneak in a graphic sex scene is not only genius but ties directly with the movie's best scene in which the 'heroes' crack the code in a cafeteria. And the orphanage scene has to be seen to be believed. :-P Only the overblown finale that pushes things way past the breaking point (think "Shoot 'Em Up" and yes, it's that big a misfire) betrays the cinematic illusion that this is a 70's flick that's been rotting in a vault somewhere.

I got my $12.50's worth and will gladly wait for the DVD because I'm sure there's a joke or two I missed. The one's that hit the mark are hilarious though. Don't listen to the DVD Talk reviewer on this one (they're usually right but this time he's way off), "Black Dynamite" is a winnah!

One of the better comedies of this year.

[thetheatreintheround · 8/10 · 17 October 2009]

Here's a film that would have fit perfectly with the 2007 release of Grindhouse. I wish that Black Dynamite had been worked on enough so that a trailer would have been featured along with the faux trailers in Grindhouse. (Although one of those faux trailers, Machete, is being made into a full-length feature.) Michael Jai White (who is probably best known by many as Spawn or as the ill-fated gangster, Gambol, from The Dark Knight) is excellent as Black Dynamite. White is not only an excellent action star, but he's also got great comedic timing. His deadpan delivery mixed in with very impressive martial arts abilities are worth the price of admission for this flick. White channels Richard Roundtree, Robert Hooks, Fred Williamson, and yet he makes the role his own. How White hasn't become a prominent action star, much like Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Tony Jaa, and so on is a complete mystery to me. I hope that this is a breakout role for him.

One of my favorite characters in this film is Bullhorn (played by Byron Minns). He's the film's answer to Rudy Ray Moore, rhymes and all. For those who have seen Dolemite, you'll know what I'm talking about. (He also narrated the hilarious trailers for the movie.) The film features a cast full of what's his faces. Richard Edson (Stranger than Paradise and Do the Right Thing) has a brief role in the film. Mykelti Williamson (Bubba from Forrest Gump) plays one of the villains, Chicago Wind. Mike Starr (Goodfellas and Dumb & Dumber) plays the mob leader. Arsenio Hall, of all people, plays a coked out hustler named Tasty Freeze. Tommy Davidson, with a head of curly hair, appears as one of Black Dyamite's sidekicks, Cream Corn.

This film is a throwback to the 70's, with the classics of Blaxploitation. It not only has a lot of laughs, but I also felt that the movie essentially became a Blaxploitation within a half-hour into the movie.

If you're a fan of Blaxploitation films, this will not disappoint. If you're in for a good comedy, check this one out. It will provide more laughs than a good majority of the comedies released this year.

Loving spoof

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 26 September 2014]

Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White)'s only brother Jimmy is killed. The Man is pushing new deadly drugs and suspected Jimmy to be an undercover cop. Black Dynamite is an ex-CIA agent still haunted by a little Chinese boy in Nam. He encounters many characters including Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson), Chicago Wind (Mykelti Williamson), and Tasty Freeze (Arsenio Hall). His police friend O'Leary confirms something that takes him all the way to Honky House.

This is a loving spoof of the 70s blaxsploitation genre. There is good deadpan humor. While it is repetitive, it does hit the spot every once in awhile. Too many of the actors are trying to do the same black trope character. They need to have more differences. Black Dynamite needs some fun specific side kicks. The Greek talk is fun because the other guys get to participate. It has some good fun moments although I wish it has a few more different comedy bits.

Rocky Horror, Look Out

[tritisan · 10/10 · 22 November 2009]

I had the great good pleasure of experiencing the full force of Black Dynamite at a midnight showing (at the Castro...one of The Last Great Movie Palaces). I had high expectations going in (based on the YouTube trailer). They were met, exceeded, and blown the F away. I don't remember betting a gut busted so hard in ages.

BD is an absolutely perfect movie. It somehow manages to be a parody and the thing that it is parodying at the same time. You are watching this alternate universe (a fantasy of the 70s, filtered through the lens of Blaxploitation) and the characters are REAL and they believe in the fantasy. But you are also constantly reminded that you are watching a FILM, an intentionally bad one at that. All the things professional filmmakers try to avoid, they do on purpose: Boom mike hitting actor's head, obvious continuity errors, reusing the same shot to save money (exploding car flying off cliff), replacing a stunt actor in mid-sequence... The effect is delightful and hilarious.

Kudos to the crew and actors for really "getting it" and going for it. (I think the only movie I've seen recently where the actors were having so much fun was Tropic Thunder.)

Oh, and the soundtrack; Man, I need to get me some of dat.

Black Gold!

[camillusdsl · 10/10 · 9 November 2009]

It's not often that I enjoy a movie to the point of laughing out loud – but Black Dynamite had me belly-laughing more than once. For those of us who are old enough to remember the joys of 1970's cinema this movie brings back all that was best (and worst) of those slightly grainy, scratched, funk and wow-wow pedal laden classics. The deliberate continuity errors and goofs are hilarious. The dialogue and stock characters could be drawn from any of those wonderful blacksploitation movies that were so exciting for a young lad living in rainy (and then almost 100% white) Ireland. So dig out your wide-collar shirt, pendant and platform boots and enjoy this gem.

"Donuts don't wear alligator shoes."

[LegendaryFang56 · 7/10 · 5 April 2023]

(434-word review) At long last: my ultra-extended film hiatus, beginning at the end of October and was supposed to end near the end of December, is over. It's been a minute; I got lazy, not to mention intimidated at the length of films compared to the shorter/easier/easily consumable duration of TV episodes.

So, to get back in the groove of films (and also my first film of 2023), I decided to go with one that's short. And for some reason, I thought of this; well, I thought of Napoleon Dynamite first, then the word 'dynamite' made me remember this. I went with this one, and it was a good choice. It was a shorter film, which I was looking for, so that was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect; I didn't even attempt to do so. I went straight in.

