Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Over The Top Acting, Outrageous Pimp Gear, February 12, 2001
Willie's Pimp gear and fashions in this film are so outrageous, and the way he deals with sort of being the modern day Job of the hustler world with everyone from the man, the system, rival pimps, the parking authority (who seem to be towing his car in every scene), a social worker, the neighborhood youth and even his you-know-watches comin' down on him makes this film very watchable... even though in many ways its sort of the Plan 9 from Outter Space of the black action genre (by that I mean RIDICULOUS.) - - At one point I actually thought Willie was going to find Jesus at the end and it was going to turn out to be some church financed films... things really got ridiculous... but yes, it does have a positive ending and a message too ! ! ! There are some other things too that set it apart from other films of the era, including the injections at times of Dolemite style humor, including Willie's revenge on a rival gangster by stripping him of his threads down to his shoelaces and leaving him in his birthday suit down by the waterfront, and in general the behaviour of the white lodge members at the hotel, who during a knife fight between two rival groups of prostitutes seem to be able to say little than, "Yes, please !" and "Thank you, Ma'am" in the backround for no reason whatsoever. And I agree, the the film is definitely almost cartoonish at times... very interestingly cut... really has the feel of those early '70s America International films. Overall, whether you'd award this one best of the genre (in many ways it does rival the Mack) or feel it deserves a Golden Turkey Award, I'd have to say, it is an entertaining watch by any standard... Somebody tell me where that guy got his threads.. especially the green suit on the cover ! ! ! (P.S. Funky, though sparse soundtrack by the late great J.J. Johnson ! ! ! )
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Willie is Dynamite, March 10, 2002
The best Blaxploitation and fictional pimp narrative I've ever seen. Of course, that's all terribly relative to the genre and time period. A "good" Blaxploitation film means it has a solid ENOUGH storyline and that the producers spent a little money on it to make it seem like an actual film. This one scores high on both counts, and you find yourself trying to figure out what could possibly happen next. And for a film made in 1973, it's surprisingly fresh.The story starts off with our anti-hero, Willie Dynamite (who was the bald Black guy on Sesame Street. You'll never look at Oscar the Grouch the same again) under seige from all sides, as he is set upon by an old flame-turned-social worker, the cops, and a wickedly funny pimp named "Bell" (played by Roger Robinson) who wants to take Willie's dynamite hoes because he won't join the newly formed pimp organized front. And my God, the outfits.
Willie sports some of the most outlandish stuff you've ever seen, and when he walks down a set of courthouse stairs, prepare to be rewinding the tape a few times. To top it all off, it has a moralty play woven throughout that you both admire and despise: you dig it because it's cool to have a movie from that time with a moral, but without being preachy; you despise it because it can only mean the end of Willie, who, despite his lifestyle, you come to like. Or maybe it's the white fez with triple tassles. I'm not sure. But while Willie is great, the character to watch for is Bell, who steals every scene he's in. He's the cat that does the speech that's clipped into "American Pimp" about vision, and it's even funnier when you have it in context. A well-done farce that pushes all the right buttons, and a perfect movie to watch with a bunch of your wacky friends or REALLY cool family.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprising Blaxploitation Flick--Ahead of its Time, February 13, 2005
As any fan of the genre knows, Blaxploitation flicks were all about Black empowerment and stickin' it to The Man; however, this often lead to movies about protagonists that were less than savory. Superfly brings us the noble drug pusher; The Mack and Dolemite try to sell the notion of heroic pimp--certainly, the phrase "mixed messages" comes to mind. Willie Dynamite goes the atypical route of showing our flesh-peddling protagonist as a rather dispicable sort, and illustrates the horrible effects of the pimp game on his family, his stable of prostitutes, and his own fortunes. Just as surprising are the film's "villains," as instead of the usual crooked cops, the antagonists are actually in the right. One is a lady social worker (and former streetwalker) who truly wants what's best for Willie's girls, and the other is indeed a police officer, but instead of being a fat, corrupt white guy, he's an angry young Black man who's brimming with righteous indignation at how Willie enslaves womenfolk of his own ethnicity.
Powerful stuff, and completely unheard of in the Blaxploitation ouvre. Add in plenty of over-the-top camp, such as outlandish dialogue and Willie's even more outlandish pimp vines (that means "clothing" for all you Honkies), and you have a unique film that's a must-see for those Down with the Brown.
SOLID!
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