Black Dynamite (2009)

BLACK DYNAMITE

DIRECTED BY: SCOTT SANDERS
WRITTEN BY: MICHAEL JAI WHITE, BYRON MINNS, & SCOTT SANDERS
OVERALL SCORE: 7.75/10

Local legend Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) must team up with a group of revolutionaries to take on The Man for a series of drug related incidents that have plagued his local ghetto.

"Your knowledge of scientific biological transmogrification is only outmatched by your zest for kung-fu treachery!"

Ever seen a film so indescribably awesome you secretly want to mate with it? No? Just me? Well, then you obviously haven't seen Black Dynamite. A pitch perfect parody of 1960's and 1970's blaxploitation films (specifically films like Shaft, Disco Godfather, Three The Hard Way, among many others).

In order to get you hooked, Black Dynamite dives right into the spoof, with scenes so incredibly over the top you're instantly aware of its comedic intentions. And while some may find it getting old, Michael Jai White and Scott Sanders are there at every turn to bring something new to the table. How do they do this? Quite simple: start small and just get exponentially bigger and crazier.

It's a brilliant scheme. Just when you think you've scene all this film has to offer, it brings something entirely out there to the table. This includes fight scenes involving ninjas, presidents, and just regular thugs. The kind of fun you can only get from films like this and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (a fellow spoof on blaxploitation films made in 1988). Where each scene is a brilliant look into the low production values, the high cheese factor, and, above all, the notion that when it doubt, just entertain.

And entertain is what it most definitely does. Each cast member is willing to ham it up to the extreme to make it work. Nothing is taken too seriously, and the film glides on the wings of its own insanity. No comedy in the last few years has made me laugh nearly this hard. And that's saying something.

If you enjoy your films packed with plenty of cheesy goodness, Black Dynamite is the film for you. Never taking itself so seriously it looses sight of its main goal: to be a hilariously off the wall parody.

Defendor (2009)

DEFENDOR

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: PETER STEBBINGS
OVERALL SCORE: 7.00/10

Well meaning, but delusional, Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson) dresses up at night as the superhero Defendor, hunting down Captain Industry. After getting beaten up by some local thugs, he teams up with a young hooker, Kat (Kat Dennings), to take down a city crime lord.

Defendor is the kind of film that without blogging I would never get a chance to see. This small budget Canadian film would likely have not even gazed near my radar, and what a shame that would have been. A dramady centered around a couple of personally flawed individuals trying to find their place in the world, is a captivating, and emotionally griping tale.

A parody the loves the genre cheesiness, but at the same time truly cares about its characters. Much of the film really takes the time to develop Arthur. We get to see his past, what made him the way he is, and what he aspires to be. His tale is heartbreaking, and Harrelson handles it with a dimwitted charm that makes him beyond lovable. While Kat Dennings doesn't offer much, she provides a suitable counter balance to Arthur, with a well developed backstory herself.

It's the attention to its characters that really struck me about the film. The two main leads are the only developed ones, but they are well developed. And, at the same time, they provide a good amount of comedy to keep the film refreshing. The movie knows when it's funny, but it doesn't try to force it. Never halting the progress of the story to try and make it funnier. The characters natural actions take care of that.

The real downsides for the film lie in some mishandling. Above the main four actors the second tier performances are skiddish at best. And while Stebbings does a commendable job, during many of the key dramatic moments I felt he came up a bit short in writing and direction. Not really grasping the levity of the moment, and settling for an extra bit of cheese, when not necessary.

Regardless, Defendor is a perfectly entertaining affair. Grounded by solid action, absorbed in superhero mythos, and completely full of heart.

While far from perfect Defendor is the rare kind of parody that manages to be both amusing and heartfelt. A little gem of a movie, that definitely gets my recommendation.