What came at me was a concoction of epic proportions. Some ingredients were good: the cinematography/editing, a good script/dialogue (particularly the dialogue; so many good one-liners), and a good soundtrack.

It's a fair assumption that most of my enjoyment stemmed from those things; they were very effective, so much so that my rating should be higher, except for one problem: an element of confusion, which presented itself in two ways.

One.) The plot. It was all over the place; hard to follow. While I'm 99% sure it was intentional (to an extent; there may have been a cut scene or two), it's not enjoyable in a 'so-bad-it's-good' way because the film itself is not in that category in the first place. Take The Room, for example: bad, through-and-through, yet in a bad-but-good way. You can't say this film follows that example, and having the plot all over the place drags it down instead.

Two.) The characters, particularly Dynamite's "crew." They felt dangling instead of attached, dangled to different places instead of being grounded in coherence: no proper connection to the film. In a way, this is an extension of the first point. My point is that this sowed more confusion, building upon the same from the erratic plot. Again, this, too, was likely intentional. But for me, it missed the mark.

Unfortunately, those two things dragged the film down a bit. Michael Jai White/Black Dynamite was the undisputed highlight, along with individual scenes; Tommy Davidson/Cream Corn was also a highlight. But aspects like the ones mentioned in the third paragraph, on top of Michael and Tommy's performances, couldn't overcome the impact.

The remaining result was still sufficient/sufficiently enjoyable, only not to the point it could've been.

Best spoof since airplane!

[leeroy321 · 10/10 · 20 June 2009]

This film reduced me to tears of laughter. I've just returned home from seeing it at the Edinburgh film festival and can honestly say this is one of the best movies i've seen this year. I could just list all of the best bits of the movie in this review, but i'd rather you all just went to see it for yourselves.

As a parody/homage of the blaxploitation movies of the 70's, this is perfect. If I didn't know better, i'd think this was actually made in the 70's. Its full of cool little details, the decor, the fashion, the hair styles, the Isaac Hayes/Curtis mayfield style music that details the plot in the lyrics (sometimes scene specific), the grainy picture and the intentionally dodgy camera-work, crash zooms, boom mics in shot etc. During the fight scenes, Michael jai white's kung fu yell is a spot on impersonation of Jim Kelly's (he of Enter the Dragon fame).

Like all the best spoofs, all the actors play it completely straight. White is perfectly cast as Black Dynamite, and if there is any justice in the world, this movie will make him a star. I can almost imagine Samuel L playing this part, but I doubt he could have played it as well as white did. The scene that crystallised his performance for me, was when, during a long speech, a boom mic pops in to shot right next to his face. During the scene, the cameraman is continually trying to adjust the shot to hide the mic. Dynamite continues with his speech as if nothing is going on, but just before he is finished talking, he quickly glances at it, then finishes his speech. The way he plays it is perfect and had everyone in the cinema in fits of laughter.

I said earlier that this is the best spoof since airplane, but I actually think this may be better. In airplane, the jokes were quickfire, but hit and miss, but in black dynamite, every joke hits its mark, and its just as quickfire as airplane. The tone is set pretty quick ( when an undercover agent is caught out cos he cant talk jive properly) and doesn't let up until the credits have rolled. I was still laughing hours after I left the cinema just thinking about it.

Watching this made me wonder how the Austin powers films were such big hits. They were a similar kind of parody but nowhere near as funny, and at the end of the day, aside from a couple of amusing cameos, a one man show (and not a very good one at that). If this doesn't at least do Austin powers numbers, I will be very disappointed, as it deserves the success. Very rarely does a film make me laugh so hard I cry, and this movie did it several times, and its not just me, I think everyone in the cinema had the same experience. Go and see this first chance you get, I cant recommend it enough.

A wonderfully wicked parody of the blaxploitation films

[gregking4 · 7/10 · 27 August 2009]

A wonderfully wicked parody of the blaxploitation films that were an action staple of '70's B-grade cinema. The brainchild of co-writer and star Michael Jai White, Black Dynamite features a tough, no-nonsense action hero who sets out to wreak his own brand of justice in the hood and avenge the murder of his younger brother. Along the way he exposes some corrupt cops, rids the neighbourhood of drug dealers, and traces a hideous conspiracy all the way to the "honky home" – er, white house – of President Nixon. White's performance captures the essence of action hero Jim Kelly, best known for his role in Enter The Dragon. Black Dynamite comes replete with all of the clichés of the genre, including the tough dialogue, the mindless and over the top action, martial arts, the sex, the car chases, and the wonderfully cool costumes, but it plays them for laughs. Deliberately shot in retro style by director Scott Sanders, Black Dynamite brilliantly catches the B-grade aesthetic of the genre. Even the occasional shot of the boom microphone and the shonky sets are part of the overall concept. A lot of fun!

Look out, you jive suckas! Black Dynamite's Here!

[madbandit20002000 · 10/10 · 19 October 2009]

Taking scenes from current films and goofing them up, parody flicks come off as lazy and, in the long run, forgettable. That's not the case with "Black Dynamite", a slam-bam spoof of the blaxploitation films of the 1970s, that stand on its' own two feet. Holy Mel Brooks and Quentin Tarantino (Both men should watch this film)!

Big, black, sexy,dangerous and sometimes ludicrous is the title hero (Michael Jai White of, "Spawn", The Dark Knight" and an edited scene from "Kill Bill"), an ex-CIA operative who's on the road of revenge when his kid brother's killed for being an undercover snitch (and speaking proper English!).

The crime leads to plots involving drug-addicted orphans (Huh?) and malt liquor that emasculates African-American men (What the?!). Through it all, BD encounters mobsters, dealers, pimps, hustlers, whores, Black Power revolutionaries, corrupt CIA operatives, kung fu assassins and. . . good God. . . a nunchuks-wielding Richard Nixon (Now, why didn't Zack Snyder give his Nixon in "Watchmen" some mad kung fu skills?)!

