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BLACK DYNAMITEMovie Reviews
Blaxploitation action comedy about a man, with a mean kung fu kick, who is out to avenge his kid brother's murder. Cast:Michael Jai White, Kym E. Whitley, Tommy Davidson, Kevin Chapman, Byron MinnsDirector:Scott SandersRelease Date:October 16, 2009DVD Release:February 2, 2010From:Columbia PicturesRating:RLength:1 hr 24 min
Black Dynamite played in key cities to good reviews. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...gets it mostly right, and when it's wrong, it's wrong on purpose and knows just what it's doing. It's one of those loving modern retreads of older genre movies." • And Moira Macdonald called the film in the Seattle Times, "...intentionally, delightfully schlocky." More Reviews Below...
Black Dynamite Positive Reviews (22 Reviews, reviews below)
Leah Rozen, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Michael Jai White gives a deft comic performance... The movie gets the hip dialogue, exaggerated clothes and big Afros exactly right but wears thin at 90 minutes."(See all of Leah Rozen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 41 words, 10/15/09
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...less a parody than an almost fetishistically exacting re-creation.... blends satire, nostalgia, and cinema deconstruction into a one-of-a-kind comedy high."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 394 words, 10/16/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...made with evident affection and a modicum of visual wit... the movie wears itself out long before The Man gets his comeuppance.... both too much and not nearly enough."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 10/16/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A sharp punch line that's dulled by repetition, Scott Sanders' blaxploitation spoof is the perfect example of a feature that should have been a short."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 139 words, 10/16/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...gets it mostly right, and when it's wrong, it's wrong on purpose and knows just what it's doing. It's one of those loving modern retreads of older genre movies."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 10/15/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...winningly nutty... filmmakers Scott Sanders and Michael Jai White let all the deadpan badass-itude and no-frills filmmaking spark plenty of retro-immersion laughter."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 10/16/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "A cheerfully affectionate if fit fully amusing spoof of '70s blaxpoitation movies... painstakingly nails the cheesy look, music and martial arts moves of the originals."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 120 words, 10/16/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Who cares if the title character in Scott Sanders's blaxploitation spoof looks more like a butched-up Isaac the bartender from 'The Love Boat' than Richard Roundtree?"(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 10/14/09
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Jewel Bush, Washington Post: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a blaxploitation takeoff... Past attempts to imitate the genre, like 'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka' (1988) and 'Undercover Brother' (2002), failed. 'Black Dynamite' delivers."(See all of Jewel Bush's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 718 words, 01/02/10
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...runs out of gas before its 90 minutes are up, although the climax -- a kung-fu throwdown between our hero and Pres. Richard M. Nixon -- is almost worth the wait."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 01/15/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...laugh-out-loud funny, but it does go on a little. After all, the movies Sanders is sending Valentines to are, for the most part, more guilty pleasures than great films."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 291 words, 12/11/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A seriously funny send-up... pays baadasssss tribute to a genre rife with pimps, pushers, foxy ladies, customized Cadillacs, and sky-blue sharkskin suits."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 10/16/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Before an hour has passed tedium overtakes 'Black Dynamite' - one corny martial-arts sequence turns out to be plenty - and all the good jokes dry up."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 596 words, 11/20/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intentionally, delightfully schlocky.... See this one with a crowd, and remember Black Dynamite's immortal words: 'Doughnuts don't wear alligator shoes.' "(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 351 words, 10/16/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "A righteous brother in pimp-daddy suits karate chops and .357-Magnum pops 'The Man' in his many guises in 'Black Dynamite.' "(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 02/05/10
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Who cares if the title character in Scott Sanders's blaxploitation spoof looks more like a butched-up Isaac the bartender from 'The Love Boat' than Richard Roundtree?"(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 10/14/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...made with evident affection and a modicum of visual wit... the movie wears itself out long before The Man gets his comeuppance.... both too much and not nearly enough."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 10/16/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...winningly nutty... filmmakers Scott Sanders and Michael Jai White let all the deadpan badass-itude and no-frills filmmaking spark plenty of retro-immersion laughter."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 10/16/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...winningly nutty... filmmakers Scott Sanders and Michael Jai White let all the deadpan badass-itude and no-frills filmmaking spark plenty of retro-immersion laughter."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 10/16/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...made with evident affection and a modicum of visual wit... the movie wears itself out long before The Man gets his comeuppance.... both too much and not nearly enough."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 10/16/09
16.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Black Dynamite's reviews are separated by an average 16.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Black Dynamite (22 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Black Dynamite's reviews cover 44.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,499 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 341 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Black Dynamite Coverage, Volume & Length (22 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 6 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Black Dynamite's reviews on average broke 6 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Black Dynamite's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Black Dynamite (22 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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