Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- comic
- raucous
- cult movie night
- 1970s cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics generally regard the film as a middling but entertaining example of blaxploitation, with its cult personality outweighing its rough execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film is explicitly identified as blaxploitation and follows a Black criminal protagonist confronting corrupt police and local power brokers.
Dolemite is framed with planted drugs, stolen furs, and guns, imprisoned for twenty years, and seeks retribution after escaping.
The film combines martial-arts call girls, pimp mythology, shootouts, and Rudy Ray Moore's flamboyant performance in an intentionally outrageous register.
Queen Bee helps arrange Dolemite's release, while his call girls are presented as karate experts and active warriors.
Films like Dolemite, and why
The Mack
shared blaxploitation tradition, streetwise revenge plot, funk-inflected action, and exploitation-era humor
Black Caesar
shared blaxploitation style, charismatic criminal protagonist, urban underworld setting, and pulpy action
Three the Hard Way
shared martial arts spectacle, crime-centered revenge narrative, and irreverent exploitation tone
Shaft
shared low-budget blaxploitation energy, comic violence, criminal antihero, and revenge themes
Movie Details
- Director
- D'Urville Martin
- Release Date
- 1975-04-26
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (138)
Cast
- Rudy Ray Moore
- D'Urville Martin
- Lady Reed
- Jerry Jones
- Cardella Di Milo
- Hy Pyke
- Wesley Gale
- John Kerry
- Dino Washington
- Vincent Barbi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dolemite about?
- A flamboyant pimp and his karate-skilled allies wage a comic, street-level campaign against the corrupt enemies who framed him.
- What is Dolemite like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dolemite as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Dolemite violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Dolemite as moderate.
- What did critics think of Dolemite?
- Critics generally regard the film as a middling but entertaining example of blaxploitation, with its cult personality outweighing its rough execution.
- Which films are like Dolemite?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mack, Black Caesar, Three the Hard Way, and Shaft.
- How long is Dolemite?
- Dolemite runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dolemite?
- In United States, Dolemite streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