Unlike previous spoofs of the genre ("I'm Gonna Get You, Sucka!" ,"Undercover Brother" and "Pootie Tang"), "BD" takes place in the 1970s, not only embracing the funky fashions, ambiance and lingo, but also the embarrassing gaffes, miscues and continuity errors that the politically minded, yet Ed Wood-like auteurs blatantly sanctioned in their cine-opuses. A character hits his head against the boom mike. A stuntman's quickly replaced within the reel (!) after getting hit accidentally. Wild, shaking close-ups are aplenty. Exposition is told in song. Supporting players appear out of nowhere! For cine-sticklers, it's a parade of goofs.

A crowd pleaser at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, "BD" is a laugh riot and a half, thanks to the gonzo ace script by White (possibly the next Leslie Nielsen), Byron Minns (who plays a rhyming night club owner, a la the late comic Rudy Ray "Dolemite" Moore, here) and Scott Sanders ("Thick as Thieves" which features White), the film's helmer, who expertly winks at the audience as he stands behind the camera.

Characters actors are dead-on camp: Salli Richardson-Whithead ("Posse", the TV show, "Eureka") is a Black Power revolution dame, who falls for the hero; Mike Starr ("Goodfellas", "Jersey Girl") is a mobster flanked by bikini-clad babes; Phil Morris ("Seinfeld", "The Secret Saturdays") is a revolutionary capo; Mykleti T. Williamson ("Forrest Gump", "Lucky Number Slevin ") is a mean street hustler, comics Arsenio Hall and Cedric Yarborough are tacky clothed pimps; Tommy Davidson ("In Living Color") is a politically incorrect gay man; Roger Yuan (the film's co-stunt choreographer, "Shanghai Noon") as a fiendish kung fu villain and Nicole Sullivan ("Rita Rocks, "The Secret Saturdays") is Tricky Dick's better half, Pat Nixon. Yeah. . .she falls for BD too.

With a $3 million budget, "BD"'s free to be a true parody, needing not to resort to cheap gags. Some might see the flick as unneeded but the animosity towards our current President (Hint! Hint) disproves that. Go see "Black Dynamite". . .unless you're some super, jive-ass sucka!

Affectionate and enjoyable blaxploitation comedy despite not being as funny as I hoped

[bob the moo · 29 April 2012]

It has taken me years to get around to seeing this film and I think that is due to how good it is at spoofing but capturing the look and feel of a clichéd 1970's blaxploitation film. You see, once many years ago I watched the Pam Grier film Coffy with my girlfriend who, after yet another scene of excessive nudity and/or violence, declared it the most ridiculous film she had ever had to watch. Likewise the few minutes of Black belt Jones that she saw as she walked through the room had her eye-rolling with the memory of the genre. So, the one time I did try and watch Black Dynamite, we didn't really get far into it before she rejected my claim that it was a modern spoof of the genre and said she didn't want to watch any more of this type of thing. Fair enough.

It is probably for the best because this film will play well with those that know the genre and all its trashy failings and weaknesses, those that hate blaxploitation will probably not enjoy seeing it replicated here. This is what the majority of the film does and, although it does so with a knowing wink and some very funny digs at the standards of the genre, it is first and foremost a 1970's blaxploitation made in this century. The plot is therefore a tough black man with a big heart and even bigger, ahem, who sets out to get revenge for the death of his brother but then gets motivated to help his community, ultimately leading him to taking out The Man at the highest corrupt level. Again, those who know the genre will know this and this is what the film does, but it does it with good awareness and excess. The shoddy filming is designed as such, lines flubbed, sexual material flaunted and supporting actors either over the top (African-American) or stiff and greasy (white). However it all works to capture the genre and recreate it with more self-awareness. The cast do well to do their part within the recreation. White is particularly good – handsome and gruff to order, but yet his timing is very good. The supporting cast also do their bits with turns from Hall, McKnight, Woodbine, Starr, Williamson and others – all enjoying themselves playing very basic genre caricatures.

Unfortunately I didn't share the experiences of those rolling in the aisles with laughter. I found it the film to be funny but not hilarious. I think this may have been because I didn't find the reaction of the genre to be inherently funny so much as others may have done – personally I just took it as a job well done by the makers. The comedy was in the little twists and excesses of that genre creation and this in itself gave me plenty to laugh at throughout the film. It was a little disappointing to find that it wasn't funnier – but it was still enjoyable.

Overall though, this is a comedy for those that know the blaxploitation genre because it recreates and affectionately mocks it from within. Perhaps this affectionate air stopped it being funnier or sharper but it is still an enjoyable comedy with a real sense of what it is sending up.

A tad uneven after a hilarious opening 15 minutes, but there's still a heck of a lot to love

[zetes · 7/10 · 21 February 2010]

Loving parody of '70s blaxploitation flicks starring tough guy Michael Jai White as a Shaft-like superstud, Vietnam vet, ex-CIA crimefighter named Black Dynamite. After his brother, supposedly a drug dealer, was gunned down, he tries to learn the truth and get drugs off his streets. The film perfectly captures the look of the classic films of the genre, as well as the awful acting style (the filmmakers were probably looking more at Dolemite than Shaft). The film can be very funny. In fact, I don't think I laughed harder at any film made in 2009 than I did in the first 15 minutes of this film. Alas, Black Dynamite isn't able to keep up its initial level of energy, and as the film continues, a lot of the jokes flop dead. And I mean A LOT. There were ten minute periods without laughs. And that's just sad, considering how funny it can be. Thankfully, every once in a while something great pops up, and the film has the most inspired final act I can remember (watching the deleted scenes, it becomes apparent that they ran into some huge problems in their original cut and had to jettison enormous chunks of the plot that just weren't funny at all). Despite some massive weaknesses, this is a film that every cult lover, or at least blaxploitation lover, needs to see. You surely won't regret it.

Listen up turkey! Black Dynamite is the baddest movie to ever hit the big screen!

