[DVD] “Black Dynamite” (2009) | Runner-up Pop Bunker Movie of the Year

dynamite poster [DVD] Black Dynamite (2009) | Runner up Pop Bunker Movie of the Year

The runner up for the Pop Bunker Movie of the Year.

DVD Release February 4 2010

Directed by Scott Sanders
Starring Michael Jai White

BluRay Giveaway for Black Dynamite or Moon! DETAILS

I’m still not over Black Dynamite. It’s that good of a movie.

Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite, a celebrated community badass, and his life as a street enforcer and ladies man is interrupted by the murder of his brother. His brother was killed in a drug deal gone bad and Black Dynamite has a three part responsibility: One is to avenge his brothers death, the second is to find out who got his brother back into drugs (because Black Dynamite promised his mother on her death bed that he would not let that very thing happen), and third is to find out what role The Man plays in the drugs on the street and the lining of politicians pockets. Just what is The Man up to anyway?

Black Dynamite takes this one personal.

black dynamite himself 1 [DVD] Black Dynamite (2009) | Runner up Pop Bunker Movie of the Year

And so begins Black Dynamite. I cannot describe too much of the plot because much of the humor comes from the giant leaps and absurdity of the plot. I’ll tell you this much: At some point in the movie Black Dynamite and his crew has to infiltrate kung-fu island. Come on, “Kung-fu Island?” Additionally the plot doesn’t make sense if one thinks about it in a linier or serious way. It’s OK, it’s not supposed to and that’s part of the charm. The film also has a scene near the end where it plays along with the plot holes and absurd leaps of logic to let the audience know that it is in on the joke. It’s a brilliantly funny part of the movie as the entire maniacal plot of The Man is deduced in the most extraordinary fashion.

blackdynamite kf island 1 [DVD] Black Dynamite (2009) | Runner up Pop Bunker Movie of the Year Michael Jai White pulls off his best performance to date in Black Dynamite . I reviewed White’s good but not great Bone and Blood and mused what White could do with a more sensational role. Here is that role. The script is co-written by White and the entire movie feels like a labor of love by the folks involved. White is a sensational martial artist and displays everything from high impact karate to the more movie-traditional wushu. Whatever he’s doing there is no mistake Black Dynamite is bad to the bone. The gags come hard and fast with great timing and pop while cultural references come out of left field.

The movie should instantly become a quotable hit with some of the most memorably funny lines laid to film in a long time. A few examples:

Black Dynamite: Now you be cool, baby, Bee here will keep you tight and outta sight. Dynamite’s gonna shake the tree from the roots, rake up the fruits, rip it up out the ground to find out what’s going down. Don’t worry bout tomorrow cause tonight, Dyna…

Hoe: Dynamite’s gonna make it all right!

Black Dynamite: Euphoria, shut the fuck up! I know that was you, I ain’t even gotta look! I should send you back to Crenshaw Pete with his hot coat hangers, bitch, would you like that?

—–

Black Dynamite : First Lady, I’m sorry I pimp slapped you into that china cabinet.

Take these out of context and it still seems good, but trust me, in the flow of the film this stuff is side-splitting.

The last quarter of the movie comes from out of nowhere and is about as incongruous as a plot turn in a movie can be. The scenes of the finale and final boss fight become so increasingly bizarre and abso-fucking-lutely funny that the viewer can hardly pay attention to what’s happening due to laugh-riot cramps. I was slumped in my seat with tears rolling down my cheeks and my stomach hurting more with each additional discovery and conquest by Black Dynamite.

Black Dynamite is the perfect comedic interpretation of the blaxploitation movies of the 70s as well as action films of the grindhouse style. There are neat subtle little jabs made here and there that make social points, but nothing heavy-handed. The end result is simply a fantastically funny and entertaining movie that is as fun to watch as anything I’ve ever seen. Black Dynamite instantly climbs my list of 2009 films to sit right besides Duncan Jones’ Moon as a favorite film of the year.

There are many scenes online that are not included in the film. I am not sure if they’re viral videos or cuts from the movie, but here is Black Dynamite setting a young Barak Obama on the straight and narrow: