Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Black Dynamite traces its roots back to a long, long line of 70s blaxploitation movies like Shaft, Dolemite, and Blackula. The movie also takes a lot from the low-budget kung-fu movies of the era, when they really just wanted to get some good fights on celluloid and they weren't going to waste good film on doing retakes just because a boom mic happened to get caught in frame. It is all the best (and some parts of the worst) of what that era had to offer, all in one smart, meta package for the 2010s.

Michael Jai White is the titular Black Dynamite, a nonstop black tornado of justice, vengeance, and charisma. When his younger brother is killed at the beginning of the movie, Black Dynamite swears revenge on whoever did this. The streets run red with blood until Black Dynamite uncovers a conspiracy so complicated, they actually stop to take a full 4 minutes to unravel it for the viewer.

A lot of the sight gags in the movie are great, as is a lot of the dialogue. However, if you're not paying attention, or are laughing too hard, you may not notice a lot of the subtler gags. Frequently the movie's soundtrack will comment on the events that are currently under way in the film. Another funny touch is the character who is constantly reading not only his lines off of cue cards, but his stage directions, as well.

All in all the movie's humor holds up through the majority of the film and only really falls apart during the last 10-15 minutes. It seemed like they just sort of didn't realize how they were going to wrap things up in a satisfying manner, and, well, they never figured it out.

A solid 4/5, maybe a 4.5/5 if you enjoy a good old-school kung-fu movies, or movies that are tongue-in-cheek.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older