[crazytrain89 · 10/10 · 26 October 2009]

All you suckas gather round, there's a brand new movie in town! So get on up and check the scene cause Black Dynamite is the baddest movie to ever hit the big screen! Black Dynamite, directed by Scott Sanders (Thick as Thieves), is a fun and ridiculous throwback to all of the great blaxploitation films of the 1970's. Paying homage to such great films as Shaft, Dolemite, Coffy, and more.

The movie centers around Black Dynamite, an ex-C.I.A. Agent / Vietnam Vet / Kung-Fu Master / Pimp / Everyday Bad Ass, who is pulled back in the game when the mob kills his brother and puts the dope on the streets. So Black Dynamite is forced to take down the mob and clean up the ghetto. On his quest for vengeance we discover that the treachery runs far deeper then we ever could imagine. Black Dynamite must take his fight from the streets all the way to the top, even if that means taking on The Man himself in the white halls of the Honky House.

The film is not only an homage to the stories and themes of blaxploitation films, but also how they where made and the culture behind the genre in a whole. Top-notch crews with million dollar budgets never made these types of movies. Often blaxploitation films, like any other exploitation genre of the 70's, were filled with botched shots, boom mics, and stiff acting. From the beginning all exploitation films existed simply to sell tickets and make money. Usually, for the audience, this meant a poster that was far more exciting then the movie itself. Despite that fact Black Dynamite definitely delivers on what it advertises. The film is able to use all of these unfortunate elements intentionally and create subtle and at times not so subtle laughs. A good example of this is a scene early on in the film where Black Dynamite is giving a long monologue and a boom mic pops in the shot just above his head. As the scene plays out the cameraman even attempts to adjust the shot to try and hide the mic, possibly making it worse. Dynamite continues on with his speech as if nothings wrong, until he's almost finished and he quickly glances at it, then he proceeds to finish as if he's seen noting at all.

The key factor about all of these gags is that all of the actors/characters play it completely straight from beginning to end without skipping a beat. This is a spoof, in the vein of films like Young Frankenstein or Airplane!, that doesn't let the cast in on the joke. The movie plays out as if it's your typical 70's revenge flick. So you end up feeling as if the film was just unearthed after being lost for thirty years or so and you accept it. In the end this is what keeps the movie fresh and the audience wanting more. Most spoof movies that go in the other direction, ending up with a movie filled with a series of gags that feel contrived and completely take you out of the movie (see Disaster Movie or Meet the Spartans). Here you're with Black Dynamite all they way to the end no matter what.

The cast of characters in the film might even be crazier then the films itself. With names like Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson), Chocolate Giddy-Up (Cedric Yarbrough), and Tasty Freeze (Arsenio Hall) you know you're in for a wild ride. All the supporting characters feel authentic and bring much needed humor to a world filled with kung-Fu treachery and smack addicted orphans. Though, when it comes down to it this is a one-man show and Michael Jai White, who is also a co-writer on the film, gives an outstanding performance as our main man Black Dynamite. In order for this movie to work Black Dynamite needed to live up to the hype it created. Like the trailer says, "he's tougher then Shaft, Superfly, and the Mack all put together". White definitely pulls it off; creating a character that you love and believe without a doubt could take King Kong in a fistfight and not even break a sweat. White really shines in this movie and I hope it leads to more leading roles for him.

One last thing that can't be overlooked about this film is the soundtrack by Adrian Younge, who came out of nowhere and created a very convincing 1970's soundtrack. The best thing about the soundtrack is that it feels vintage fitting right in with similar soundtracks from the 70's, but at the same time remains fresh and doesn't seem to rip-off anything specific. He hits all the right notes and keeps true to that retro 70's beat. The majority of films today wish they had a soundtrack half as good as Black Dynamite.

If you enjoy the exploitation films of the 70's or movies like Army of Darkness and Grindhouse you're going to love this movie. Though if you're a film-goer who can't stand movies with a ridiculous premise you'll want to avoid this one, but for those that do your going to have a blast. Unfortunately Black Dynamite has only opened in a few cities so far keep an eye out for it, hopefully it will get a wider release in the weeks to come. This is definitely one of those movies that benefits from viewing it with an audience so if it's in your town be sure to run out and see it. Can you dig it?

Recommended Flicks: Shaft (1971) | Dolemite (1975) | Truck Turner (1974) | Coffy (1973) | Hammer (1972) | Magnum Force (1973) | The Last Dragon (1985) | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) | Enter the Dragon (1973)

This is an entertaining movie worth a viewing

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 15 October 2021]

Black Dynamite (2009) is a movie I recently watched on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a multitalented 70s like Black Man who represented the streets. When a criminal organization kills his only brother he springs into action to bring the crime organization down. This movie is directed by Scott Sanders (Thick as Thieves) and stars Michael Jai White (Spawn), Arsenio Hall (Coming to America), Tommy Davidson (Bamboozled), Obba Babatundé (Life) and William Bassett (The Karate Kid). White was absolutely perfectly cast for this character and was entertaining throughout this movie. I actually liked this better than similar films that try to deliver an appreciation for this era like Undercover Brother, Super Fly and Pooty Tang. The action scenes were fun and have some great one-liners mixed in. The script as a whole was pretty good. The setting and backdrops were also well presented. Overall this is an entertaining movie worth a viewing that I would recommend seeing once. I'd score this a 6.5/10.

Not so super(fly).

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 2 September 2013]

I see Black Dynamite getting a lot of love here, but I sure don't dig it as much as most seem to. Admittedly, Michael Jai White does a fantastic job of replicating the macho moves of many a classic blaxploitation hero, and the fashion and style of the film is spot on, but the humour just isn't as great as I had been led to believe.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not just some dumb honky who can't appreciate the magic of a big 70s afro, a jive-talking' pimp in a velvet suit, or a sweet soul-sister with a cleavage you could lose a Buick in, but you can get all that from the real deal—what I wanted from Black Dynamite was some decent belly laughs, and they're in short supply here.

