Black Belt Jones
- Jim Kelly: Black Belt Jones
- Gloria Hendry: Sydney
- Scatman Crothers: Pop Byrd
- Marla Gibbs: barmaid
- Ted Lange: Militant
Free ride to the afterlife (AKA Black Belt Jones ) is a " Blaxploitation " film directed by Robert Clouse from the year 1974. His film The Man with the Dragon was one of the biggest box office successes of the previous year, but Bruce Lee had this success has not more experienced. It stood to reason that Clouse now another popular heroes cast members from "The Man with the Dragon " made her a star of his next martial arts movie. Since A Case for Cleopatra Jones by Jack Starrett had also been an action hit of the year 1973, it made sense to select an artist for the female lead, which had a certain similarity with Tamara Dobson. In Gloria Hendry was found a sporting actress who leave due to their role in the James Bond film Live and Let Die already had experience with action movies. Robert Clouse directed with his usual craftsmanship of a script that the karateka Jim Kelly, as expected, gave every opportunity to demonstrate his athletic skills extensively. In this case, however, the protagonist does gymnastics with such casual superiority through all the fight scenes that the voltage then keep but within relatively narrow limits, because at no time may arise doubt who wins again.
Action
The plot takes on subjects that had proven by the previous films of Bruce Lee as audience appeal. In Way of the Dragon Bruce Lee was beaten again to debt collector of the mafia and Bruce Lee - death Greetings from Shanghai, he had made the training room a martial arts school to the venue real fights. So it is understandable why find yourself debt collector in " free ride into the afterlife ", which rest with a martial arts master; for this they even come in a karate school, where they pick up painful karate lessons. This is the origin as in the two films and numerous other relevant films escalation with ever longer fights.
Effect
Neither this, nor any of his following roles managed Jim Kelly, to be as popular as Bruce Lee. Also for Gloria Hendry stay out of the hoped-for breakthrough.
Criticism
"American imitation of films of Hong Kong - wave. Technically perfect, but of equal modesty and brutality as the role models. Rival Gangster ( predominantly black skin ) are provide speculative gains and a karate school brutal fights. "