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.
25 Reviews
A typical Adamson flick - and that's no recommendation
Leofwine_draca6 March 2016
BLACK SAMURAI is your typical low rent American martial arts movie, starring man of the moment Jim Kelly who appeared in a whole slew of cheapjack kung fu flicks in the late 1970s. This one's a typical Al Adamson movie, which is no recommendation: it's cheap, badly edited, disjointed feeling, and very, very silly.
There's barely any plot to speak of, just a long running sequence of fight scenes in which Kelly uses his martial arts abilities to kick various bad guys in the face, over and over again. It becomes repetitive and yet these sluggish fights are the best thing about an otherwise incredibly cheap production.
The acting is wooden, the cinematography poor, and the film as a whole looks incredibly cheap. Felix Silla (Twiki from BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY) has a role as a miniature hit-man which has to be seen to be believed. Overall, BLACK SAMURAI isn't one of the worst films out there - at least it's unintentionally funny throughout - but it is a real mess.
There's barely any plot to speak of, just a long running sequence of fight scenes in which Kelly uses his martial arts abilities to kick various bad guys in the face, over and over again. It becomes repetitive and yet these sluggish fights are the best thing about an otherwise incredibly cheap production.
The acting is wooden, the cinematography poor, and the film as a whole looks incredibly cheap. Felix Silla (Twiki from BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY) has a role as a miniature hit-man which has to be seen to be believed. Overall, BLACK SAMURAI isn't one of the worst films out there - at least it's unintentionally funny throughout - but it is a real mess.
ASS-KICKING JUSTICE
Nullness9 November 2003
The movie "The Black Samurai" has everything you could ever want in a film: kung-fu, midgets, a mariachi band, a vulture, a jet-pack, a sassy black woman, cool sound effects, a car-chase, and random explosions. PLUS: A gay devil-worshiping badguy, a secret agent organization, a fire-spouting pen, snakes, afros, a scene where the good guy kills tons of badguys with a grenade because he's tired...and with SEX APPEAL! The only thing lacking in this movie is gratuitous gore and nudity! Wow what a feature!
Poor Jim.....
Boodikka18 May 2003
In the 70s I enjoyed reading Marc Olden's "Black Samurai" novels, and I always wondered why the novels were never adapted for film. Well, it appears this awful film is supposed to be about Olden's Black Samurai, although Jim Kelly's character is NOTHING like the original Sand character fro the novel. The film is a disaster. It is so bad that it appears to be a parody akin to the "Fistful Of Yen" segment from KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE, although "Fistful Of Yen" is actually less funny than this.....thing. Absolutely appalling in every aspect.
Yipes !!!!
mikelcat20 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Strictly for comedy relief , this film is so bad its hysterical .Jim Kelly is a terrible actor and OK we knew that . but I thought he was a decent karate man . However the fighting in this film is comical , the overdubbing is of the quality of an Asian kung fu flick and the plot GEEZ !!! Janicot the warlock is trying to take over the world I think and he has the midget kung fu men to do the job !! However there is one man who can stop him , he's that agent of D.R.A.G.O.N. which stands for defense something something ... Yes thats how realistic it is , the realism is gripping and ...I'm kidding , actually its good fun because they really seem to take this somewhat seriously .If bad/good is your bag , its right here in abundance .
Let's be fair, for director Adamson, this IS a major improvement in the quality of film he usually made!
planktonrules26 July 2009
Yes, this movie stinks. But before you start ragging on it too much, understand that for this director (Al Adamson), this is a very good film and a massive improvement over his usual films! So, while this movie is of course quite bad, at least it's better than many of Adamson's other grade-z films, such as "Dracula Versus Frankenstein", "Brain of Blood" and "Hell's Bloody Devils". It's not an exaggeration to say that Adamson could easily be the worst director in film history--even worse than the famed Ed Wood, Jr..
As for the film, it is pretty typical for an Adamson epic, though I am surprised that Jim Kelly needed the money so badly that he'd agree to make the movie. I am also surprised that Kelly actually made two films for this schlock-meister! He sure has sunk a long way since his breakout role in "Enter the Dragon".
The film features some terribly exciting scenes. One is a Cadillac that goes off the road and down a small embankment...then naturally explodes (you can see that the car was LATER exploded and this clip was clumsily stuck in after the car goes off the road). Another great scene is using his martial arts on midgets--ooh, gotta be careful of those ninja-midgets (Hmmm...wouldn't it be a cool remake if they made "Snow White and the Seven Ninja Dwarfs"?). And, not content to do this once, Kelly fights another midget later in the film. Not surprisingly, the little guy was amazingly easy to beat! Imagine that! Additionally, Kelly fights an assortment of baddies whose martial arts talents are nil--so you never really get a chance to see the sort of action Kelly actually is capable of doing. In fact, I think that fighting the ninja midgets was about the best fighting in the film!!
