Black Dynamite
Year: 2009
Director: Scott Sanders
Studio: Apparition Releasing / Sony Pictures
Stars: Michael Jai White, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and Byron Minns
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 88 Mins





“Black Dynamite” is a film that I’ve been curious about for while from the retro looking posters to the film trailer. The film is both, a homage and parody to the blaxploitation films of the seventies, where such films as “Shaft” “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown” did business at the multiplex. But still, I had a sense that it was going to be fun time considering that the trailer made me laugh. Man, I was very right on that assumption.

The film is about a slick, smoothest, womanizing and baddest former C.I.A. known as “Black Dyanmite”. He’s taking down drug dealers and going after the man, after they gunned down his brother. Soon he discover that the man has a plan of his own, by moving heroin to the orphanages and flooded the streets with adulterated malt liquor that does damage to anyone that drinks it. But “Black Dynamite is willing to the fight the man through the blood-soaked streets to honky house in this send of seventies blaxploitation.

Movie Review:

Black Dynamite is a very funny parody of seventies blaxploitation and kung fu films. Writer/director Scott Sanders does a very good job making this a very fun film to watch. He does that, by capturing the way that this film looks. This film had a vibe that giving the feeling that his came right out of the blaxploitation era, from the look of the film to the placement of the 70’s like music. Also, I liked the way that Sanders using montages for most of the action scenes. It’s done that way that the action comes off as homage to those films, as it also helps move the flow of the film along. He does that because this is a low budget film and if the sequences were played out in its entirety, then the sequences wouldn’t work. The acting here was over the top, but Sanders can get away with it here, because this is more of a comedy, than a straight up action film. Also, by making the performances over the top, it helps make the dialogue more effective and funny.

Sanders along with actor/writers Michael Jai White, and Byron Minns make everything in the story work as both a parody and homage to those blaxploitation films. The writers did it by creating fun characters that make you interested in the film and the fact the humor was just that good. The reason it works is the way the dialogue is written. This film is clearly inspired from the films of the seventies, because the way that the characters come off onscreen and that fact the dialogue came out those blaxploitation films. I also laughed a lot here. The reason for that is the way that the writers made the characters very funny in the way that they speak and act to some of the film’s dialogue to which you can’t help it but laugh. I had a fun time watching this film.

Blu-Ray Review:

First on the disc is the commentary track, which features writer/director Scott Sanders along with actor/writers Michael Jai White, and Byron Minns. For the most part this was a good commentary track. They do a good job providing interesting facts on the production, from the locations to the cameos of various actors. They also go into the homages of various blaxploitation films, which this film is inspired from. Also during the course of the track, they all seem like their having a good time recording this track. Laughing at the various mistakes that are noticeable in the film and poking fun at some of the dialogue, which makes the track entertaining to keep your interest.

Next on the disc is “Lighting the Fuse”. It’s a twenty-two minute behind the scenes look of the film. It covers array of topics like the writing of the film to the film production, seventies costume design, the look of the film and the various blaxploitation films in which this film pay homage to. This was surprising a good featurette as it cover more ground of the film, which wasn’t mentioned in the commentary track.

The next featurette is “The Comic-Con Experience” which features Sanders, White, Minns and actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield. It’s an eighteen-minute Q and A session that is moderated by Elvis Mitchell. It goes into the various stories that the cast had during the making of this film. They also share some of their favorite blaxploitation films.

Next is “The 70’s: Back in Action” This featurette is exclusive to the Blu-Ray version. It’s a fourteen-minute feature that goes into era where blaxploitation films were popular. The cast and crew reminisce over the films that they enjoyed during that era of filmmaking. This was a good featurette, as you get a better understanding of how some of these films inspired the making of this one.

Finally this disc wraps up with twenty eight minutes of alternate and deleted scenes, trailers for upcoming Sony releases and Movie IQ which is also a blu-ray exclusive that provides facts about the film, music, and actors.

Final Thoughts.

“Black Dynamite” is one of those films that you just sit back and enjoy is a very fun movie from start to finish. It also has some very good features that will make you understand the various homages that this film pays tribute to. “Black Dynamite” will get you in the groove that you forgive its noticeable miscues and make you laugh throughout.

Review Rating: 4 Stars
Blu-ray Rating: 3.5 Stars

Michael Jai White (Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, The Dark Knight) stars as a gun-toting, nunchuck-wielding ladies man and soul brother when Black Dynamite debuts on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 16 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Black Dynamite is an outrageous action comedy spoof following the exploits of an ex-CIA agent and full-time ladies man out to avenge the death of his brother against kung-fu masters, drug-dealing pimps and The Man. Director Scott Sanders’ (Thick as Thieves) laugh-out-loud spoof of '70s blaxpoitation movies also stars Tommy Davidson (TV’s “Proud Family,” Juwanna Mann), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (I Am Legend), Arsenio Hall (Igor, Coming to America) and a hilariously funny ensemble cast of characters from film, TV, comedy/stage, sports, music and more. The Blu-ray™ and DVD special features include a filmmaker & cast commentary, deleted scenes, alternate scenes and featurettes. Exclusive to the Blu-ray™ is a featurette highlighting comedians from the film, as well as movieIQ, which allows the user to access real time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie via BD-Live™.

SYNOPSIS:
Meet Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White), the smoothest, baddest cat on the street. He’s a ladies’ man and the man with a plan. He’s also a former C.I.A. agent out to avenge his brother’s death. Whether he’s taking down drug dealers or sweet-talking foxy mommas, he’s the man on the streets out to stop The Man. Take a wild ride from the mean streets of the ghetto to the pool halls of the inner city, all the way to the “Honky House” with this bad-ass, tough-as-nails action hero. Black Dynamite is a kung-fu-fighting, pimp-slapping, gun-blasting, outrageously over-the-top parody of ’70s-era blaxploitation films that delivers big action and even bigger laughs like nobody’s bizness.

Black Dynamite was directed by Scott Sanders and written by Michael Jai White, Byron Minns and Scott Sanders. Deanna Berkeley, James Berkeley and Harbor Entertainment executive produced, with Jenny Wiener Steingart and Jon Steingart of Ars Nova serving as producers.

Blu-ray™ and DVD Special Features Include:
Filmmaker & Cast Commentary
Deleted and Alternate Scenes
“Lighting The Fuse” Featurette
“The Comic-Con Experience” Featurette

Blu-ray™ Exclusive Features Include:
“The ‘70s: Back in Action” Featurette
movieIQ

Black Dynamite will be available on Blu-ray™ for $34.95 SRP and DVD for $24.96 SRP.