Black Dynamite: Blu-ray (2009)

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on 70's Blaxpoitation movies but I have seen my fair share. From the ultra gritty to the laughably (but lovable) horrible I've viewed a fairly wide range. It's probably because of this that I found Black Dynamite to be one of the funniest and most entertaining movies of last year.

Michael Jai White plays Black Dynamite, the most bad ass mofo in the hood. When his brother is killed in a drug dispute he comes out of retirement to clean up the streets and ultimately much larger things. That's pretty much it for the plot as it's an afterthought and not really the point. Black Dynamite is a spoof/homage to those 70's flicks and it does both remarkably well.

Director Scott Sanders gets every detail right. From the visual style to the outfits, down to the dialogue and even the (intentionally) cheap production values (watch for a visible boom mic and White's deadpan reaction to it) it all rings true to the genre they are spoofing. The acting is often way over the top and there is an abundance of cheesy one liners throughout. The movie ends up in such ridiculous territory it blew my mind. I had no idea the direction the plot line would go but it's safe to say I never thought it would end up where it does.

The blu-ray does a fantastic job of replicating the intended look but the intended look is not something that's going to be eye candy. It's very grainy and looks like a movie shot in the 70's. There are some clips of stock footage from actual 70's flicks mixed in and it's pretty seamless but you can tell the difference. The audio is benefits more. There's a lot of 70's funk music mixed in and it sounds great. Surrounds are not used predominantly but the sound field does open up from time to time. Low in is effective in both music and action scenes as well but never overpowering.

I found Black Dynamite to be one of the most entertaining movies of last year. It definitely helps to have at least a basic knowledge of blaxploitation movies to get the full experience but I'm sure most people will get at least some enjoyment out of it.

Ratings:
Movie: 4/5
Blu-ray: 3.5/5