Black Dynamite Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Black Dynamite: a gun-toting, nunchuck-wielding, ladies man and soul brother. When "The Man" murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House.
For more about Black Dynamite and the Black Dynamite Blu-ray release, see the Black Dynamite Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on January 21, 2010 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Black Dynamite. The name says it all. He's black, and he's dynamite. A bad man who's
explosive with the ladies, a master of deadly weapons, a smooth operator, and sportin' a
freshly-picked 'fro, Black Dynamite got a harsh background but a tender soul that both have
allowed him to make
it in the world, and he don't take no
you-know-what from no fool, neither, whether on the streets, the jungles of "China," or in the
bedroom. Yeah, this brotha got it all goin' on. He got boo koo respect, he bring fear into the
eyes
of all who cross him, soul brotha' got him some brain power, and he's out to clean up the mean
streets
once and for all, a mission that will take him around the world and into the den of "The Man"
himself, and he's ready to kick some and take names if it means no brotha from a different
motha
ain't never gonna be hooked on no smack again, and the stock of malt liquor's finally safe to
drink.
Black
Dynamite: hero of the oppressed, villain
of the oppressor, and star of his very own movie that's a laugh riot of a "Blaxploitation"
Parody/Homage
and one of the funniest films of 2009. What? This $#!( ain't real?
Dyn-o-mite! Dyn-o-mite!
Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White, Universal Soldier: The
Return) is the baddest and blackest man -- "blacker than the ace of spades" -- in town.
Cross this fool -- kill his brother, for instance -- and watch out. When B.D. learns that his
brother's been killed in a drug deal, he loses focus as he remembers his promise that he made to
his
mama as she
lie on her deathbed that ain't no harm would never come to the little man. B.D. then
vows revenge -- even against the wishes of his former partner at the C.I.A. -- and sets out on a
quest for vengeance, even with his license to kill revoked. Along the way, he learns that the
city's
orphans have become addicted to smack, and being an orphan himself, B.D. adds drug disposal to
his list of errands for the day. B.D. also discovers that the hole goes much deeper; the city's
latest
craze -- Anaconda malt liquor -- is causing unfortunate side effects in its drinkers, and Black
Dynamite
unravels a
vast conspiracy conceived by "The Man" that goes all the way to the top echelons of white power
and oppression.
What makes Black Dynamite as good as a 40-ounce malt liquor is that it isn't hindered
by
a plot that's meant to be taken at all seriously, evidenced by its rapid downward spiral in the
final act as the story goes from plausible to ridiculous faster than a B.D. karate chop to the neck.
The film got a thang goin' on
where it's so ridiculously over-the-top that there's no mistaking it for anything other than what it
is, a Parody of and Homage to the short-lived but entertaining and oh-so-endearing
"Blaxploitation" pictures of the
1970s. It's
so good, in fact, that it practically passes for one, and despite a 2009 release date, hardly
anything
about the film other than its actors date it, and even the cast absolutely melts into each role.
Everything's here that needs to be here, and there's
nothing that's superfluous or otherwise a hindrance to the picture. Movies like
Black Dynamite seem a rarity these days; many "filmmakers" seem content to parody
movies by tossing some lookalike on screen and calling it a day, but
Black Dynamite is a stickler for fine details, and the meticulousness of it all -- the look of
the actors, the wardrobe, the sound effects, the music, and the sets -- have been designed and
implemented in such a way so as to create a modern-day film that's a seamless throwback to the
genre, and it works as well as it does because it takes itself seriously where it counts -- in its
production values -- which opens the door for the story to build on itself and become more and
more ridiculous as the film moves on, capturing at first a not-so-subtle but amazingly infectious
charm and going all the way
towards the ultimate showdown with "The Man" in a film that's excessively but wonderfully
gratuitous and downright hilarious in every way a modern take on Blaxploitation should be.
Indeed, Black Dynamite's balancing act keeps its juices flowing and the humor tight,
even when the story veers away from any sense of normalcy and -- literally -- dives into
unexpected territory. That said, the antics in the film and jumbled plot are all grounded in
Blaxploitation style. There's no out-of-context humor or ludicrous physical gags that don't have
some footing in both the story and the genre, and in that regard the film distances itself from
more
slapstick fare like The Naked Gun. It's somewhat hard to label the film as merely
another "Parody"
when it plays itself so straight within genre confines, but therein lies its humor. Black
Dynamite works because it doesn't try too hard to cram in jokes that don't fit; the movie
itself is the joke, the entire thing a sendup of a genre by mere association and in the bigger
picture, the creation of the perfect genre
film. Writer/Star Michael Jai White plays the title role with a seriousness that's countered by
the film's jumbled style that shifts tone throughout, but the character's stalwart demeanor
remains unchanged. Indeed, the film's visual style, soundtrack, and side characters truly define
the picture, and Black Dynamite is more along for the ride, going with the ebb and flow and
doing
his thing regardless of who he must confront or where he is or needs to be. Finally, Black
Dynamite
wouldn't be what it is without an onslaught of gratuitous nudity and violence, thematic
exploitation of stereotypes, exaggerated characters, and plenty of racial slurs. In any other film
such a combination might otherwise prove lethal, but in Black Dynamite, the excessive
amount of politically and socially incorrect scenes and dialogue only add to the film's throwback
feel
and raw appeal.