Despite the film being filled with deficiencies, there are a few positive things I should point out. Kelly drives a really, really cool sports car and I am surprised the budget could afford it (perhaps it belonged to Adamson or one of the other cast members). Also, at one point he flies around using a jet-pack! In reality, one of these machines can only remain airborne for a few seconds (20-30 tops) but various clips were strung together to make for a neat scene--though oddly, a few "throwaway" scenes were allowed to remain (such as when he crashed into the creek).
As for the plot...well, forget it. Who cares?! It's a confusing melange concerning kidnappings, drugs and a devil cult...nuff said??!!
Overall, bad action, bad acting, a terrible script and pitiful direction make this a rather stupid film from start to finish and is only of interest to bad movie fans like myself. Chalk up another to Adamson, King of Dreck!
By the way, if you do see the film, isn't it interesting that one of the bad guys looks a lot like Damon Wayans!
As for the film, it is pretty typical for an Adamson epic, though I am surprised that Jim Kelly needed the money so badly that he'd agree to make the movie. I am also surprised that Kelly actually made two films for this schlock-meister! He sure has sunk a long way since his breakout role in "Enter the Dragon".
The film features some terribly exciting scenes. One is a Cadillac that goes off the road and down a small embankment...then naturally explodes (you can see that the car was LATER exploded and this clip was clumsily stuck in after the car goes off the road). Another great scene is using his martial arts on midgets--ooh, gotta be careful of those ninja-midgets (Hmmm...wouldn't it be a cool remake if they made "Snow White and the Seven Ninja Dwarfs"?). And, not content to do this once, Kelly fights another midget later in the film. Not surprisingly, the little guy was amazingly easy to beat! Imagine that! Additionally, Kelly fights an assortment of baddies whose martial arts talents are nil--so you never really get a chance to see the sort of action Kelly actually is capable of doing. In fact, I think that fighting the ninja midgets was about the best fighting in the film!!
Despite the film being filled with deficiencies, there are a few positive things I should point out. Kelly drives a really, really cool sports car and I am surprised the budget could afford it (perhaps it belonged to Adamson or one of the other cast members). Also, at one point he flies around using a jet-pack! In reality, one of these machines can only remain airborne for a few seconds (20-30 tops) but various clips were strung together to make for a neat scene--though oddly, a few "throwaway" scenes were allowed to remain (such as when he crashed into the creek).
As for the plot...well, forget it. Who cares?! It's a confusing melange concerning kidnappings, drugs and a devil cult...nuff said??!!
Overall, bad action, bad acting, a terrible script and pitiful direction make this a rather stupid film from start to finish and is only of interest to bad movie fans like myself. Chalk up another to Adamson, King of Dreck!
By the way, if you do see the film, isn't it interesting that one of the bad guys looks a lot like Damon Wayans!
Jim Kelly is no Bruce Lee, but the movie's still entertaining!
lee_eisenberg21 May 2006
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.
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.
You can't question Kelly's athletic ability, but his acting ability forget about it.
bensonmum229 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
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?
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?
One of the most unintentionally hilarious films I have ever seen!
RPBongo16 January 2000
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
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
The producers would like to assure the viewer that no dwarfs were harmed during the making of this film....
HaemovoreRex7 March 2007
Fellow fans of bad movies, you're in for a real treat with this Jim Kelly classic!
OK here's the deal: The daughter of an important ambassador (who also apparently happens to live by the samurai code we're never too sure as we never actually get to see him!) is kidnapped by some decidedly mean looking crooks (headed by a dead ringer for Lee Van Cleef!) who happen to be working for the head of a group of Satanists (got that?)
Step forward agent Roland Sand (Kelly) of D.R.A.G.O.N who is assigned the mission to rescue our beautiful damsel in distress. (What does the agency name stand for? I haven't the foggiest because it's never explained!) Anyway, to cut a long story short (even though there isn't really a story present!) it happens that by a seemingly unlikely coincidence, the seized sexy daughter also happens to be Kelly's girlfriend!!!! Wow, what a small world eh?!
