BLACK SAMURAI (1976) ***

 

I bought this on VHS for $5 at Roses in the late ‘90s during the Blaxploitation resurgence that occurred shortly after Pam Grier starred in Jackie Brown.  I’m not sure if it was my first Al Adamson movie or not (I also picked up Dracula vs. Frankenstein in a giant clamshell box around this time), but it certainly got me hooked on his films.  It’s cheap and chintzy, but the badass performance by Jim Kelly gives it an unmistakable sense of cool. 

Based on the series of Black Samurai men’s adventure novels, Kelly stars as an agent of D.R.A.G.O.N.  He is a master of the martial arts who lives by the samurai code.  When his girlfriend is kidnapped by a villainous cult leader, Kelly springs into action to get her back. 

Black Samurai finds Adamson working away from Sam Sherman and his usual Independent-International team.  Even though the film was essentially a for-hire gig, it very much feels like an Adamson picture.  I’m sure he was hired for his spendthrift ways, which helps give some of the action sequences a bigger (but not much) feel (like when Kelly drives a car loaded with gadgets, just like James Bond).

The cool Bond-style opening credits scene coupled with a funky theme song sets the tone nicely.  We also get a great scene where a shotgun-toting, poorly dubbed Felix Silla interrupts Kelly during his meditation.  (There are several fights involving dwarves and little people, actually.)

Although it’s a little more respectable than your typical Adamson production, we still get scenes of strippers shaking their goodies for all to see.  Adamson handles the action better than you’d expect too as Kelly’s Kung Fu scenes are solidly entertaining.  The best part is when he gets to bust out a jetpack.  Yes, it’s yet another Bond reference, but unlike 007, Kelly actually gets to use it for a lengthy amount of time. 

Kelly, who really should’ve been a bigger star, looks relaxed and confident, and he carries the movie effortlessly.  His performance alone should’ve warranted a slew of sequels, which we unfortunately did not get.  He has a lot of chemistry with Adamson regular Marilyn Joi, who plays the villain’s sexy right-hand woman, Synne. My favorite exchange is when she calls him, “my white knight!”, and he responds, “I’m never the white knight, baby!”

For a low budget Blaxploitation James Bond/Enter the Dragon knockoff, Black Samurai is hard to beat.  The budget can’t quite keep up with its comic book sensibilities, but that’s kind of the charm.  While it may drag in spots, once it starts cooking, it’s a damn good time.  It’s proof that Adamson, given a good cast and a decent script, could churn out a winner.

AKA:  Black Terminator.