Michael Jai White is like the Rumplestiltskin of action movie heroes.
He burst onto the scene in Spawn back in 1997, kicked a little ass in
both Universal Soldier movies, and then faded from the bone crunching
genre to focus on dramas. Well the sleeping giant has reawakened
thanks to the blisteringly hilarious blaxploitation send-up/royal
homage Black Dynamite.
Unlike other blaxploitation tributes (think I’m Gonna Git You Sucka!
and Undercover Brother), Black Dynamite isn’t set in modern day times
and it’s not just another film paying compliments to the low budget
black action films of the ‘70s. Instead it’s actually a faithful
recreation, filmed on a tight schedule, equally tight budget, and with
ultra low production values. But this isn’t what makes the film click,
pop, and hum.
Sure, there’s plenty of sexual tension, ass kicking fight scenes,
nickel slick fashion statements, and bad mamma jamma lingo, but at the
center of it all is Black Dynamite himself. To this end White is as
charismatic as they come both as an actor and a spin- kick throwing
action hero. That he’s doing it all with a tricked out ‘fro and
vintage big collared shirts and pimp suits while channeling the sex
appeal and butt kicking force of Jim Kelly, Jim Brown, Isaac Hayes,
Fred Williamson, and Richard Roundtree only makes it that much more
groovy.
The plot for Black Dynamite is standard blaxploitation, with the film borrowing
every conceivable convention from the classics such as Shaft, The
Mack, Truck Turner, Three The Hard Way, Hell Up In Harlem, and even a
few nods to such martial arts classics as Enter The Dragon; that is to
say there’s the drugged out stoolies, the saucy prostitutes, the
devious white men, the nefarious kung fu kingpin, and the jive talking
pimp sidekick.
While the action is kinetic, what really keeps the flick popping is
the whip smart sense of humor.  White and company toss off so many
classic one-liners and strings of “WTF did he just say?!” dialogue
that you’ll easily get dizzy after the first 20 minutes, mostly
because you’ll be laughing your ass off something serious (and if
you’re not, then there’s something seriously wrong with your funny
bones). The long and short of it is that Black Dynamite is one of
those destined-to-be-cult-classics that is more than deserving of
repeated viewings (and hopefully a sequel or two, as well).