Obviously our man quite rightly wastes no time at all in promptly searching for her but before he can rescue her he must first fight his way through a seeming army of devil worshippers, some Zulu warriors(!!!) a vulture(!!!), a room full of rattle snakes(which are kept securely in their holding cell via a grilled door!!!!!! Eh?!!!!!) and a fair number of demented dwarfs(!!!!!!!) Yes, you might well want to re-read that last sentence to make sure that you weren't seeing things. Believe me, if it sounds bizarre on paper then it's even more bizarre on film!
Chock full of twangy 70's music, groovy fashions, bad acting and some absolutely (unintentionally) hilarious scenes throughout this is a veritable bad movie classic!
Best scene of all for me though was near the end when our hero dukes it out with the head henchman charmingly referred to as Bone. For some odd reason the film suddenly develops an entire overdub wherein our hero taunts his opponent by throwing at him such choice insults as 'Chump', 'Sissy' and 'Faggot' (all spoken way above the normal volume level on the soundtrack) Needless to say I almost wet myself laughing.
Also be sure to check out the cool and garish opening credits sequence awesome stuff!
Oh, did I mention the jet pack? Damn, you NEED to see this film!
OK here's the deal: The daughter of an important ambassador (who also apparently happens to live by the samurai code we're never too sure as we never actually get to see him!) is kidnapped by some decidedly mean looking crooks (headed by a dead ringer for Lee Van Cleef!) who happen to be working for the head of a group of Satanists (got that?)
Step forward agent Roland Sand (Kelly) of D.R.A.G.O.N who is assigned the mission to rescue our beautiful damsel in distress. (What does the agency name stand for? I haven't the foggiest because it's never explained!) Anyway, to cut a long story short (even though there isn't really a story present!) it happens that by a seemingly unlikely coincidence, the seized sexy daughter also happens to be Kelly's girlfriend!!!! Wow, what a small world eh?!
Obviously our man quite rightly wastes no time at all in promptly searching for her but before he can rescue her he must first fight his way through a seeming army of devil worshippers, some Zulu warriors(!!!) a vulture(!!!), a room full of rattle snakes(which are kept securely in their holding cell via a grilled door!!!!!! Eh?!!!!!) and a fair number of demented dwarfs(!!!!!!!) Yes, you might well want to re-read that last sentence to make sure that you weren't seeing things. Believe me, if it sounds bizarre on paper then it's even more bizarre on film!
Chock full of twangy 70's music, groovy fashions, bad acting and some absolutely (unintentionally) hilarious scenes throughout this is a veritable bad movie classic!
Best scene of all for me though was near the end when our hero dukes it out with the head henchman charmingly referred to as Bone. For some odd reason the film suddenly develops an entire overdub wherein our hero taunts his opponent by throwing at him such choice insults as 'Chump', 'Sissy' and 'Faggot' (all spoken way above the normal volume level on the soundtrack) Needless to say I almost wet myself laughing.
Also be sure to check out the cool and garish opening credits sequence awesome stuff!
Oh, did I mention the jet pack? Damn, you NEED to see this film!
Bad, real bad, but still kind of awesome
dworldeater16 September 2014
Even by standards of low budget filmaking, Black Samurai is a poor quality production. Black Samurai was an action vehicle for martial artist/actor Jim Kelly, directed by schockmeister Al Adamson in his most expensive production. Adamson is best known for crappy, low budget horror and exploitation features like Dracula Vs. Frankenstein and Satan's Sadists. Having said that Black Samurai is a bad movie and poorly made is true. It has horrible direction, editing and acting. The film also looks like crap as well. Even so, I still enjoy watching it from time to time. Jim Kelly plays an agent for D.R.A.G.O.N. and has to rescue a daughter who belongs to a powerful Japanese family and also happens to be Jim Kelly's love interest. The kidnappers are human trafficking, dope pushing goons who happen to be into voodoo and witchcraft. Jim Kelly uses his karate skills to fight these turkeys as well as talk a ton of trash while doing so. There is much fighting against turds that don't have a chance as well as a bunch of outrageous material that don't make much sense, but is greatly amusing to yours truly. There is Jim Kelly on a jetpack, midgets, a pet vulture, a fight with Zulu warriors and much more craptastic crud in this schock grade blaxsploitation actioner. Black Samurai is still better in my opinion than Jim Kelly's worst feature, the absolutely unwatchable Hot Potato. Production wise, Black Samurai is also a steaming pile of poop, but hilarious, amusing poop and even professional turd maker Al Adamson can't diminish Jim Kelly's coolness as he drops many suckas!
