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Black Dynamite Movie Review

“Ever since I was a boy, all I knew was how to fight.  Fight, fight, fight. And when I got tired, I would fight some more.” - Black Dynamite
Black Dynamite is a 2009 action comedy starring Michael Jai White, and directed by Scott Sanders.  The movie is a satirical spoof on 1970’s low budget blaxploitation films. It tells the story of martial arts master/Vietnam vet/C.I.A. agent/all around bad dude Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) who goes out to get revenge after the mob kills his brother.  
I absolutely loved Black Dynamite, and was not at all expecting it to be as intelligent of a film as it was.  It was very funny, and self aware, and you couldn’t wipe the smile from my face for the entirety of the film. The script was incredibly well written, and every line of dialogue was just bursting with gleeful silliness.   
The acting was one of the best parts of the movie, and every single actor was absolutely terrific in delivering their lines and personifying their characters.  The jokes and gags are fantastic, and almost all of them landed perfectly. The humor is extremely meta, and it succeeds in being hilarious in a very ironic, self aware way.  It’s very witty and smart.
The camerawork is absolutely fantastic because it replicates low budget ‘70’s B-movies in a very accurate way, and the music is also great.  On the subject of music, pay attention to the lyrics of the songs in the background if you can. You will be rewarded with some very intelligent humor.  
My one flaw with this film is that towards the middle, some of the jokes got a tiny bit repetitive, but that changed when the third act rolled around.  Overall, Black Dynamite is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time, and I couldn’t stop laughing until the film was over. I loved this film, and I think that if you are a fan of smart, meta humor, you’ll love it too.
Rating: R

Grade: A-

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