I guess my main problem is that there's little point in simply mocking the conventions of a genre that is pretty ridiculous in the first place. I had the same problem with Undercover Brother and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka—the original 70s films being sent up were far sillier, more outrageous and consequently more enjoyable than the heavy-handed spoofs.

"White" Dynamite

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 29 October 2009]

Michael Jay White is "Black Dynamite" (if you have seen the movie, imagine the music, when saying that)! You might have seen him in "Spawn" or as one of the evil doers in "Dark Knight". Or if you are into some "B-Action" movies, there are quite a few he made (some of them even quite good).

Unfortunately he hasn't had his big break yet. Unfortunately and kinda surprisingly, at least for me. Even before watching Black Dynamite, I thought of him as a great actor. And when you watch this you will feel the same way. And you don't even have to be a "Blax-ploitation" expert to enjoy the comedy, that is displayed here!

The movie avoids getting big celebrities in major roles (Arsenio Hall being one of the "biggest" names), which actually makes the movie feel like it could have been shot back in the height of the Blax-ploitation movement! And it's rather a celebration of this "sub-genre" (if you want to call it that), than trying to make it ridiculous! A must-see movie! So full of crazy ideas and great (silly) performances, I can only hope there will be more movies like this in the future!

Very funny

[oatsuzn · 10/10 · 20 October 2009]

I saw this last night and it's the first movie in a long while that hasn't left me feeling ripped off. Thoroughly entertaining and is funniest movie I've seen all year. The movie does what other spoof films haven't done. It's well crafted and thought out and shows a great attention to detail. The camera work is great, music is well chosen, the backgrounds and venues are authentic, the jokes and dialog are funny, Michael Jai White and the supporting cast are great. I saw a trailer earlier this summer but had forgotten about the movie until I read a magazine interview with White discussing the movie. It's a shame there isn't more publicity behind this movie. This film will surely be a cult classic in the same line as Pulp Fiction.

Black Dynamite, the baddest mamma around, is on a mission of revenge after his brother is killed.

[The-Plague · 7/10 · 12 June 2014]

'Black Dynamite' is a satire combining elements of martial arts films along with movies featuring a strong black lead character such as 'Shaft.' The story follows Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) as he searches for the man who murdered his brother, pursues a love interest, and discovers a government plot to bring down the black man. While this is not the first movie of its kind, following 'Undercover Brother' and "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka,' I think it is however superior.

This movie, which is crammed with hilarious catch phrases and one liners is also filled with realistic stunt work. Professional writer/actor Michael Jai White just so happens to be proficient in ten different styles of martial arts, so when the director wanted a fight scene to look realistic White had no problem making it happen. White himself puts forth a notable performance combining just the right amount of cheesy lingo and badassery. Prior to this movie he starred in 'Spawn' and a few low budget action films, but I think that 'Black Dynamite' is what ultimately solidified his status as a respected actor/writer even with the movie's lack of financial success.

Despite his numerous contributions to the movie, Michael Jai White does not completely steal the show. 'Black Dynamite' is full of well known actors including Tommy Davidson, Aresnio Hall, Nicole Sullavin, and Mykelti Williamson who played Bubba Blue in 'Forest Gump.' The supporting characters, dawning names like Creamed Corn, Chicago Wind, Bullhorn, and Tasty Freeze all have their own personalities and quirks thus adding dimension to this retro movie satire. Although, as I mentioned before, it is not the first film of this genre, but the script and acting make it completely unique. I recommend that you to grab some chicken and waffles, avoid the Anaconda Malt Liquor, and watch this movie. Never fear, it's alright, you won't be disappointed with 'Black Dynamite!'

A must-see for lovers of blacksploitation...

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 10 March 2010]

I strongly suspect someone who's never seen a blacksploitation (or 'blaxploittion') film would not appreciate this movie--at least not as much as lovers of the genre. As for me, I've seen dozens of films and so many of the plot elements and clichés from these films are in "Black Dynamite" it made for a wonderful homage.

What makes this film so watchable is its great combination of action, excellent martial arts action, self-parody and deliberate mistakes that were done to imitate the shoddy production values of some of the blacksploitation films. I loved how in one scene, you can see a boom microphone and how the leading man keeps looking up at it. I also loved how a red Porsche went off the road and over the cliff--and suddenly it became a light colored sedan! But what REALLY made this film fun was the final 1/3--where it got REAAAALLY crazy. Kung Fu Island and a trip to the White House?!? Wow, that made me laugh. I won't say more because it would spoil the suspense, but it was simply amazing to watch.

Now you might think that this film was just like "I'm Gonna Git Ya Sucka", though it is not just another version of the same type of film. While I loved them both, "I'm Gonna Git Ya" was a much more obvious and silly parody. "Black Dynamite" was different because the action was actually really, really good and the film was played so very seriously. In fact, up until the film gets really silly, you could easily believe that was made back in the 1970s. This aspect of the film was wonderful!

One word of caution, though. Like many of the original films, this is a very adult film. There's a lot of violence and nudity and Black Dynamite is a one man sex machine...so this is not a film to show your mother or kids! Clever, well-made and funny--this is a must-see film.

The film has everything going for a parody of the genre needs--great acting, writing, direction and action. To show you how much I loved this film, I would really love to see a sequel--and I usually HATE sequels!!

By the way, much of the inspiration for this film must have been "Three the Hard Way". This is a really cool 70s film--one that is also well worth seeing.

Hardly explosive, but it's a healthy chunk of free-for-all self-referential chaos - the likes of which have been unbearable in recent years.

