Such a frustrating disappointment

So much average

Just perfect...

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Jim Brown plays a former Green Beret captain named "Slaughter" who is shocked to hear that his parents have been killed by a car bomb. He then discovers that the reason for this was because his father knew some details about an underworld crime boss named "Mario Felice" (Norman Alfe) and his subordinate, "Dominic Hoffo" (Rip Torn) has taken it upon himself to kill them. Although the information is rather sketchy, Slaughter decides to take matters into his own hands and kills one of the men he thinks was responsible. But this ruins a Department of the Treasury stakeout and as a result the person in charge of it "A. W. Price" (Cameron Mitchell) coerces Slaughter to work for them in exchange for not pressing murder charges against him. Naturally, Slaughter agrees and he is soon headed to South America to hunt for the person who ordered the hit on his parents. Anyway, rather than disclosing the rest of the story I'll just say that this was a basic crime-drama which featured plenty of action but other than a couple of interracial love scenes between Jim Brown and Stella Stevens (as Dominic's mistress named "Ann") there really wasn't anything that remarkable about it. But this was 1972 after all and racial tensions were more predominant back then. In any case, the acting was mediocre (at best) and the movie suffered because of it. That said I rate this movie as average---but nothing more than that.

Slaughter (1972) ** (out of 4)Ex Green Beret Slaughter (Jim Brown) seeks vengeance against the Mob who killed his father and soon teams up with some Feds to track down the gang and take them out one by one including the head guy (Rip Torn). This AIP blaxploitation flick has a lot going for it but I found the direction to be all over the place and there were a few too many slow spots to be a complete winner, which is a shame because there's a terrific cast on display here. The screenplay is your typical revenge tale but I think the film could have benefited from a small re-write because what we have here isn't all that interesting because the script really lets us down in terms of the bad guys. We have a couple different bad guys but neither of them are very interesting and I think the film would have benefited by touching them up a tad bit more especially since you have an actor like Torn eating up the scenery and turning in a fine performance. Brown, not the greatest actor out there, but he still manages to be quite cool in the role and he's got some funny comic timing as well. The sequence where he crashes into a party and the servant asks if he has an invitation and Brown slowly pulls out his gun and says "yep" is certainly one of the highlights of the film. We also get Cameron Mitchell in a couple brief scenes and it's always fun seeing him. Even though all the guys do a good job it's the beautiful Stella Stevens who steals the film. It's not her acting that steals the movie but her chest, which is constantly coming out of no matter what type of outfit she's wearing.

Ridiculous to be sure, but also extremely entertaining. Jim Brown is the title character, a former Green Beret who, after his "connected" father is blown up by a car bomb, exacts his revenge of the mobsters responsible. This being Jim Brown and a war hero, he has the blessing of the US government. Brown is his usual robotic self (read that as dullard), but the supporting cast is a real treat. Rip Torn is a really creepy mobster, Stella Stevens his put upon moll who, naturally, ends up in bed with Brown. Cameron Mitchell is the government man who ropes Brown in and he wears a really obvious toupee. The direction by Jack Starrett is pretty erratic...there's a pretty blurry chase on a runaway between a car and an airplane. Starrett would improve his drive-in cred a few years later with the likes of RACE WITH THE DEVIL and A SMALL TOWN IN Texas. Aping SHAFT and SUPERFLY, SLAUGHTER does have a pretty wacky title song (written and performed by the great Billy Preston).

Somehow, in even the most sleazy, tacky and sordid surroundings, Brown was able to retain a level of dignity and appeal in his movies. This film revels in the various hallmarks of the Blaxpoitation genre, but Brown comes out of it unscathed. He plays a former Green Beret whose parents are killed by the Mob (his father was heavily involved with them.) When he tries to exact revenge, he winds up recruited by Treasury Department official Mitchell to work together in bringing down several mobsters in Mexico. Here, he is aided by Gordon and, to a lesser degree Clark. Alfe is the primary fat cat with Torn as his second in command. Things get complicated and very ugly when Alfe sends Torn's ex-hooker girlfriend (Stevens) to soften up (or harden?) Brown. Brown, though very low-key through most of the film, presents such an amiable presence despite the tawdriness of the material that he makes this film worth watching. His "shoot first, ask questions later" character is somewhat ill-defined, but he gives the film some honor. Gordon does an admirable job as his short, adoring sidekick who wishes he had even a tenth of Brown's magnetism and ability. Torn gives a brooding, slimy, but interesting performance as a racist, vicious thug. Stevens gets a showy dress (and undress!) rehearsal for her memorable role as an ex-prostitute in "The Poseidon Adventure" (filmed just after this.) Her look in this film is precisely the same, though she has some far more adult scenes in this one. Brown's sex scenes with Stevens had to have been quite the eye-openers in 1972 as they still are even today! It's clear that the two had chemistry together and clearly enjoyed their relationship as actors. Alfe (who, oddly, has not one other screen credit to his name) is distinctive and memorable (if, at times, unintentionally funny.) With a Mr. Roarke hairdo and with a voice that may not be the actor's own, he nonetheless does a decent job of presenting a man with power and influence. Mitchell hardly appears and Clark's role is an almost total throwaway (though she has one memorably hilarious exit from an apartment doorway!) This film is not for everyone as it is decidedly politically incorrect with plenty of the "N" word flying around. However, it is filled with interesting lead actors who give their all to their roles and help it to rise above cheaper variations on the genre. A few of the bit players are bad, but they aren't around long in most cases. Only some of the interior shots in hotel rooms or offices betray a lack of budget (with rotten sound and lighting.) There is definite overuse of a fish-eye lens which becomes distracting and is a by-product of the era. Much of the film, though, comes off as pretty slick with a terrific title song, some well-handled action scenes and enough spark in the dialogue to hold one's interest. It's the type of flick where the men refer to each other as "baby" and even "sweetheart" all in the name of that inimitable 1970's funk. It was followed by an even more lurid, but entertaining, sequel.