I confess... I actually enjoyed this movie! Well, bits of it.
Infofreak1 May 2003
Jim Kelly was a great fighter, but no Richard Roundtree or Fred Williamson as an actor. He was good as the third banana (after Bruce Lee and John Saxon) in the martial arts classic 'Enter The Dragon', and even better in the surprisingly entertaining starring vehicle 'Black Belt Jones'. But that movies "sequel" 'Hot Potato' was pretty awful and the prospect of Kelly being teamed up with legendary schlockmeister Al Adamson ('Horror Of The Blood Monsters', 'Dracula vs. Frankenstein', 'Naughty Stewardesses',etc.etc.), made me think I was in for one of THE worst movies ever made. But you know what? This movie was ineptly dubbed, badly acted, had some crappy dialogue and was full of dull stock footage, but I still actually enjoyed it. Not much, but at least SOME, which is something I certainly didn't expect! Kelly plays an agent of D.R.A.G.O.N. which sounds really cool, but we're never told what that means exactly. The movie opens with him on holiday, but some guys in suits spoil it by making him a proposal to eliminate Janikan (Bill Roy), the leader of a drug/voodoo/slave trade cult. He refuses initially but is then told that his own girlfriend Tokai (Essie Lin Chia), who I think is an ambassador's daughter or something, has been kidnapped by these evil mofos. So of course, Kelly goes instantly into action, opening several cans of whup-ass on assorted thugs, voodoo baddies, midgets and even a vulture (named Vultron!). Adamson being Adamson, he still manages to make all this nowhere near as entertaining and exciting as you'd imagine, but there are still a few decent fight sequences, and a memorable jet-pack ride by Kelly. The supporting cast is very odd, and cult fans will get a big kick out of it because it includes D'Urville Martin (Reverend Rufus in Larry Cohen's 'Black Caesar' and 'Hell Up In Harlem' and director of the blaxploitation cult fave 'Dolemite'), Biff Yeager (from 'Repo Man' and other Alex Cox movies), little person Felix Silla (Cousin Itt from 'The Addams Family', 'Demon Seed', 'The Brood'), and even tough guy Aldo Ray ('We're No Angels', 'Angel Unchained'). 'Black Samurai' is trash, but there's lots of dumb fun to be had, especially if you keep the pizza and cold beers flowing throughout. And as bad as it is, it's STILL better than 'Hot Potato'!
Moribund martial arts
Weirdling_Wolf23 January 2014
Al Adamson had little luck mastering the horror genre and it would appear from this misbegotten, Jim Kelly vehicle that his gleeful ineptitude as a director was at its zenith with 'Black Samurai'. If they haven't benumbed themselves already, bad movie aficionados will find themselves in a terminal state of physical and spiritual paralysis mid-way through a screening of this confounding example of horribly inept and sickeningly opportunistic "cinenema". It's such a shame that the name of Ed Wood gets bandied around as filmdom's most foolhardy auteur, when a myopic, amputee, feral child could have edited 'Black Samurai' with more panache than Adamson; you could gaffer tape a Bolex into the hand of a 30 year old corpse and engender a more profound cinematic statement than 'Black Samurai'. If one had the choice of ramming a frozen stoat repeatedly into both eyes, or watch 'Black Samurai'; find yourself an icy mammal, as I can assure you the latter is infinitely more painful.
Amateurish Junk; Its Reputation is Unwarranted
tom0929 October 2001
I never thought I'd see something that makes "Astro-Zombies" look like "Citizen Kane", but "Black Samurai" succeeds in this dubious honor. The word "poor" can't begin to describe this cheap, slapped-together bit of tripe; the flick's unrelenting stupidity and general half-assedness make its reputation as a guilty pleasure completely undeserved. Sure, it had a couple of mildly amusing moments (the jet-pack silliness and a bit of the midget-fu), but it's mostly a painful endurance test, even for those of us accustomed to laughing at grade-Z exploitation flicks. I seldom feel embarrassed for the actors in these sorts of things, but watching Jim Kelly flail around in this awful mess evoked a genuine feel of pity for the guy in me (I might add that this empathy completely evaporated when I learned that he starred in another of Al "Hack" Adamson's martial arts "extravanganzas" after this...shame on you, Jim Kelly!).
If you're in the mood for an amusing martial arts movie, track down something enjoyable like "Black Belt Jones" or "Master of the Flying Guillotine." Leave this wretched time-killer on the shelf gathering dust, where it belongs.
