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Absolutely Fantastic

Absolutely Brilliant!

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Weaker entry in the Blaxploitation genre, but still one of the earlier films and has genre staple Fred Williamson. Has the same generic scenes with mobsters, people beating each other up, nudity and the general genre clichés. But story line is simply boring. Boxing scenes add a bit of color and interest. Not worth watching unless you are a student of the Blaxploitation genre.

Rugged dock worker turned champion boxer B.J. Hammer (the almighty Fred Williamson in prime macho form) excels in the ring and rises to the top. However, things go sour when the local syndicate tells Hammer to take a dive in his next major fight. Director Bruce D. Clark, working from a compact script by Charles Johnson, maintains a constant brisk pace and makes neat use of the gritty urban locations while delivering plenty of rousing rough'n'ready fisticuffs and a generous sprinkling of tasty female nudity. Of course, Fred's smooth charisma and easygoing personality holds the picture together. The sturdy cast of familiar B-pic faces helps a lot: the lovely Vonetta McGhee as B.J.'s smart and loyal girlfriend Lois, the ever-reliable William Smith as vicious enforcer Brenner, Bernie Hamilton as helpful detective Davis, Charles Lampkin as slick top hood Big Sid, Elizabeth Harding as Sid's cheap floozy main squeeze Rhoda, Mel Stewart as tough venerable trainer Professor, D'Urville Martin as hip pool player Sonny, Stack Pierce as warehouse foreman Roughhouse, and John Quade as belligerent jerk Riley. The gorgeous Marilyn Joi burns up the screen in her film debut as a foxy exotic dancer. Robert Steadman's sharp cinematography makes cool and exciting occasional use of a hand-held camera. Soulman Solomon Burke's funky score hits the get-down groovy spot. Recommended viewing for fans of the Hammer.

Fred Williamson was unusual for a "blaxploitation" star because in real life, he was just as tough and good looking as the people he played--having been an NFL star and multiple black belt! And, having been a Playgirl centerfold, he was studly enough to play the part as well.Here, tough but decent guy Williamson plays the title character. Hammer is discovered by a boxing promoter and offers to train him. However, Hammer is naive enough not to realize that the promoter (Charles Lumpkin) and his sidekick (William Smith) are evil--and you NEVER disappoint or cross them...or else! When the mysterious "Mr. Big" (who Lumpkin works for) demands that Williamson takes a dive, Williamson's trainer refuses--and nearly is beaten to death. So, now it's "Hammer Time"! This film is a bit different from some, in that the cops are NOT the bad guys and the detective on the case is a Black man. Also, there's very little not to like or respect about Hammer--he's a stand-up guy. However, like the average blaxploitation film, "the Man" is White and controls many of the Black men in the film--a theme that resonated with Black audiences of the day. Plus, like other similar films, there is a sprinkling of sex to spice things up--though a little less than usual.Technically speaking, this is a pretty well made film. The acting is pretty good, the story is predictable and familiar (there have been many boxing films like it) but it's still very engaging and the film is entertaining throughout and better than the average blaxploitation film. In fact, I'm not even sure I'd consider it exactly this genre--as it's a decent film regardless and a little less violent and packs a positive message. Pretty good stuff.

Let's be honest about this one. Only reason I watched this is because it's from the director of the notorious "Galaxy of Terror" (1981, a horror/sci-fi B-movie with LOTS of fun!!!!).Not being a fan of exploitation, even though I love extreme cinema, I have seen none or few blaxploitation films. Anyway, I think this could be characterized as such. It is a boxing/crime film with violence, nudity, boxing, lots of black people and fight-action. Soundtrack is mostly funky 70's stuff which I normally hate, but fit well in here and builds cozy atmosphere. Anyway, this movie is NO good, but it's got one single good thing in common with "Galaxy of Terror" : fast pace. Maybe after all its a decent film for a cheap genre, I don't know.recommended to blaxploitation fans and/or completists