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!
Black Dynamite
2009
Action / Comedy
Black Dynamite
2009
Action / Comedy
Plot summary
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..
Uploaded by: OTTO
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
"White" Dynamite
A must-see for lovers of blacksploitation...
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.
Loving spoof
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.