Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold

I was not a big fan of "Cleopatra Jones" and think it's one of the weaker examples of blaxploitation. Why? Because the leading character is sort of a 'Mary Sue'. This is a character who is too perfect...with no apparent weaknesses and simply too good to be true. In this film, Cleo is a master secret agent, expert at martial arts and is seemingly impossible to kill. She also is amazingly squeaky clean and instead of the usual anti-establishment black hero, this one is working for and supporting the System. As such, it seems like blaxploitation in name only. Why the studio thought this film deserved a sequel is beyond me. Now I am NOT against sequels. For example, I liked "Shaft" and it's sequels. I just don't understand a sequel to a mediocre (at best) movie.

"Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold" begins with some undercover men in Hong Kong trying to buy drugs off a Chinese gang run by The Dragon Lady. But they soon disappear and no one can locate them. Cleo flies to Hong Kong to find them because she's so nice AND the men are her childhood friends.

Despite my disliking the first movie, I was totally shocked when I found I liked this sequel. I still don't feel like it's exactly blaxploitation, but it's a decent spy/martial arts film. Much of it is the nice location shoot in Asia and much of it is because the entire film does NOT rest on Cleopatra Jones. Instead, she has a lot of help...particularly from Mi Ling whose martial arts skills are much better than Cleopatra's (which isn't saying much).

Now I am also NOT saying it's a great film...more like silly escapism you can enjoy as long as you don't think to much! For example, the big gun battle in the casino...well, it's enjoyable but utterly ridiculous!

By the way, apart from Frankenstein, the Wolfman and a few other movie monsters, has anyone worn MORE makeup in a movie than Ms. Dobson as Cleopatra?! I really don't think so!