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I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

After a Senator's daughter by the name of "June Dunbar" (Judith Brown) is kidnapped by an Asian warlord named "Carter Rangoon" (Sam Hiona) and scheduled to be executed if the United States doesn't comply with his demands, two agents "Jones" (Jim Kelly) and "Johnny Chicago" (Geoffery Binney) are sent in to rescue her. To do this they need the assistance of the local police and "Detective Sergeant Pam Varaje" (Irene Tsu) is assigned this important task. However, what none of them take into consideration is how crafty Carter Rangoon can be when necessary. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I thought that Jim Kelly performed adequately enough for the most part. Unfortunately, the rather weak attempts at comedy involving a particular character nicknamed "Rhino" (George Memmoli) and the poor script proved too much and ruined what could have been a decent film. That said, I don't consider this to be a good martial arts film by any standard and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.

Supposedly a follow-up to Jim Kelly's starring vehicle Black Belt Jones, but I only think that was an afterthought by the marketing department. Well, Kelly does play a guy named Jones. He's never once called "Black Belt". Maybe they were just unsure of whether Black Belt Jones was going to be a hit or not. Really, Hot Potato isn't even the same genre. It is a martial arts action flick, but there's not the smallest element of blaxploitation in it. Kelly's the only black person in the film. In it he hooks up with three other action heroes, Irene Tsu, Geoffrey Binney and George Memmoli to save a senator's daughter from her captors in Southeast Asia (the film was shot entirely in Thailand, and, while I don't think the name of the country is specifically mentioned in the film, the culture is most definitely Thai). Much like Black Belt Jones, the action is horribly directed, and the comedy bits are lame as all Hell (the film tries to force the doughy Memmoli on the unsuspecting audience as a comic action star, and his bits are particularly groan-inducing), but it's still amusing in the way the best bad movies are. Can't say I enjoy this nearly as much as Black Belt Jones, but it was worth seeing. I got this and BBJ in an awesome four pack of movies entitled "Urban Action Movies". One of the great buys! The other two movies, another of which stars Jim Kelly (along with Jim Brown and Fred Williamson!), look awesome, too.

Try as I might, I can't think of anything positive to say about HOT POTATO. Though filmed on location, each setting looks dull to the eye. The action is slow, clunky, and poorly choreographed. Robert Clouse shows again that his acclaimed direction of ENTER THE DRAGON was either a fluke or that he got help from Bruce Lee. The worst thing of all about the movie are the attempts at comic relief, which are so slapstick and in your face, I got angry. If you ever wondered why Jim Kelly never became a star, watch this movie - which is the *only* reason it ever should be viewed. Otherwise, avoid!

I'm sorry. Maybe I just expected too much after seeing Black Belt Jones. Maybe I expected there to be less of what the filmmakers call "comedy". I could barely stand to watch it. I would have to say that I think this movie is on the top ten of my least favorite films ever.