If you're in the mood for an amusing martial arts movie, track down something enjoyable like "Black Belt Jones" or "Master of the Flying Guillotine." Leave this wretched time-killer on the shelf gathering dust, where it belongs.
Big Al Does IT Again
mikecanmaybee23 August 2021
Special Agent Robert Sand (Jim Kelly) is know one to trifle with. Cruising around in his Blue Dino Ferrari he is out to rescue his girlfriend who has been kidnapper by the evil Janikot played perfectly by the little known (Bill Roy). You won't be wanting for action as Sands does whatever it takes including battling a plethora of bad guy, snakes, and even a troublesome buzzard. Sand does not lack for confidence telling one bad guy he 's better then Mohamed Ali. This film has a great soundtrack, is filmed well, and is well cast with even a couple of midget wrestlers Lil Tokyo and Cowboy Lang taking some bumps. Al's wife Regina Carrol even graces the screen as a Voodoo dancer which is a lot of fun. The Beautiful Synne (Marilyn Joi ) is great as Janikot's Gun Moll and outclasses Toki Konuma Sand's girlfriend played by (Chia Essie Lin). Not that there is anything wrong with Chia's acting but that Fox Marilyn just lights up the screen. This is a great "B" movie and Jim Kelly's second best after another Adamson classic Death Dimensions.
Rather generic cheese here...
paul_haakonsen31 July 2021
Granted, when I sat down in 2021 to watch the 1976 movie "Black Samurai" for the first time, then I wasn't really harboring much of any expectations for it. Why? Well, I am not overly keen on the whole blaxploitation genre.
But since I hadn't already seen "Black Samurai" and finding myself with the chance to do so, of course I managed to find the time to watch Al Adamson's 1976 movie.
And now having seen it, I can't say that I was overly impressed or entertained by what I saw. I suppose that the movie is adequate enough for this particular genre of movie. But I just wanted more entertainment from a movie other than watching Jim Kelly run around from scene to scene across the continent for some reason and fight a number of people, some of which even show up again after they have been killed.
Yeah, the whole concept of "Black Samurai" was just shallow and poorly written. There were no proper contents to the storyline here, as written by B. Readick and Marco Joachim. So I was finding myself getting bored with the monotonous and repetitive material that seemed to be this movie.
The acting in "Black Samurai", well I suppose that was pretty average for a movie of this type and caliber.
I am rating "Black Samurai" a less than mediocre, but generous, four out of ten stars. I have watched it now and can check it off of the watched movie list. But I can honestly say that I am not going to return to watch it a second time.
But since I hadn't already seen "Black Samurai" and finding myself with the chance to do so, of course I managed to find the time to watch Al Adamson's 1976 movie.
And now having seen it, I can't say that I was overly impressed or entertained by what I saw. I suppose that the movie is adequate enough for this particular genre of movie. But I just wanted more entertainment from a movie other than watching Jim Kelly run around from scene to scene across the continent for some reason and fight a number of people, some of which even show up again after they have been killed.
Yeah, the whole concept of "Black Samurai" was just shallow and poorly written. There were no proper contents to the storyline here, as written by B. Readick and Marco Joachim. So I was finding myself getting bored with the monotonous and repetitive material that seemed to be this movie.
The acting in "Black Samurai", well I suppose that was pretty average for a movie of this type and caliber.
I am rating "Black Samurai" a less than mediocre, but generous, four out of ten stars. I have watched it now and can check it off of the watched movie list. But I can honestly say that I am not going to return to watch it a second time.
WOW!
BandSAboutMovies8 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Robert Sand (Jim Kelly), agent of D. R. A. G. O. N. (Defense Reserve Agency Guardian Of Nations), is just trying to play tennis when he gets called in to save Toki Konuma (Essie Lin Chia, Doomsday Machine), an ambassador's daughter. This brings him into conflict with another group called Warlock who want the freeze bomb, a new weapon, and use drugs and voodoo ritual murder to get what they want.
They're led by Janicot (Bill Roy), who has a whole army of people willing to dress up in voodoo costumes, along with an evil woman named Synn (Marilyn Joi) and even a vulture named Voltron.
Based on the book by Marc Olden, this was directed by Al Adamson and written by B. Readick and Marco Joachim.
It's got a great cast, including Felix Silla (who has a whip and that's worth watching this for just that moment), Cowboy Lang, Little Tokyo, Regina Carroll and even Aldo Ray as the leader of D. R. A. G. O. N.
