Overview
A hero rises from the chaos of the ghetto to take on a corrupt system.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- irreverent
- campy
- witty
- cult movie night
- retro movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a funny, meticulous, and affectionate send-up of 1970s blaxploitation, though some found its deliberately thin story and sustained gimmick limiting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film meticulously recreates 1970s blaxploitation dialogue, performances, action tropes, and visual errors while parodying them.
Boom microphones enter the frame, actors recite stage directions, and conspicuous continuity and performance choices become part of the joke.
Black Dynamite is presented as an outrageously capable 1970s action legend whose crusade targets The Man and criminal corruption.
The plot targets heroin distribution, adulterated malt liquor, orphanage corruption, the ghetto, and the Honky House through exaggerated genre conventions.
Films like Black Dynamite, and why
They Call Me Bruce?
loving genre parody, exaggerated action, and deliberately retro cinematic style
Kung Fu Hustle
stylized martial arts comedy, broad physical humor, and cult exploitation sensibility
Undercover Brother
self-aware spoofing of genre conventions, cartoonish violence, and irreverent comedy
The Kentucky Fried Movie
affectionate deconstruction of exploitation cinema with campy action and political satire
Movie Details
- Director
- Scott Sanders
- Release Date
- 2009-10-16
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (744)
Cast
- Michael Jai White
- Arsenio Hall
- Tommy Davidson
- Kevin Chapman
- Richard Edson
- Bokeem Woodbine
- Buddy Lewis
- Irwin Keyes
- Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
- Nicole Ari Parker
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Dynamite about?
- A swaggering 1970s action icon wages a wildly self-aware crusade against corrupt power in this meticulously crafted blaxploitation spoof.
- What is Black Dynamite like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Dynamite as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Black Dynamite violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Black Dynamite as graphic.
- What did critics think of Black Dynamite?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a funny, meticulous, and affectionate send-up of 1970s blaxploitation, though some found its deliberately thin story and sustained gimmick limiting.
- Which films are like Black Dynamite?
- Films with a similar feel include They Call Me Bruce?, Kung Fu Hustle, Undercover Brother, and The Kentucky Fried Movie.
- How long is Black Dynamite?
- Black Dynamite runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Dynamite?
- In United States, Black Dynamite is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
