1/10
Billy Jack's literal and spiritual trials are boring, pretentious, and minus any good beatdowns
25 December 2018
Pretentious sequel picks up with Billy Jack being put on trial for the events of the first film. The original film was a surprisingly fun hybrid of 1960s counter culture and grindhouse exploitation cinema. Kind of "Easy Rider" meets "Walking Tall." A lot of the fun of that film was the unintentional irony that Billy Jack was promoting peace & love while giving a beatdown to every intolerant bigot he encounters, but this sequel forgot to include the satisfying Hapkido beatdowns and instead seemed filled with joyless self-important speeches. While I support most all of the political leanings expressed by the filmmakers, a series of hippie kids making speeches and playing terrible folk music does not make for good entertainment (not to mention having to endure Billy's spirit journey which includes him slapping Jesus at one point). Top it all off with a Kent State inspired finale and it's pretty obvious that the filmmakers (who are really just writer/producer/director/star Tom Laughlin) forgot what made the first film work. Overall, Billy Jack's literal and spiritual trials are boring, pretentious, and minus any good beatdowns. Just take a pass on this one. FUN FACT! "The Trial of Billy Jack" was included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.
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