[johnnyboyz · 6/10 · 23 February 2013]

Black Dynamite is nonsense, but then again of course it's nonsense. Films like Black Dynamite are of those rare breed wherein labelling it anything else OTHER than nonsense is, in a way, derogatory. If the film makers have set out to make a winking, nudging exploitation film chock full of everything inside of Black Dynamite that we get, then it's hardly complimentary to then come away and speak of how much the plot made sense; how much the character stuff was bang-on and how 'non' nonsensical it all was. True, there is the odd misstep in Scott Sanders' on-the-whole-pretty-darned-good self-referential, self-aware-stab at one of those predominantly African American 70's exploitation films; jokes about the sizes of genitalia and some less than pleasant moments involving unnecessarily gory violence dampen the experience, but it's a worthwhile experience all-the-same. It's better than Death Proof, which is what those behind the production will want to hear while it's also better than something like Michel Hazanavicius' quite awful "OSS: Nest of Spies", a French film toying with the espionage genre where these other examples have been more inclined towards horror and grindhouse movements.

The film begins with an amusing sequence wherein a well-spoken black individual, who's well out of his depth in being undercover, is caught as not being on the criminally minded level of those in his immediate vicinity. Black and whites are in the process of doing a shady deal involving hard drugs, but brother Jimmy (Vaughn) is found as a fake and mercilessly eradicated. Big mistake, for this man's brother is the titular Black Dynamite, played by Michael Jai White; an ex-CIA veteran of the Vietnam War who's a Hell of a ladies man and will kick down the front doors of most residences if it means garnering access, regardless of threat levels or apparent ease of access. For Black Dynamite, the case of finding out the truth behind the deal and his brother's killers offers the meekest of character arcs in that he always promised their mother he'd keep young Jimmy on the straight and narrow and away from the likes of drugs, et al. Thus, when his corpse turns up with all this drug related content surrounding him, not only is there a lust for payback to be quenched but for a sense of self correction to be attained. Later on, the lead will have to venture to a very Vietnam-like secluded jungle locale where the chief hostilities lie and the confrontation of his wartime demons must be vanquished if he is to succeed.

There is no discernible narrative to proceedings, just a series of scenes with their own self-referential guile wherein double takes; poorly implemented stock footage and outtakes which have infiltrated their way into the final cut are the norm. Characters and would-be villains come and go; maybe the film is incomprehensible on purpose, maybe scenes are in the wrong order – perhaps some are even missing but you go along with madness incarnate approach to plot on its energy and often amusing moments. For all the references and general content leaning so heavily toward exploitative African American cinema of yester-decade, it is 1971 British film Get Carter to which it seems to doff its hat most. Like Mike Hodges' sensitive and yet all-at-once explosively brutal crime masterpiece, we observe someone out to avenge the death of their brother before further still unravel a plot to do with tight-lipped higher ups of a dominant hierarchy running a racket for their sordid thirsts and business-like gains: the difference being there's a bit of kung-fu here.

I know little of exploitation cinema myself, but I image it was a process of liberation to be able to go to a cinema specialising in stuff that you knew, deep down, you weren't supposed to be watching and/or liking. Whether it was violence; sexual content; bad language or crass gender and racial politics, I suppose there was a sense of the whole exercise being a rising up against the authority embedded in the roots of opting to tune in to one of these films. One's parents, or guardians, would frown upon such things while academics would, I'm sure, almost invariable dismiss said nights out engaging with said pictures as the "lesser" of several cinematic options. Whatever the reality, the film maintains a sense of going up against administrative figures or figures of authority: the people in charge. In Black Dynamite, the enemy for a long while appear to be these suit-clad politicians whose idea to solve problems through words and talk instead of the "old fashioned" way of violence and dishing out a bit of retribution. This rubs the lead the wrong way and I think the film captures that sense of going up against a sort of moral physicality. It doesn't glorify these things, but it does well to, I think, capture the essence of how one might have arrived at watching the film, now, on top of everything that once was. Sanders' film is in the spirit of things, and it does this instead of feeding off petty indulgences alá Death Proof. The film is by no means a masterpiece - it's a bit better than the usual fare of this sort, although does pale in comparison to another one of Tarantino's from this field: From Dusk 'til Dawn. Even so, it's a short, sharp burst of titillation and shenanigans with only a couple of false steps that worked more than it had any right to.

this year's Hot Fuzz!

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 30 April 2009]

Black Dynamite - this is a movie that keeps you laughing for quite a few minutes after it ends (my wife ended up going into a laughing fit just on remembeing some scenes) and it means business. It's a spoof that shouldn't work, but does; it takes off on what was already a parody of itself, a black-exploitation flick, Dolamite, that starred the inimitable (late) Rudy Ray Moore who couldn't act much but had such a bad-ass aura that it got him through the movie kicking ass and taking names and putting forward expletive platitudes. It was also a bad-movie, but fun bad, sometimes hilarious bad, and it was something I was wondering how it could work in Black Dynamite as a full-fledged comedy take-off on the material. It turns out it works smashingly.

Plot - who needs a mofo plot? It's all about Black Dynamite (singing: "Black Dynamite"!) and how he fights against the man, against drug pushers, against nefarious Vietnamese/Chinese (yeah, Chinamen in Vietnam) pushing Anaconda malt liquor, hell, he even fights Richard Nixon if he has to! He's Black Dynamite, a brother who doesn't f*** around when it comes to the ladies (give him a nurse with big breasts and he'll be a making' guy) or to his enemies as he kung-fu fights or does amazing stunts with his helicopter all the time. There perhaps is an actual "plot" in watching Black Dynamite, but as with Mel Brooks, or even Hot Fuzz to a certain extent, you don't need it. What's up on the screen is quite enough without having to get too much into story... well, then again, the Orphanage counts as story, I guess.

This isn't to say Black Dynamite is a perfect comedy, and it won't end up on my top ten list at year's end. But for every one or two gags or liners that don't work ten others work better than any comedy I've seen this year. Did I mention that orphanage gag already? Or Tommy Davidson as Creamed Corn? Or the dastardly plot involving the Anaconda Malt Liquor and how Black Dynamite and his crack team of Greek scholars opens the case wide open? Or how about that one scene where he... you know, it's hard, really, not to spoil too much. There's not one scene in this film that isn't at least funny or amusing, and there are many where it is gut-bustingly hilarious.