It also has Jim Kelly flying with a jetpack like he's James Bond. That's worth watching this movie for. Oh yeah - he also punches two dudes right in the cock. And not over the course of the movie. I'm saying he gives them both Roshambo at the same time.
They're led by Janicot (Bill Roy), who has a whole army of people willing to dress up in voodoo costumes, along with an evil woman named Synn (Marilyn Joi) and even a vulture named Voltron.
Based on the book by Marc Olden, this was directed by Al Adamson and written by B. Readick and Marco Joachim.
It's got a great cast, including Felix Silla (who has a whip and that's worth watching this for just that moment), Cowboy Lang, Little Tokyo, Regina Carroll and even Aldo Ray as the leader of D. R. A. G. O. N.
It also has Jim Kelly flying with a jetpack like he's James Bond. That's worth watching this movie for. Oh yeah - he also punches two dudes right in the cock. And not over the course of the movie. I'm saying he gives them both Roshambo at the same time.
Despite the fact that this movie is terrible,,,
idiot48719 January 2007
It is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen. The action is terrible, but punctuated with great sound effects. Midgets come out of nowhere, and partner up with African tribesman as the targets for Jim Kelly's wrath. The movie isn't at all PC, and if you can find it in an uncut edition, there's even a fair amount of bad stripping! All this before we even get to the climax. All in all, this movie is truly a must-see for anyone who wants to understand why America moved on from the 1970s. That said, I haven't laughed this long and hard during a movie for a long long time. Please: this movie is bad, it is oh so gloriously bad, but worth every minute you invest in it.
No, really, JETPACK!
Hawknfox11 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is quite literally the funniest thing I've ever seen ever. I almost suffocated myself with laughter three times during this film, and me and my friends still yell out the word Jetpack for no apparent reason in response to the utter hilarity that is Black Samurai.
This movie makes about as much sense as a Schizophrenic on Acid. If anyone can explain to me what the hell was up with the cavemen lead by a cowboy midget, I would be willing to pay handsomely. And why is that stripper taking off the same piece of clothing for about 15 minutes? Did the director really think that they could get away with just looping a scene 10-12 times in lieu of actually shooting? But seriously... This is a great movie to watch in the middle of the night, drunk or high, preferably with six or seven of your good humored (And by good humored, I mean Mystery Science Theater fans) friends. Be prepared for what has to be the most non-sensical thing ever created by man. Enjoy.
This movie makes about as much sense as a Schizophrenic on Acid. If anyone can explain to me what the hell was up with the cavemen lead by a cowboy midget, I would be willing to pay handsomely. And why is that stripper taking off the same piece of clothing for about 15 minutes? Did the director really think that they could get away with just looping a scene 10-12 times in lieu of actually shooting? But seriously... This is a great movie to watch in the middle of the night, drunk or high, preferably with six or seven of your good humored (And by good humored, I mean Mystery Science Theater fans) friends. Be prepared for what has to be the most non-sensical thing ever created by man. Enjoy.
Low quality in every regard – poor even by the standards of the blaxploitation genre
bob the moo6 May 2012
It has been a while since I watched Black Belt Jones, but that was the previous Jim Kelly film I had seen and recently the mood took me for some blaxploitation films. Where the previous film had Kelly fighting for his own streets, here we have him as a much in demand secret agent. He plays Robert Sand (Bobby to his mates) who is on holiday playing tennis with some hotties with the phone off the hook whenever his employers come to him for help in breaking a right of black-magic using international drug dealers. Sands of course says no, until he finds the group have kidnapped the daughter of the Japanese Ambassador to the US (Toki) who also happens to be Sand's girlfriend (albeit not one he is particularly faithful to). Sand sets out to rescue her and bring down the gang all at once.
I quite like Blaxploitation films when they work; the best of them manage to be really good and make the most of limited resources, but there can still be good ones that try and have fun while being inherently poor. Unfortunately Black Samurai seems to either not be aware of its own limitations or just seems content to totally ignore them and hope it will all just come together. By this I mean that it doesn't play to its strengths very well but instead plays to an ideal that it can't achieve either financially or in terms of the skills of those involved. There are big moments of this (like the jet-pack scene) but generally the whole film is poor and just seems worse for how far from its own target it falls. The plot is clunky and very little fun at all while the action sequences don't even offer cheesy thrills because they are mostly poorly done. It is a shame because I like Kelly but he looks poor because of how bad the extras are at even things like falling down.
