release year: 1975
genre: blaxploitation
viewing setting: home DVD, 5/4/99
what I expected: to laugh
what I got: a bad Shaft rip-off
synopsis: A pimp is released from prison and goes forth to kick ass.
impressions: Apparently, this character evolved from a stand-up comedy routine performed by the actor. That's awful nice, but the truth is, the movie started out being funny and then went downhill, hard. We were drawn in by the often-sudden vulgar dialogue and terrible fight scenes, but around the 1/3 point, things began to digress and make even less sense. The plot was lacking, the editing was awful, the acting was worse...maybe I just didn't "get it." One thing's for sure, though: I don't want to get any more of this sort of drek. It reminded me of the rancid movie Mitchell (starring Joe Don Baker and ragged on harshly by MST3K) except with a black cast.
overheard:
me: "Dolemite."
my roommate: "Sounds like a rock."
body count: about a dozen
acting: Terrible. Dolemite was a simple and unimpressive character and the actor tended to mumble his lines at times.
the good: Funny for about half an hour.
the bad: Everything else. The much-hyped female karate fight scene was short and badly-done.
final word: If you liked Shaft then you might like this, but I wouldn't put money on it.
rating: D