← Back to Reviews
in
#423 - Black Dynamite
Scott Sanders, 2009
Black Dynamite, a former commando and CIA agent turned kung-fu pimp, vows to take on the local drug syndicate responsible for the death of his brother.
This is the write-up I did on Black Dynamite in 2009 after seeing it in a packed cinema that laughed itself silly at this pitch-perfect parody of the blaxploitation genre and made for one of my most enjoyable cinematic experiences of the year. However, this is my first time watching it since that time and the experience of watching it on DVD by myself doesn't recapture the exact same level of magic. Even so, Black Dynamite is a fine example of how to do a genre parody, especially since it attempts to recreate the objectively terrible nature of a lot of low-rent blaxploitation films (the obvious point of reference being Dolemite more so than Shaft). It's anchored by Michael Jai White as the eponymous anti-hero, who manages the ideal blend of natural charisma, deliberately bad acting, and action-star prowess to the character. He is surrounded by a number of recognisable and not-so-recognisable faces to play allies and enemies alike, all of whom commit just the right amount of ability to their parts (which isn't difficult).
Even if you have no real familiarity with the films that Black Dynamite is parodying, it's not hard to find something of worth with its constant barrage of gags. If there are any flaws that prevent this from being a genuinely great film, it's that it does struggle a bit to keep a consistently engaging plot, so much so that it seems to invent an entirely new one for its third act. It's also something of a shame that there aren't really any references to Pam Grier vehicles like Coffy or Foxy Brown; there is a character who appears to be modelled on Grier but she more or less gets relegated to being Black Dynamite's sharp-tongued love interest. The humour is an appropriate mix of verbal and physical that also invokes a lot of gags involving the low-rent production value of actual blaxploitation films, whether it's visible boom-mics or bad editing or ludicrous plot developments. It even goes so far as to feature a "message" in centring its tale around the debilitating influx of drugs into the black community (especially into the local orphanages) that starts off sounding halfway reasonable and goes into amusingly off-the-wall territory during the third act. The score is also a well-done parody of Curtis Mayfield's songs for Superfly that consist of funky jams with expositional lyrics, plus the "Dy-Na-Mite! Dy-Na-Mite!" is always used to maximum effect. While I don't love it as much as I did when I first saw it, I still recommend it to people who are looking for good parody and comedy that deftly dances on the fine line between clever and vulgar.
P.S.
Scott Sanders, 2009
Black Dynamite, a former commando and CIA agent turned kung-fu pimp, vows to take on the local drug syndicate responsible for the death of his brother.
This is the write-up I did on Black Dynamite in 2009 after seeing it in a packed cinema that laughed itself silly at this pitch-perfect parody of the blaxploitation genre and made for one of my most enjoyable cinematic experiences of the year. However, this is my first time watching it since that time and the experience of watching it on DVD by myself doesn't recapture the exact same level of magic. Even so, Black Dynamite is a fine example of how to do a genre parody, especially since it attempts to recreate the objectively terrible nature of a lot of low-rent blaxploitation films (the obvious point of reference being Dolemite more so than Shaft). It's anchored by Michael Jai White as the eponymous anti-hero, who manages the ideal blend of natural charisma, deliberately bad acting, and action-star prowess to the character. He is surrounded by a number of recognisable and not-so-recognisable faces to play allies and enemies alike, all of whom commit just the right amount of ability to their parts (which isn't difficult).
Even if you have no real familiarity with the films that Black Dynamite is parodying, it's not hard to find something of worth with its constant barrage of gags. If there are any flaws that prevent this from being a genuinely great film, it's that it does struggle a bit to keep a consistently engaging plot, so much so that it seems to invent an entirely new one for its third act. It's also something of a shame that there aren't really any references to Pam Grier vehicles like Coffy or Foxy Brown; there is a character who appears to be modelled on Grier but she more or less gets relegated to being Black Dynamite's sharp-tongued love interest. The humour is an appropriate mix of verbal and physical that also invokes a lot of gags involving the low-rent production value of actual blaxploitation films, whether it's visible boom-mics or bad editing or ludicrous plot developments. It even goes so far as to feature a "message" in centring its tale around the debilitating influx of drugs into the black community (especially into the local orphanages) that starts off sounding halfway reasonable and goes into amusingly off-the-wall territory during the third act. The score is also a well-done parody of Curtis Mayfield's songs for Superfly that consist of funky jams with expositional lyrics, plus the "Dy-Na-Mite! Dy-Na-Mite!" is always used to maximum effect. While I don't love it as much as I did when I first saw it, I still recommend it to people who are looking for good parody and comedy that deftly dances on the fine line between clever and vulgar.
P.S.
WARNING: "Black Dynamite" spoilers below
"HA! I threw that sh*t before I walked in the room!"