I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Redundant and unnecessary.

Powerful

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Although he has a lucrative business dealing in counterfeit dollars, a Mafia godfather by the name of "Don Steffano" (Andre Philippe) decides that he wants to purchase some land where a huge civic center is about to be built so that he can make a hefty profit. The problem is that on this land is a karate school run by a man named "Papa Byrd" (Scatman Crothers) who has no interest in selling it to anybody. So Don Steffano gives the task of obtaining this parcel of land to a black mobster named "Pinky" (Malik Carter) who doesn't dare to cross him. Unfortunately, Pinky goes a bit too far one night and accidentally kills Papa Byrd and this results in the karate school going directly to Papa Byrd's daughter "Sydney" (Gloria Hendry) who not only wants to keep the school but also wants to find out who killed her father. And one of the few people who can help her do both is a student of Papa Byrd named "Black Belt Jones" (Jim Kelly). Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I was slightly disappointed in this movie for a couple of reasons. First, although I didn't mind the fact that this martial arts movie also doubled as a Blaxploitation film, I thought the romantic scene between Sydney and Black Belt Jones was rather clumsy and the fight scene at the very end was much too long and boring. Likewise, most of the humor throughout the movie needed some serious improvement as well. Having said all of that I suppose this movie was still somewhat entertaining and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

After appearing in Bruce Lee's blockbuster hit Enter The Dragon, Jim Kelly(who had a bit part as the ultra cool Williams)returns with ETD director Robert Clouse in Black Belt Jones. Black Belt Jones is 70's action camp at its best. Jim Kelly(RIP)was not the most talented actor, but more than made up for it by having a good build, great karate moves and one amazing afro. Jim Kelly was definitely one cool cat and in this film totally invincible against out of shape Italian mobsters and Pinky's gang of goofballs who are after Papa Byrd's(Scatman Crothers)karate school. BBJ has great colorful and entertaining characters, hilarious quotable dialogue and an awesome score by Luchi DeJesus. Black Belt Jones is a great blaxsploitation film that turns the camp to eleven. No matter how many times I watch this classic, it always makes me laugh and puts me in a better mood no matter how crappy my day was up to that point. So do yourself a favor and watch Black Belt Jones and have yourself a great time.

Jim Kelly, "introduced" first in MELINDA in 1972 and then again in ENTER THE DRAGON the following year, was one of the more personable of the "point karate" players to try to make it big on The Big Screen. Unfortunately, Kelly put his fate in the hands of director Robert Clouse, who seemed determined to be remembered as a maker of Grade-Z motion pictures. While Kelly was no great acting talent, he DID have enough personality to carry a B-movie like this one- provided the director was on his game (which, in this case, he wasn't). Kelly's limited kicking skills made for some often uninteresting fight scenes (in MELINDA, for instance, he literally had to jump up on the hood of a car to kick a man in the head), especially when he was paired with a real kicker like Dorian Tan (THE TATTOO CONNECTION)- who had no trouble whatsoever outshining his co-star. (Kelly also seemed to have trouble grasping the difference between Reality and Fantasy: at one point, he challenged former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier to a no-holds-barred fight. Kelly lucked out when Frazier laughed off the challenge.) (And it's interesting to note that very few of the "point" karate players went on to full-contact careers when full-contact karate became a reality...) The most glaring example of Kelly's limitations comes in BLACK BELT JONES when he faces off against a bunch of bad guys in a car wash: knee-deep in suds (which are very slippery), his kicking is even less impressive than normal; he literally seems afraid to lose his balance (which is understandable)- and the skinny stunt-double with the outrageously ridiculous afro wig is yet another example of Clouse's misdirection. I saw this one at a walk-in theater when it was first released, and later at a drive-in, and the one constant through all of my viewings has been the realization that this is NOT a good movie- it never was and it ain't NOW.

Group of mafia people try to take over pops karate shop , with the mafia being big fat italians with cool 70s ,music shouting MAMMA MIA everywhere, and a group of blacks fighting to kick out a group of martial artists. The main character black belt jones, sports the coolest afro and martial arts movie I have ever seen.Note this is not a serious film, it is based on hilarious performances and fight seens equal to the old batman fight scenes, "pok , pow, kabaoom" without the words.This film is best watched by a group of guys with a few beers as the chuckles will last through the entire film. This movie is by far a comedy and one of the best I have ever seen. Its a masterpiece in its own right. Under cover brother tried to copy this film I believe.You will thoroughly enjoy, but only if you don't take this film seriously and only for comical relief