Black Dynamite (2009)

Black Dynamite is the greatest African-American action star of the 1970s. When his only brother is killed by The Man, it's up to him to find justice.

Director:

Scott Sanders

Writers:

Michael Jai White (screenplay), Byron Minns (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Jai White, Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Phyllis Applegate	...	Aunt Billy
Obba Babatundé	...	Osiris (as Obba Babatunde)
William Bassett	...	Captain Yancy
Troy Lindsey Brown	...	Kid #1
Fredella Calloway	...	Waitress
Cheryl Carter	...	Black Dynamite's Mother
Juka Ceesay	...	Valet Girl (as Juka Cesay)
Kevin Chapman	...	O'Leary
Tommy Davidson	...	Cream Corn
Lucky Davis	...	Paperboy
Nicholas Earley	...	Neighborhood Kid
Richard Edson	...	Dino
Jason Jack Edwards	...	Soul Brother (as Jason Jack Edwards)
Jon Kent Ethridge	...	12 year old Black Dynamite
Mary Evans	...	Woman at table

Storyline

This is the story of 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite. The Man killed his brother, pumped heroin into local orphanages, and flooded the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor. Black Dynamite was the one hero willing to fight The Man all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House..

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Plot Keywords:

outnumbered | man in curlers | license to kill | mob execution | vengeance | 

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Taglines:

He's super bad, he's outta sight. He's Black Dynamite.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality/nudity, language, some violence and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

film website for promotion Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 January 2010 (France)

Also Known As:

Black Dynamite - yhden miehen armeija

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$131,862, 18 October 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$228,477, 25 October 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Destination Films, Ars Nova, Goliath Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several female adult film stars made their mainstream/feature film debut in this movie and have various small speaking roles, including Charlotte Stokely, Erika Vution, Stacy Adams (who plays Nurse Jenny in the mock-porno doctor's office scene), Charmane Star, and Justine Joli.

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Goofs

When Black Dynamite is shot in the shoulder and goes to the hospital, the doctor clearly says, "No fragments, in and out - you're very lucky, BD," indicating that the bullet went right through Black Dynamite. However he is only bandaged at the entry point of the bullet and there is no exit wound on his back.

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Quotes

Black Dynamite: Yeah yeah, mama. Now you could hit the sheets or the streets, it don't make me no never mind. Now that's your bag baby, you can go, or you could come. Can you dig it?

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Alternate Versions

The international version of the film contains six minutes of additional footage, consisting of extra dialogue in some scenes and extended fight sequences. In the scene where Black Dynamite and Cream Corn take a helicopter and leave Kung Fu Island, they use it to destroy Fiendish Dr. Wu's complex before heading off to the White House.

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Connections

Spoofs Willie Dynamite (1974)

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Soundtracks

Scenechange 8a
(uncredited)
Music by Alan Tew

User Reviews

One of the better comedies of this year.

Here's a film that would have fit perfectly with the 2007 release of Grindhouse. I wish that Black Dynamite had been worked on enough so that a trailer would have been featured along with the faux trailers in Grindhouse. (Although one of those faux trailers, Machete, is being made into a full-length feature.) Michael Jai White (who is probably best known by many as Spawn or as the ill-fated gangster, Gambol, from The Dark Knight) is excellent as Black Dynamite. White is not only an excellent action star, but he's also got great comedic timing. His deadpan delivery mixed in with very impressive martial arts abilities are worth the price of admission for this flick. White channels Richard Roundtree, Robert Hooks, Fred Williamson, and yet he makes the role his own. How White hasn't become a prominent action star, much like Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Tony Jaa, and so on is a complete mystery to me. I hope that this is a breakout role for him.

One of my favorite characters in this film is Bullhorn (played by Byron Minns). He's the film's answer to Rudy Ray Moore, rhymes and all. For those who have seen Dolemite, you'll know what I'm talking about. (He also narrated the hilarious trailers for the movie.) The film features a cast full of what's his faces. Richard Edson (Stranger than Paradise and Do the Right Thing) has a brief role in the film. Mykelti Williamson (Bubba from Forrest Gump) plays one of the villains, Chicago Wind. Mike Starr (Goodfellas and Dumb & Dumber) plays the mob leader. Arsenio Hall, of all people, plays a coked out hustler named Tasty Freeze. Tommy Davidson, with a head of curly hair, appears as one of Black Dyamite's sidekicks, Cream Corn.

This film is a throwback to the 70's, with the classics of Blaxploitation. It not only has a lot of laughs, but I also felt that the movie essentially became a Blaxploitation within a half-hour into the movie.

If you're a fan of Blaxploitation films, this will not disappoint. If you're in for a good comedy, check this one out. It will provide more laughs than a good majority of the comedies released this year.