Black Dynamite
Apparition | Release Date: September 4, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Along the way, Black Dynamite blends satire, nostalgia, and cinema deconstruction into a one-of-a-kind comedy high. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesRobert Abele
An enjoyable celebratory ode to a fiercely entertaining counterculture-inspired genre. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Sometimes feels like an all-time classic short film stretched to feature length, but it’s blissfully short, and it peaks at the end with a groovy cartoon during the closing credits. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
You could argue, I suppose, that this film, a Sundance hit, is essentially a funny sketch padded out to feature length. And what of it, my man? Read full review
80
VarietyRob Nelson
This film will delight both discriminating fans of the blaxploitation tradition and ordinary lovers of goofy, in-ya-face thrills. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It's one of those loving modern retreads of older genre movies. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Before an hour has passed tedium overtakes Black Dynamite - one corny martial-arts sequence turns out to be plenty - and all the good jokes dry up. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJames Greenberg
Even if it's a one-joke movie that runs out of steam, director Scott Sanders manages to keep the gag going for 90 minutes. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith Uhlich
Less deadpan spoof than loving act of possession, Black Dynamite near-fully channels the look and feel of its blaxploitation ancestors, warts and all. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The movie gets old fast--mostly because it’s bringing up the rear after "Undercover Brother" (2002) And "I’m Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988). But the kung-fu climax at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (“the Honky House”) is nearly worth the wait, and Adrian Younge’s score, with its moody horns, is a perfect snapshot of early 70s soul. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Just like the movies it parodies, this one feels over long before it's actually done. Read full review
50
Village VoiceMelissa Anderson
No matter how many trips to Kung Fu Island our hero makes, nothing in Black Dynamite captures the exhilarating absurdity of Pam Grier hiding razors in her Afro in "Coffy"--or the loony genre experimentation in "Pootie Tang." Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
While White plays it supercool, Tommy Davidson and Arsenio Hall (as Cream Corn and Tasty Freeze, respectively) swing for the fences, without much in the way of a bat. Read full review
40
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
As a five-minute clip on YouTube, this spoof might be a small masterpiece. As a feature film, it’s both too much and not nearly enough. Read full review
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