Black Dynamite review

The film makers behind “Black Dynamite” have really done their home work. “Black Dynamite” perfectly captures the look and feel of the “blaxploitation” films of the 1970’s. It knows the shooting style, the wardrobe, the bad dialog, the music, and the half baked political so well that it could be mistaken for a real 70’s B movie. It even begins with a malt liquor commercial that isn’t too much cheesier then real malt liquor commercials.

Michael Jai White, who also contributed to the screenplay, plays the title character. He was raised as an orphan, fought in Vietnam, and worked for the CIA. Now, he’s a literal bad ass, who protects the black community from the evilness of “the man”, who attempt to pollute the streets with dope and hook the young orphans on smack. This does not sit well with Black Dynamite.

Following the murder of his brother, Black Dynamite is set on revenge and justice. This leads him through a ridiculous plot that involves drugs, poisoned malt liquor bottles, kung fu masters, a pimp named Captain Kangaroo, the birth of chicken and waffles, and a martial arts battle with Richard and Pat Nixon, who still occupy the White House after Watergate.

Most of what I just mentioned should work in a spoof of the “blaxploiation” genre, but it just doesn’t deliver the laughs. That’s because of the actors having a little too much fun with the material. In any given scene you’ll find them winking and laughing under their breaths. Maybe if the cast had played it serious, like the actors in the real films they mock, maybe this would have been funny. There's a reason comedians are trained not to laugh at their own jokes.

In my favorite scene, Black Dynamite and his crew use greek mythology to discover the dangerous side effects of anaconda malt liquor. You'd be surprised how much the characters in this film know about Greek mythology.

If you're a fan the "blaxploitation" genre you may get more of a kick out of this movie than I did. And even if this wasn't intended as a spoof it would still be a lot better than "The Mack".