Black Belt Jones is a kung fu Brother out to protect the world from street scum. When Poppa Byrd (Scatman Crothers) gets killed by an increasingly hapless cast of villains spearheaded by a Mafioso named Pinky, Jones enlists the help of his karate school students to clean up the streets and show the bad guys their 'propers'. You can tell from the start that this cult classic is going to offer more grooves than moves, more day-glow than Tokyo, and hilariously sincere dialogue that will truly make you fall out of your seat laughing.
This film does feature good-looking martial arts action. Jim Kelly was previously best known for his performance in 'Enter the Dragon' as a martial arts champion who, along with Bruce Lee, discovers that there is more to the Invitational Competition than meets the eye. Black Belt Jones presents the same character-type elevated to Neighborhood Hero with the requisite heart of gold. His girlfriend, Sidney, takes no guff, the bad guys are easy to fool, the fight scenes mimic (exactly!) every Bruce Lee move ever recorded, and the brawls take place (somehow) in the local car wash.
One scene to watch for - the amazingly talented lights off / lights on 'Damage At The Dojo' sequence. Using nothing more than a light switch, a plaid hat, and fists of death, Black Belt Jones defeats the gun-toting Mafia by striking . fear of the dark into them! Note how much effort it took to keep that beanie hat on top of his Afro. You really can't miss this one, so get your bell-bottoms on, call your friends and get funky!
This film does feature good-looking martial arts action. Jim Kelly was previously best known for his performance in 'Enter the Dragon' as a martial arts champion who, along with Bruce Lee, discovers that there is more to the Invitational Competition than meets the eye. Black Belt Jones presents the same character-type elevated to Neighborhood Hero with the requisite heart of gold. His girlfriend, Sidney, takes no guff, the bad guys are easy to fool, the fight scenes mimic (exactly!) every Bruce Lee move ever recorded, and the brawls take place (somehow) in the local car wash.
One scene to watch for - the amazingly talented lights off / lights on 'Damage At The Dojo' sequence. Using nothing more than a light switch, a plaid hat, and fists of death, Black Belt Jones defeats the gun-toting Mafia by striking . fear of the dark into them! Note how much effort it took to keep that beanie hat on top of his Afro. You really can't miss this one, so get your bell-bottoms on, call your friends and get funky!
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