Some of this is just simply credited to Michael Jai White, an actor who I never thought would be one to be adept at comedy (he also was co-writer), who channels the spirit of Rudy Ray Moore to a tee while creating his own iconic 'mofo' whose reputation precedes him everywhere he goes- including when he just goes to a park and a two kids come up to him: "Black Dynamite, you're my Daddy" "Yeah, me too, that's what Mommy said." "Oh no, there's someone else named that..." He is a big comedic stroke of genius here, but everyone around him gets the tone down so well. This is grind-house meets comedy house, and for all of the in-jokes for fans of Dolamite and other flicks like the Dr. Wu series (those scenes alone are worth the price of admission), for the "boom-mic" gag or a random mention of Captain Kangaroo as one of a group of pimps, it still works for any audience looking for solid comedy.

Matter of fact, this is best to be experience with some buddies at a midnight screening jam-packed with people ready to get in on some Black Dynamite action. On everything it attempts to do it succeeds, and it aims to be a completely over-the-top and wonderfully tasteless salute to 1970s low-budget black cinema. It's done out of love though, I think, even for movies that have not aged well, at all. But it's a kind of comedy beacon of light at the end of a tunnel loaded with Hollywood crap or the occasional Judd Apatow chuckle. It's BLACK DYNAMITE!

A Unique Genre Showcase

[trentreid-1 · 7/10 · 6 July 2010]

Exceptional satire of '70s black action, which knows how to simultaneously mock and celebrate everything both hilarious and great about the flicks while including the audience in the joke - but not above it. I found it smart, perfectly cast and consistently funny and even in tone. The performers all understand the particular style of acting involved, and relish the stilted phrasing and self-conscious speech patterns they are emulating.

Michael Jai White is just great as Black Dynamite, the best Vietnam vet kung fu expert the CIA ever had. He even emulates both Jim Kelly and Bruce Lee. The former with his distinctive kiai and posing, and some characteristic Lee moves such as the no-look throat stomp & twist, and the ceiling light fixture kick from a standing position.

Tommy Davidson is still doing his Antonio Fargas impression, but that was the only character that felt a little tired. There is also a Dolemite takeoff named Bullhorn, Honeybee - a hooker supreme like Queen Bee from The Human Tornado, and Arsenio Hall leading a reenactment of the pimp summit from Willie Dynamite. You also get Nicole Sullivan from Mad TV as Pat Nixon, and Cedric Yarbrough from Reno 911 as an hilariously literal-minded pimp named Chocolate Giddy-Up.

This is much less broad in comedy, for the most part, than previous satires of these films. It also goes much deeper in terms of satirizing the editing, choreography, and sound design. The soundtrack emulates many of the greats such as Quincy Jones, Isaac Hayes and Willie Hutch by using such conventions as having songs commenting on the action on screen in the manner of a Greek chorus, and explicit love ballads.

The Yuan brothers action choreography and stunts are superior to almost anything from the real period, and are done with a lot of clear effort made to produce something exciting as well as authentic. No wonder, since Michael Jai White is already a very good martial artist, as is Roger Yuan as the Fiendish Dr. Wu.

In general, this film never takes the easy route of assuming a superiority to its source material. It would be much more simple to depict '70s black action movies as bad, and slap together a jokey homage. Rather, this film puts considerable effort into showcasing what made them unique while also making a good film that stands on its own.

Consistently hilarious, inventive spoof

[StrayButlerReturns · 8/10 · 8 January 2010]

The idiots responsible for Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie should be abducted and forced to watch Black Dynamite so they can see how a good spoof movie is done! While recent spoofs have focused on mimicking familiar film scenes or ripping off celebrities with the idiocy of a 10-year-old boy, Black Dynamite is a nostalgic throwback that simultaneously recreates and celebrates the trademarks of the 1970s blaxploitation genre - the jive pimps in garish outfits, the evil politicians, a funky R&B soundtrack, and dialogue laced with expletives, peculiar slang and ethnic slurs. A gleefully harebrained spoof of all things Shaft and Superfly that plays straight-up stupid with vintage film-making aesthetics, this is one of the most consistently hilarious and creative spoofs since the days of Airplane! and its brethren.

Michael Jai White plays the titular character of Black Dynamite; a muscular badass with a lot of guns, an expertise in kung fu and a knack for getting women into bed (or anywhere else that suits him). An evil presence in the city has committed the ultimate crime: they've killed Black Dynamite's kid brother. Dynamite goes on a rampage, tearing up the streets to find the perpetrators. During his quest to serve up payback he also tries to keep kids safe from drugs and protect his bitches from harm. This all leads to the discovery of a terrifying conspiracy against black men.

In tradition with '70s-era blaxploitation films, the protagonist is a noble ass-kicker who spouts odd slang, is very popular with the females and can make villains quake at the very sight of him, whereas the proceedings are coated with a colourful sheen of tacky clothes, crazy cars and hilariously over-the-top fight sequences. Black Dynamite is certainly knowing in its spoofing, but it rarely winks at the audience to signal any sort of self-aware comfort. The film has a fantastic poker face; committing to an enjoyably silly routine of mockery and homage without being too conscious. On top of the high batting average for laughs, the action set-pieces are pretty awesome as well. And, much like all the greatest spoofs in history, one doesn't need a thorough knowledge of the genre being sent up in order to understand the jokes. This is a major asset for Black Dynamite, because, let's be honest, how many '70s blaxploitation flicks has the average person actually seen? In a sense, Black Dynamite is to blaxploitation what the Austin Powers films are to '60s spy flicks. Not many young comedy fans would be familiar with anything like In Like Flint, but that didn't prevent Austin Powers from becoming an extremely popular franchise.

