Black Dynamite

Synopsis: Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) is called into action when his neighborhood is under threat from the man. His brother has been killed, the local orphans are hooked on heroin and a new brand of liqueur is threatening to shrink your average black man down to size. Only Black Dynamite has the guts to fight The Man all the way to Washington and the ultimate honky house.  

Yo jive turkeys! Black Dynamite is here and he has a plan - to stick it to The Man. A baadasssss wise guy with revenge on his mind, he is the ultimate blaxploitation star channeling Superfly, Shaft and Dolemite as he fights, eliminates or seduces anyone in his flared wake.

Black Dynamite can wear his afro with pride for the film that bears his name is beautifully crafted by director Scott Sanders and co-writers Michael Jay White and Byron Binns who have recreated every aspect of the genre, both good and bad. From the jive-talking dialogue to the hilarious soundtrack, the filmmakers hit the mark at almost every turn.  White also plays the titular hero - a master of kung fu, who can kiss-ass and sate the carnal desires of up to five women at a time. It’s obvious that Dolemite, in particular, was a template for the character of Black Dynamite but whilst Rudy Ray Moore’s portly pimp always played the fighting for laughs Black Dynamite is in great shape and can certainly hold his own in a street fight. Whenever he enters a scene a glorious chorus of “Dynamite” fills our ears. The soundtrack is perfectly judged, the songs often describing what is happening on screen with hilarious results. 

The storyline antes up the silliness stakes, especially when the bad guy is ultimately revealed -  a nun-chukka-wielding Richard Nixon anyone? Notwithstanding, the characters maintain a level of po-faced seriousness throughout, except for the brief hilarious moments when the film-making process seems to go wrong.  Dodgy sets, booms in shot, fluffed lines and an actor replaced mid scene - this is just like the real thing. In the 70s, even though many of the blaxploitation films were released by the major studios, they were cheap and seen as an easy way to make money and Black Dynamite perfectly encapsulates the look and feel of the bargain basement end of the genre.

The joyful script is a paean to the halcyon days of the blaxpoitation film when the mo-fo was king and the resulting film is the most satisfying spoof since the Zucker’s took flight with Flying High. It brought the house down at its Sydney Film Festival screening and is sure to be a smash when released later in the year. Just remember. Once you’ve had Black Dynamite, you’ll never go back.

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