Black Dynamite Movie Review
Michael Jai White Stars in Scott Sanders' Blaxploitation Spoof
Oct 23, 2009
Was there ever a film genre more loved or derided than the 'blaxploitation' films of the early 1970's?
Starring over-the-top heroes like Cleopatra Jones, Superfly, Coffy Brown or John Shaft, with sex-and-violence laden plots you could sieve spaghetti with, the genre actually featured black directors, composers and writers creating films they thought their community wanted to see (sort of: soul legend Curtis Mayfield thought Superfly was an infomercial for cocaine, and worked his brilliant score to compensate).
Most successful attempts to recreate a blaxploitation film split into two camps: either a heartfelt tribute (Quentin Tarantino's underrated Jackie Brown) or over-the-top comedy (Undercover Brother or the Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka).
Therein lies the problem with Black Dynamite, which stars Michael Jai White as the baddest mothahf – shut yo mouth! – of all time: is it a spoof, or an homage? Although all the elements are there, it tries to play both sides of the fence, which ultimately hurts the film.
Scott Sanders Directs Destination Films/Apparitions' Black Dynamite, Starring Michael Jai White
It's 1972, and everyone had take cover: somebody killed Black Dynamite's brother, and he's out for revenge. But wait, there's more: The Man has flooded the city's orphanages with heroin, and the streets with a sinister malt liquor called Anaconda. What's a brother to do but load his twin .44 Magnums (suck on that, Dirty Harry!), brush up on his kung fu, and take his fight all the way to the Honky House!
To call this flick over-the-top is selling it short. It wastes no time in establishing BD as the ultimate badass, whether he's successfully making love to 3 women at once, or balancing careers as pimp, Vietnam veteran and CIA operative (he's also an orphan, despite the fact that he promised his mama that he'd look out for his little brother). White definitely delivers the goods as an action hero – with 7 black belts in martial arts, he'd better! – and shows some decent comedy chops to boot. He deserves better than tripe like 1997's Spawn.
Director Scott Sanders – who co-wrote the script with White and Byron Minns – goes all out to make this film look like it was made in 1972, using Super 16 Color Reversal Kodak film stock to get just the right look. Gotta love details like the "driving" against a rolling screen, the animation inserts, the abrupt switching of vehicles, or the stock footage of car explosions (used twice!).
Unfortunately, Black Dynamite tries too hard to look like a low-budget early-70's film. Sure, the cutaways and sloppy focusing is period-correct but undercuts the fight scenes, especially what could've been a clash for the ages between White and fight choreographer Roger Yuan, as Fiendish Dr. Wu. Pulling back the camera, concentrating on the focus, and easing off with the edits, would have made that sequence rock.
The movie is mostly played straight, with certain sequences stretched out just a little bit more to add the comedy. But there are also some all-out comic moments, such as when BD and his pals attempt to figure out The Man's plan. There's the second problem: the comic bits can't decide whether to go subtle, or overt, Wayans-style slapstick.
The Final Analysis
Black Dynamite was fun to watch, but it could have been better. If director Sanders had decided the film's direction right from the beginning, and stuck with it, then this film would have been a slam-dunk. Unfortunately, it straddles the fence, unable to decide if it's a kick-ass action film that subtly spoofs blaxploitation, or an all-out comedy.
Despite its flaws, Black Dynamite gets a 7/10.
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