Why so much hype?

Thanks for the memories!

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Following the phenomenonal success of "Enter the Dragon," director Robert Clouse and co-star Jim Kelly teamed up for this more tongue in cheek martial arts flick, "Black Belt Jones." Released in 1974 and distributed by "Warner Bros," Jim Kelly was given his first and best leading role. He becomes reluctantly embroiled in a war between local businessmen and a Mafia family, after the latter threaten his martial arts school with closure. It has been said that not all martial artists can "sell" their moves on the big screen by being more larger than life. As a result, it doesn't pave the way for a successful movie career. In the case of Jim Kelly however, he can certainly put on a good show and he does in "Black Belt Jones." One of the best examples of this, is when he takes on a group of corrupt police officers at a car park. Some neat moves are on display. The ending I found to be a bit too silly for words. Robert Clouse does a good enough job in the directing but Bruce Lee is sorely missed when it comes to the fight choreography. A pretty good film on the whole.

Group of mafia people try to take over pops karate shop , with the mafia being big fat italians with cool 70s ,music shouting MAMMA MIA everywhere, and a group of blacks fighting to kick out a group of martial artists. The main character black belt jones, sports the coolest afro and martial arts movie I have ever seen.Note this is not a serious film, it is based on hilarious performances and fight seens equal to the old batman fight scenes, "pok , pow, kabaoom" without the words.This film is best watched by a group of guys with a few beers as the chuckles will last through the entire film. This movie is by far a comedy and one of the best I have ever seen. Its a masterpiece in its own right. Under cover brother tried to copy this film I believe.You will thoroughly enjoy, but only if you don't take this film seriously and only for comical relief

Well, I can easily say that this is my favorite movie ever. Ever! Jim Kelly provides non-stop kung-fu-rific action with a style of the 70's no-one can match. Filled with tons of creative fight scenes including a crutial battle, fought in a rising bed of BUBBLES! Black-belt's female counterpart Sydney also provides a mean ass-woopin throughout this masterpiece. One warning though, its as full of off-color, non-pc dialog as it is great fight choreography (just keep in mind, its a 70's "B" movie, so just take them as funny, "i can't believe they said that" humour and you're set).So ya, basically its a must see in my eyes. It's so great i own a sealed copy of it! Enjoy.

There's no way on earth I'm gonna argue that 'Black Belt Jones' is a great movie, even a very good one, but no matter how silly and cheesy it gets it's a hell of a ride and lots of fun! Let's face it this is b-grade exploitation fare deliberately designed to cash in on both the mid-70s blaxploitation boom and the success of Bruce Lee's martial arts classic 'Enter The Dragon'. Dragon's director Robert Clouse (who also made the hugely enjoyable post-apocalyptic potboiler 'The Ultimate Warrior') took karate champion Jim Kelly, who co-starred with Lee and John Saxon in that film, and tried to start a spin-off franchise with him. The big problem was that Kelly certainly had the fighting chops but his acting was only so-so and he was one of the least charismatic of all the blaxploitation leading men. Just compare him to Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree or Ron O'Neal and you'll see what I mean. Anyway, for one movie at least it didn't really matter. Kelly stars as Black Belt Jones who returns to the inner city karate school where he got his start after the death of his mentor Pop Byrd (the wonderful Scatman Crothers, who yes, kicks some butt before he is killed, a sight you'll never forget!). Jones teams up with Pop's estranged daughter Sydney (Gloria Hendry of 'Black Caesar' and 'Savage Sisters'), also a fighter, and his peeps to avenge Pop's death. The rest of the cast includes Eric Laneuville ('The Omega Man'), Earl Brown (Whisper from 'Live And Let Die'), and even Isaac the bartender from 'The Love Boat' as a Black Panther! This is a silly movie, but still loads of fun, with some very entertaining fight sequences, and some laughs, intentional and unintentional. 'Black Belt Jones' is mandatory viewing for all 1970s trash buffs.