La dialectique peut-elle casser des briques?

Whether or not you like this movie will basically boil down to how you enjoy movies -- specifically, whether you're able to stomach cheesy movies in order to share a knowing chuckle with your friends. Oh yeah... also whether you're knowledgeable about sectionalism and Marxist theory.

You don't need a ton of knowledge; a passing familiarity with Marx and a vague awareness of world events (which is all I have) will do. It also helps to have seen at least one movie from this genre (classic over-the-top martial arts). But nevermind you. let's talk about the movie.

Can Dialectics Break Bricks? is a hokey Japanese karate movie dubbed over with a sly smile by a group of French sectionalists (I believe that's what they called themselves) and transmogrified into an epic tale of the struggle of the proletariat against the evil bureaucratic bourgeoisie. This is every bit as quirky and strange as it sounds. The randomness and slight surrealism of the B-movie are exaggerated by the bizarre and totally inappropriate narrative about dialectical materialism and references to Castro. It's, simply put, outrageous.

The movie was only dubbed, so during stretches without dialogue you will become (read: I got) very bored very quickly. I also felt it went on a little long. These objections aside, the movie has a dashing hero, a spirited heroine, and an inspiring crusade against evil. If you're willing to put on your silly hats and go with the joke, this movie can be a lot of fun.