Black Dynamite takes his fight to The Man in high definition, Sony's 1080p,
1.85:1-framed
transfer a glorious rendition of the film that's faithful to its gritty source. Black Dynamite
looks like a product of its era, with contrast and color reproduction that are all over the map,
sometimes lending to the picture a yellow tint, and at other times a decidedly green tint, with
flesh tones often following suit, ranging from pasty and light to decidedly red and everything in
between. Nevertheless, color reproduction is exceptional considering the source, with many
shades offering a vibrant, eye-popping appearance. The film is most readily identifiable through
its heavy grain field, a result of the 16mm film stock utilized to lend to the picture its period
appearance. Additionally, the transfer does suffer through a few warts in the form of white
speckles and some intermittent debris on the newly-minted footage, though it only adds to the
feel of the picture, intentional or not. In addition to newly-shot material, Black Dynamite
incorporates several pieces of stock footage and shots from older films that offer a slightly more
rough texturing but nevertheless fit almost seamlessly in with the bulk of the picture. Fine detail
is solid across the board considering the
wavering contrast and heavy grain field; viewers will note paint streaks on walls, fine stitches in
the period clothing, and the rougher textures of various stone and brick surfaces as seen in
certain
scenes throughout. The transfer does exhibit some overwhelming blacks that dominate the
screen and devour detail, though again this seems more in-line with the throwback look and feel
of the movie and the film stock used rather than any technical fault of Sony's fantastic and
accurate
1080p transfer.
Black Dynamite revs up on Blu-ray with a powerhouse DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. The film's extensive use of 70s-style beats are splendidly reproduced with each note,
the music and the pulsating low end in particular penetrating the soundstage with a richness and
abundance of clarity that's probably about the best this style of music has ever sounded for home
consumption. Indeed, the track enjoys a natural flow
that allows it to spread out nicely about the soundstage; atmospherics are more focused across
the front but nevertheless exceptionally clear and perfectly balanced, with hints of back channel
support for a pleasant but not particularly aggressive or head-spinning listen. Extensive, loud
surround use is limited to several scenes in support of some of the more ambitious action pieces
and gunplay. Speaking of, gunfire is crisp and nicely realized, powerful but not overwhelming,
each shot delivering a devastating blow that's nicely balanced with the remainder of the track's
attributes. The film's low end -- whether the aforementioned music, gunshots, or some other
source -- is consistently strong and unwavering in its delivery of all that's asked of it.
Additionally, dialogue reproduction is consistently smooth and trouble-free. Though not the most
ambitious or exciting track, Black Dynamite's lossless DTS offering makes for a wonderful
companion to the film's visual and thematic tone.
Black Dynamite rolls onto Blu-ray with a few assorted extras. First up is a commentary
track with Director/Co-Writer Scott Sanders and Actors/Co-Writers Michael Jai White and Byron
Minns. The track is delivered firmly and positively, the participants sharing an array of
information
on the sorts of actors that were cast in classic Blaxploitation pictures, the use of stock footage
in the film, the film's many nods and homage to genre pictures past, shooting locations, the
performances of the cast, and much more. The track is free-flowing and fun; fans of the film are
encouraged to give it a listen. Lighting the Fuse (1080p, 22:48) features cast and crew
discussing the film's origins, White's inspirations for the picture, a makeshift promotional trailer,
the development of the characters, establishing a look and tone for the picture, costume design,
shooting with 16mm film, editing the film for flow, the music, and more. The '70s: Back in
Action (1080p, 14:13) features the cast and crew reminiscing about the 1970s and
discussing what decade influences found their way into the film from the era of Blaxploitation
cinema. The Comic-Con Experience (1080i, 18:04) takes viewers to the film's
Comic-Con
press conference. Featured speakers include Director/Co-Writer Scott Sanders, Actors/Co-Writers
Michael Jai
White and Byron Minns, and Actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Also included is a collection of 17
deleted and alternate scenes (480p, 25:15); BD-Live functionality; Sony's MovieIQ connectivity;
and 1080p trailers for The Boondock Saints II: All
Saint's Day, Universal Soldier:
Regeneration, Halloween II, Kung Fu Hustle, Moon, Snatch, Soul Power, "Breaking Bad," Michael Jackson's This is
It, and Zombieland.
Black Dynamite is an awful movie taken at face value, but as a Parody of and Homage to
Blaxploitation
cinema, it's a work of art. Its story line is fun and gradually degrades into absolute mayhem; its
characters are stereotypes in every way imaginable; its soundtrack, set design, and costuming
represent
seamless recreations of 70s style; and its technical qualities never show even a hint that the
movie isn't a product of its era. As such, Black Dynamite is a quintessential
Parody/Homage
picture. Not
at all a Parody in the Naked Gun or Spaceballs style
where external influences and out-of-place gimmicks lend part of the humor to those movies,
Black Dynamite instead earns its stripes as an out-and-out faithful replica of a long-gone
era and as such offers something of a unique and novel twist on both the Parody and
Blaxploitation
genres, not to mention that it's a breath of fresh air in a Hollywood that's fairly stale and devoid
of all that
many new ideas. Sony's Blu-ray release might be lacking a more comprehensive supplemental
package, but the disc does offer beautifully faithful video and a strong lossless soundtrack.
Black Dynamite is a film aimed at mature audiences, the picture dealing in adult
situations, language, and capturing the spirit of decades-old pictures that were and are
themselves not meant for children. Still, Black Dynamite comes highly recommended to
age-appropriate viewers.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced two new releases scheduled to launch on Blu-ray on February 2, 2010: the blaxpoitation spoof 'Black Dynamite' and the action/sci-fi movie 'Universal Soldier: Regeneration', starring Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van ...