Technically the film shows how little effort went into this. The direction and shot selection is poor but it is the audio that is most shocking. Quality varies between lines within the same scene but more annoying is the ADR/dubbing done after the film. When it at its best it is just out of synch but at its worst lines are dubbed onto people who aren't even speaking at the time – the fight with Bones and Sand is hilarious as a result. And so the film goes – it fills time when it can, point a camera roughly where people are standing when they're doing something and generally fails to be fun, dramatic, exciting or even funny in a cheesy retro way. The cast can't do much. Kelly is not a great presence but he is totally wasted here – uncool, not allowed to impressive physically and just looks uncomfortable for most of it. The supporting cast are weaker – Joi and Chia are cute but never given the chance to be a sexy distraction in the film as they should have been. Meanwhile the main villains stand and pull faces while rubbish henchmen fall over awkwardly.
A poor film then – even by the standards of the genre. It seems to think it can make big things work despite having no talent or resources to achieve it and the end result is poor no matter how you look at it. It says a lot when you consider that the entertainment high-point of the film is a fight with a vulture where Kelly lies on his back doing defensive arm movements while someone waves a stuffed toy in his face, intercut with a white stuntman standing in for Kelly who appears to have had a panicking vulture stapled to his chest – and even this only works because of how unintentionally daft it all looks.
I quite like Blaxploitation films when they work; the best of them manage to be really good and make the most of limited resources, but there can still be good ones that try and have fun while being inherently poor. Unfortunately Black Samurai seems to either not be aware of its own limitations or just seems content to totally ignore them and hope it will all just come together. By this I mean that it doesn't play to its strengths very well but instead plays to an ideal that it can't achieve either financially or in terms of the skills of those involved. There are big moments of this (like the jet-pack scene) but generally the whole film is poor and just seems worse for how far from its own target it falls. The plot is clunky and very little fun at all while the action sequences don't even offer cheesy thrills because they are mostly poorly done. It is a shame because I like Kelly but he looks poor because of how bad the extras are at even things like falling down.
Technically the film shows how little effort went into this. The direction and shot selection is poor but it is the audio that is most shocking. Quality varies between lines within the same scene but more annoying is the ADR/dubbing done after the film. When it at its best it is just out of synch but at its worst lines are dubbed onto people who aren't even speaking at the time – the fight with Bones and Sand is hilarious as a result. And so the film goes – it fills time when it can, point a camera roughly where people are standing when they're doing something and generally fails to be fun, dramatic, exciting or even funny in a cheesy retro way. The cast can't do much. Kelly is not a great presence but he is totally wasted here – uncool, not allowed to impressive physically and just looks uncomfortable for most of it. The supporting cast are weaker – Joi and Chia are cute but never given the chance to be a sexy distraction in the film as they should have been. Meanwhile the main villains stand and pull faces while rubbish henchmen fall over awkwardly.
A poor film then – even by the standards of the genre. It seems to think it can make big things work despite having no talent or resources to achieve it and the end result is poor no matter how you look at it. It says a lot when you consider that the entertainment high-point of the film is a fight with a vulture where Kelly lies on his back doing defensive arm movements while someone waves a stuffed toy in his face, intercut with a white stuntman standing in for Kelly who appears to have had a panicking vulture stapled to his chest – and even this only works because of how unintentionally daft it all looks.
Jewel In the Grind House Crown
Falconeer31 July 2014
Who is cooler than Jim Kelly? And what film defines the genre 'grind house' better than "Black Samurai?" This bizarre, James Bond/Blaxploitation/martial arts hybrid has it all; impressive fight scenes, gorgeous women, beautiful exotic cars, foreign settings, and off the wall soundtrack, combined with a story so out there, you will wonder if someone put a rufie in your drink. Acting and screen presence are two different things, and Jim Kelly might not have been the strongest actor, but this man certainly had an indescribable screen presence. Here Kelly portrays Secret Agent Robert Sand, A karate expert who becomes embroiled in an outrageous cat and mouse game, when his girl, who happens to be the daughter of a far Eastern Ambassador, is abducted by the eccentric and insane, terrorist-like 'Warlock,' an inventor of a dangerous weapon called "the Freeze bomb." Warlock is of course, also involved with a top drug cartel and human trafficking as a way of funding his terrorist activities. Jim Kelly must battle midget assassins, as well as voodoo ritual murders. This could easily be high comedy..but the beauty of this film is that it is played serious throughout, and you will find yourself absorbed in this bizarre action film.
