Black Samurai (1976)

When a Hong Kong diplomat's daughter is kidnapped by drug smuggler / Satanist named Janicot, Robert Sand aka the Black Samurai (Jim Kelly) is called in to rescue the girl. And it's more than a job, it's personal. Sand and the girl have a relationship. Sand must use all his skill karate skill and training to bust up the bad guys and free the girl.In something I wrote recently about the movie 100 Rifles, I called Jim Brown "wooden". That was before I saw Black Samurai. Jim Kelly makes Jim Brown look positively animated. Kelly may have been a martial arts master and good in the choreographed fights scenes, but a thespian he ain't. You can't question Kelly's athletic ability, but his acting ability – forget about it. Believe it or not, Kelly isn't the worst this movie has to offer. Most of the rest of the cast is even worse.Everything about Black Samurai is, in a word, amateurish. The movie is a technical mess. Editing, cinematography, lighting, sound, etc. are horrible. Al Adamson has to be one of the most untalented directors ever. It's amazing he was able to find people willing to hire him to make so many movies. Ed Wood comes off looking like Alfred Hitchcock in comparison.Even with all the faults, and there are plenty, there is some entertainment value to be had in Black Samurai. Where else are you going to see Jim Kelly kicking butt, battling midgets, fighting a vulture, flying in a jet pack, and just being plain old cool?

OK, if we've seen "Enter the Dragon" and "Black Belt Jones", then we should know not to expect any kind of life-changing experience from watching a Jim Kelly movie, just to enjoy it. And with "Black Samurai", you'd better believe that you will! Kelly plays D.R.A.G.O.N. agent Robert Sand, who one day learns that his hubby has been kidnapped by a crime syndicate. From there, the movie is basically a series of ass-kicking scenes, no matter how unrealistic. And no great acting either. It's obviously an excuse for him to buck The Man's mores...which he does perfectly.I should identify that if you're expecting a repeat of "Enter the Dragon", you'll be disappointed. Jim Kelly is NOT graceful like Bruce Lee was. I think that his main asset is his cool Afro. If you expect nothing more from this movie than the sort of kick-ass fun characteristic of blaxploitation movies, you won't be the least bit disappointed. It's the sort of movie that really makes one idolize the '70s.

Thats about how I would sum up this bad boy. I'm a big Jim Kelly fan and believe Black Belt Jones to be one of the great movies of the genre. This movie is not on the same level but was enjoyable in an extremely odd way. The terrible acting and dialogue, and special effects weren't surprising. But the bad fight scenes were. Especially when you consider Jim's talent and charisma. Seriously, they were terrible. I'm not sure who was responsible for the "editing," but they should never work in movies again. Even as a clerk at Blockbuster. The action doesn't make sense, people suddenly jump across the screen, sound overlays don't match up to the action on the screen and the overall fight choreography is awful. Apparently Jim was the only legit martial artist in this movie. Go into it with the right attitude of enjoying a terrible and cheesy movie and you'll have fun. But if you want to see him in a much better movie, try Black Belt Jones, Three the Hard Way, and even Hot Potato. I wish Jim had made more movies where he had sufficient backing.

Just this past weekend, a bunch of my friends and I planned on going to out local multiplex and see either Man on the Moon or Magnolia. But both films were sold out and our hopes were dashed, but we decided something should come out of this. We stopped by our local Blockbuster Video and after browsing came up with 2 titles; Office Space and Black Samurai(neither film was one I wanted to see in the slightest, but since I wanted to allow my friends to pick something they wanted to see I indulged them). After we finished watching the former film (which my friends found hilarious, I found to be only alright)we decided to pop in Black Samurai, a film we had no expectations for other then to be amused by it. This film definitely followed through in this aspect.After a brief opening that takes place in a completely non-descript place and where Robert Sands aka Black Samurai's girlfriend also the foreign ambassador's daughter (what a coincedence!) gets kidnapped by a couple of thugs who work for a voodoo priest who plans or bringing a modern day slavery ring to life. Definitely has to be a mission for D.R.A.G.O.N member Black Samurai (I still have no idea what that acronym could possibly stand for). When Sands/Samurai hears of this crime he goes off on an adventure featuring the shortest, most anti-climactic car chase, a jet-pac that resembles scuba gear, fights with cowboy midgets and spear chucking natives that reside in what looks to be Nevada and to top it all off a climactic battle with the Voodoo Priests vulture (named Vultron) add a dash of horrible lighting and a director who just allows the action to go on somewhere in the vicinity of the camera's shooting area, a sprinkle of gratuitous nudity, and every cliche found in the Blaxploitation films in this era, and you have one of the most unintentionally hilarious films ever made! Definitely a must-rent for someone who is need of comedy...but to make it better get a group of friends and let the Mystery Science Theater 3000-type mockery begin!88 Minutes long Made in 1976 Rated R for Gratuitous Nudity, Mild Violence, Brief Language