Review of Black Dynamite (2009) by Ilhm — 02 Feb 2013
He's super bad. He's outta sight. He's... BLACK DYNAMITE! Michael Jai White stars in this hilarious parody of classic Soul Cinema. Black Dynamite hits the streets to find the man responsible for his brother's murder, but he uncovers a much more sinister plot that involves crooked cops, drug-dealing pimps, and a trail of evidence that leads all the way back to the White House! The creative team behind BLACK DYNAMITE has struck comic gold with their new cult-sensation.
With the help of talented wardrobe and location scouts, Scott Sanders has truly allowed this film to walk out of the 70's. Every suit, every store, and every line of dialog feels authentic to the era of Blaxploitation films, while the script brilliantly highlights all of the unintentional humor and absurdity found therein.
Visible boom mics and out-of-place edits are only a few of the entertaining visual references, but the clever dialog and straight-faced performances are what make this a classic. Sanders even uses the Super 16 color reversal process to give BLACK DYNAMITE a vintage look that succeeds even over major throwback pictures like Quentin Tarantino's GRINDHOUSE double-bill.
While featuring a number of hysterical cameos by top comedians like Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson, and screenwriter Bryon Minns, no one can top Michael Jai White as Black Dynamite. He is a bad ass motha' and the ultimate ladies' man, rightfully earning his place beside cult heroes like Shaft and Dolemite.
On top of that, White is insanely funny, and plays into the ironic nature of the script perfectly.
This review of Black Dynamite (2009) was written by Ilhm on 02 Feb 2013.
Black Dynamite has generally received very positive reviews.
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