Friday, February 19, 2010

Black Dynamite

Not quite a spoof and not quite an homage, Black Dynamite is a strange hybrid of the best and the worst of Blaxploitation films. Directed by Scott Sanders, the movie looks and feels like it could have been released alongside such genre classics like Shaft and Coffy, if the Wayans brothers had been making movies 30 years ago. Michael Jai White is hilarious as the lead character, and the rest of the cast seems to know enough about the style of movie they are paying tribute to to play it with a wink and a smile. That’s the good news. The band news is that Black Dynamite has all the weaknesses of the original Blaxploitation films, including taking itself a little too seriously at times. Still, fans of the original films will find plenty to like in this cinematic time traveling experience.

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