Black Dynamite looks spot-on; as if it were an honest-to-goodness blaxploitation picture that has been sitting in a vault for over thirty years. '70s blaxploitation pictures were low-budget affairs often made without a great deal of technical skill, and Black Dynamite recreates this film-making incompetency with astonishing, hilarious accuracy. Director Sanders replicates everything from the colour scheme to the cheesy zoom-ins; from the one-dimensional performances to the obvious editing mistakes. Rather than taking the Grindhouse route of aging the picture in post-production, cinematographer Shawn Maurer filmed on Super-16 colour reversal stock, which generates a high-contrast, richly saturated image that's well-augmented by the excellent imitations of '70s-style clunky camera-work and awkward framing. The sets are an absolute hoot (particularly the wonderfully chintzy White House interiors used during the climax), and the mood is further sold by Adrian Younge's utterly perfect, playful score loaded with funny trills as well as "Dynamite!" vocal hits whenever the titular character enters the room or kicks some ass.

Michael Jai White is pitch-perfect as Black Dynamite; coming across as a credible hero so tough, well-meaning and proud in his embrace of black masculinity that one could easily imagine him being perceived as a point of pride back in the '70s. White manoeuvres through the ridiculous action sequences splendidly, using his extreme physicality to punch villains through walls and brandish phallic weapons convincingly. Similar to the wonderfully obtuse Leslie Nielson (who was a crucial component for the success of the Naked Gun! series), White carries the entire movie and wins you over easily through sheer force of straight-faced absurdity. And that's the key to a great spoof: the characters can never be in on the joke. Black Dynamite nails this perspective with a satisfying consistency, which is particularly laudable when the actor has to deal with the crew's low-budget incompetence (such as a hysterical boom mic joke).

The art of cinematic spoofing has become so degraded by the likes of Date Movie and Epic Movie that it may take several minutes to recognise Black Dynamite as part of this once-brilliant genre. Some may perceive this movie as a simplistic one-joke affair (because it kind of is), and the film does have trouble sustaining its raucous energy, but the solid laughs and inventiveness manage to compensate for the minor blunders.

Like a futon - tries to do two things and neither of them well

[doughelo · 2/10 · 1 March 2010]

It's not a decent enough plot to be interesting as a straight movie, and it's not skewed or funny enough to be a good spoof. If you want to see a blaxploitation takeoff, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" is vastly better. The jokes here were quite sparse. It was also too gruesome/explicit in parts (such as a zoom on a "shrunken" penis and pulling out some eyeballs). There was a serious jump in the middle (perhaps they were trying to simulate a missing reel) but also an action montage out of nowhere, suddenly dispensing of who we thought was the major villain (and who never find out who he was or what his relationship to the other villains were). It was constructed seemingly at random and not written well enough to make you care about anybody in it, which even a spoof should do.

A breakthrough performance by Micheal Jai White!

[eibeh007 · 8/10 · 18 December 2010]

Movies like Black Dynamite give you an intense yearning for blaxploitation films. Its one of those sadly rare---if not moribund---genres that deserve to be resurrected. I'm quite sure you'll agree when you see it. It first premiered at the 2009 Sundance film festival, where Sony worldwide acquisitions picked it up for distribution. Its a shame Hollywood doesn't produce them as frequently as they did in the early to mid-70s. I don't think I've seen another one since Undercover Brother(2002), which I quite liked. Blaxploitation---even though contemporary ones are few and far between---is one of my favorite movie genres. Those types of films are witty, hilariously silly, tongue-in-cheek and immensely entertaining, and Black Dynamite is no exception.

I felt a deep sense of nostalgia watching it because it reminded me of classic films of the genre, especially the highly influential Foxy Brown(1972). Incidentally, just like in Black Dynamite, the antagonist in Foxy Brown is also known as "The Man". I tremendously enjoyed other blaxploitation films such as Jackie Brown(1997), Shaft(1971), Superfly(1972), Coffey(1973), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka(1988), etc, so I eagerly anticipated Black Dynamite when I saw the trailer early last year, and boy did it deliver!. Kudos to Scott Sanders for his inspired direction, Adrian Younge for his original score and editing, and Shawn Maurer(cinematographer) for capturing the 1970's zeitgeist so vividly. I can say with absolute certainty that its arguably the best blaxploitation film since Shaft. Its infinitely better than Undercover Brother. And did I mention its relentlessly hilarious? It rivals The Hangover as one of the funniest films of 2009.

Micheal Jai White---who shares writing credits Byron Minns and Scott Sanders---really should be a bigger star. With a strong screen presence and undeniable charisma, he's proved he's quite capable of carrying a movie. I wish Hollywood producers would cast this guy more often. Despite being basically a Micheal Jai White show, gorgeous leading lady Salli Richardson-Whitfied makes her presence felt as Gloria, Black Dynamite's partner. Also starring in the film, in smaller roles include Kym Whitley, Arsenio Hall, Nicole Ari Parker, R&B singer Brian Mcknight, Tommy Davison, Mykelti Williamson, to name a few. Jason James and Rick Montgomery did a great job casting them. Even if you're not a fan of blaxploitation films, there's no doubt you'll have a great time watching this terrific film. I've never seen a film this funny in such a long time. Don't miss it! You dig?

i threw that s**t before i walked in the door.....

[FlashCallahan · 8/10 · 9 April 2011]

This is the story of 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite.

The Man killed his brother, pumped heroin into local orphanages, and flooded the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor.

Black Dynamite was the one hero willing to fight The Man all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House....

antone who is familiar with blaxploitation movies, and spoofs of the genre by Keenan Ivory-Wayans will find this movie a hoot. From the start, this film makes out that it is serious, but is so well badly acted, you cannot help but laugh at the genius of it.

White is at a career best playing the titular character, who is basically a living homage to Jim Kelly.

For a spoof, the story is fantastic as well as silly, but fantastic never the less. Character support is spot on, and there are so many references to other films, most notably, Shaft, Friday Foster, and enter the dragon.

Where most films in this genre run out of steam toward the end, the film notches up a gear from tongue in cheek to just plain ridiculous, and its all the better for it.

Any film that ends with a nunchuk fight with Richard Nixon has franchise written all over it.

A blast from start to finish.