There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Tough and determined ex-con Tyrone Tackett (a strong and commanding performance by Bernie Casey) infiltrates a sordid Los Angeles criminal underworld so he can exact revenge on the folks who killed his brother. Writer/director George Armitage relates the gripping story at a swift pace, maintains a hard-hitting gritty tone throughout, further spruces things up with inspired touches of dark humor, and presents a vivid depiction of a seamy milieu replete with choice seedy locations and a delightfully degenerate rogues' gallery of colorful lowlife characters. Moreover, Armitage makes a potent and provocative point on how revenge can strip a man of his humanity and reduce him to the level of a scary and savage monster. The fine acting from an on the money cast keeps this movie humming: the ever-foxy Pam Grier as brash porn starlet Gozelda, Lisa Moore as saucy motel proprietor Laural Garfoot, Bhetty Waldron as shifty prostitute Irvelle Way, Sam Laws as amiable used car salesman Sherwood Epps, Candy All as the bitter Rochelle, Don Diamond as slimy mobster Nano Zito, and Ed Cambridge as the irascible Theatis Oliver. Popping up in nifty bits are Marilyn Joi, John Daniels, and Paul Gleason (as a corrupt cop). The abundant tasty gratuitous female nudity provides lots of extra sizzle. H.B. Barnum's funky-chilling score hits the groovy jazzy spot. The sharp cinematography by Andrew Davis rates as another plus. Well worth a watch.

"Tyrone Tackett" (Bernie Casey") is a hit man for the mob in Oakland who flies back to his old hometown of Los Angeles to investigate the mysterious death of his brother. Once he arrives he gets very little cooperation from those who knew his brother and this causes him to dig deeper. Eventually clues turn up which indicate a possible Los Angeles mob connection to the pornographic film industry with friction coming from the local mob boss who doesn't like outsiders snooping around on his turf. Now, from what I understand there are a number of people who consider this to be a blaxploitation version of the movie, "Get Carter" which was filmed a year earlier. Having never seen that particular film I can't really comment one way or the other. What I can say, however, is that I found this movie to be enjoyable due in large part to the way this film kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Likewise, I thought Bernie Casey put on a pretty good performance. On the other hand, there were a number of good characters who I thought should have been given more screen time and I was rather disappointed that one of the ladies: "Gozelda" (Pam Grier), "Laurel Garfoot" (Lisa Moore) or "Rochelle Tackett" (Candy All) weren't given a more graceful exit. There were also some sex scenes and nudity which lacked any real passion or sensuality. It was just there. Even so, the film overall wasn't too bad and I rate it as slightly above average.

****SPOILERS**** Better then you would have expected Blaxploitation version of "Get Carter" made a year after the original Michael Cain release has Okland ex-con and mob enforcer Tyrone Tackett travel to L.A to find out the reason behind his brother Cornell's mysterious death. The straight laced and tea toting Cornell was killed by crashing his car over a guardrail and smashing into the Pacific Ocean below where he drowned. At the autopsy Cornell was found to be drenched from head to toe with over a paint of cheap whiskey at the time of his death!Heading straight to Candi Lilly's whorehouse in suburban L.A Tackett isn't interested in having a good time there but to track Cornell's latest squeeze hooker Ivelle Way who was last seen with him before he was killed. As Tackett puts the squeeze on Irvell he find out that Cornell's out of control teenage daughter Rochell may have been the reason behind his tragic death or as Tackett suspects murder. As Tackett goes into the underbelly or belly of the beast, the LA porno industry, he uncovers his niece's's sorry life as a kid on the streets who was exploited by local pimps and porn peddlers that eventually later lead her murder. That despite all of Tacketts's efforts to get her on the straight and narrow road to both drug and prostitution rehabilitation.The usually mild mannered and soft spoken Bernie Casey is really convincing here as the no holds barred take no prisoners butt kicking dude Tyrone Tackett: A guy that you or anyone else wouldn't want to mess with. Casey is incredibly far more effective as well as convincing then his better known fellow ex-football Blaxpoitation actors Jim Brown & Fred Williamson in his action scenes. As well as him being, he sure got the build for it, far more overpowering when dealing with the bad guys in the movie! In that Casey never seems to be even as much as threatened by those he dukes or shoot it out with who never stand a chance against him. It takes a while but Tackett finally gets to the truth to who had Rochell murdered and by pretending he doesn't know he tricks him into meeting him outside L.A. That's to get paid off in order to keep the heat off of his boss who's had Rochell murdered. And the person, or in between, who's to pay Tackett off is the very hit-man who did in Rochell L.A mob boss Nano Zito's chauffeur & enforcer Shag Merriweather! ***SPOILERS*** Blood splattering final with Tackett tricking L.A porno king Theotis Oliver's gang into icing Mafia Don's Nano Zito, who Oliver worked for, and his men after an all day and night sex and drunken orgy at his playboy like mansion. With the Zito mob canceled out Tackett finish off Oliver who had Rochell murdered, to keep her from talking, and his boys with only hit-man Shag, who had no idea that his boss Oliver was history, left alive! Whom a by now totally out of control bull in a China shop Tyrone Tackett saved for the very last!

Unpleasant revenge melodrama rehashes the storyline of "Get Carter" (only the very last scene is different), but does it with no drive, no zest and no originality. Abundant violence (though the red stuff they use for blood looks NOTHING like blood) and nudity (Pam Grier...yeah....but it's awkward seeing a fine actor like Bernie Casey being promoted as a male sex symbol) should please blaxploitation fans, but it's still a too-routine movie. (**)