For those who truly appreciate the grind house/exploit genre, this film is a shining example. It possesses this extreme nostalgic style and feel, and it looks beautiful. it has a way of taking the viewer back to his childhood, to another, forgotten time. The cinematography is gorgeous, and just riding around with Kelly in his purple Ferrari is going to make you feel like a better person just for having seen this diamond of a film. It's a bit sad to see that some people poke fun at this movie, and others like it. These people clearly have zero understanding of this underrated genre of film making. After seeing just a few Jim Kelly movies, I have placed him up there with Bruce Lee, as one of my all-time heroes. Unfortunately some truly unsavory characters have seen fit to butcher this iconic film for it's DVD release, by censoring it, and even more unforgivably, by adding stupid overdubs to some fight scenes, in an effort to make the movie look stupid. Presently I am searching for an uncensored VHS of "Black Samurai," which has got to be the Holy Grail for fans of exploitation cinema.
For those who truly appreciate the grind house/exploit genre, this film is a shining example. It possesses this extreme nostalgic style and feel, and it looks beautiful. it has a way of taking the viewer back to his childhood, to another, forgotten time. The cinematography is gorgeous, and just riding around with Kelly in his purple Ferrari is going to make you feel like a better person just for having seen this diamond of a film. It's a bit sad to see that some people poke fun at this movie, and others like it. These people clearly have zero understanding of this underrated genre of film making. After seeing just a few Jim Kelly movies, I have placed him up there with Bruce Lee, as one of my all-time heroes. Unfortunately some truly unsavory characters have seen fit to butcher this iconic film for it's DVD release, by censoring it, and even more unforgivably, by adding stupid overdubs to some fight scenes, in an effort to make the movie look stupid. Presently I am searching for an uncensored VHS of "Black Samurai," which has got to be the Holy Grail for fans of exploitation cinema.
SnoozeFest, but need to watch it for Jim Kelly!
spiderman-313 July 2000
This movie is a forgettable karate flick starring the wonderful Jim Kelly. Every karate movie cliche is here, including midgets, and an evil white guy karate master (who doesn't know karate) with a vulture named "Voltan."
STANDOUT SCENE - Watch closely when the evil white guy sends his vulture to attack Kelly. Quote, "Voltan! Kill!!" (never mind that vultures are lazy creatures by nature who wouldn't even eat a dead deer if they had to cross the street to get it). Okay, now watch when Voltan lands on Jim Kelly -- Kelly's stunt-double is a white guy. A blonde white guy - they didn't even give the double a dark haired wig or anything.
Other standouts include Kelly's staff fight with a group of thugs, and his pre-final showdown with a Damon Wayans lookalike, where Kelly spouts Muhammad Ali like banter ("C'mon chump! C'mon sissy!")
A great movie if you can a) find it and b) stay awake through it!!
STANDOUT SCENE - Watch closely when the evil white guy sends his vulture to attack Kelly. Quote, "Voltan! Kill!!" (never mind that vultures are lazy creatures by nature who wouldn't even eat a dead deer if they had to cross the street to get it). Okay, now watch when Voltan lands on Jim Kelly -- Kelly's stunt-double is a white guy. A blonde white guy - they didn't even give the double a dark haired wig or anything.
Other standouts include Kelly's staff fight with a group of thugs, and his pre-final showdown with a Damon Wayans lookalike, where Kelly spouts Muhammad Ali like banter ("C'mon chump! C'mon sissy!")
A great movie if you can a) find it and b) stay awake through it!!
Arrggh Again!!
skidplate16 October 2001
Once more beaten to the first review of a great movie! Oh well... Not much to add, except the final fight of this movie has some of the best dub work I have seen since... Well I can't even think of better dubbing than the final seen of this movie. Funny thing is this movie is american so they didnt dub it so you can understand the actors, no they dubbed it cuz, I guess they just thought the last part was just too quiet.. It's awesome, oh yeah and the vulture scene is probably the most horrific bit of animal cruelty i've seen since "Peking Man". This movie has Jim Kelly Kung-Fu Fighting a Vulture, "Peking Man" has people running from a Cheetah with it's mouth sewn shut.. You just cant beat it.
Don't miss this one...
prhanlon23 October 2001
Unintentional or not, this is one of the funniest movies ever put on film. Jim Kelly acts unbelievably seriously in this movie considering that he ends up fighting little people, snakes, and a vulture (not necessarily in that order). Also released as "Black Terminator" (available on DVD in an edited version). The box for the version I saw contained the catchline "Miami Vice meets James Bond". This certainly must refer to the luck that our hero has with the ladies. If you can find it, watch it with friends who can appreciate a really good B movie.
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