Lollivan
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Dana
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
goods116
One of the stars of the Blaxploitation genre, Pam Grier is the only reason to watch this movie, and to a lesser extent Fred Williamson, another genre star. The plot is really weak and boring, no need to go into it here. This is a movie only for 1970s film or genre buffs, all others should avoid.
MisterWhiplash
Enjoy Bucktown for what it is: a Western stuffed into a Blaxsploitation flick. Think about it, man comes to a small town to bury his brother, he gets people who want to drive him out, he brings in his own people, they get driven out, then they start their own thing. Or perhaps a Blaxsploitation take on Animal Farm, whatever works. At any rate, it is trying to be something a little different than the usual lot of Pimps and Hookers, and, hey, it's got Fred Williamson, it's got Pam Grier, it's got friggin' Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in a fun supporting role. It's unabashed fun and quasi-guilt-pleasure stuff, if not very filling as a full dramatic experience, and it ends on a fight that is so long somewhere Roddy Piper and Keith David are like "C'mon, man, wrap it up, man!"
MartinHafer
WARNING--As with almost all blaxploitation films, this one has nudity, violence and a lot of rough language. This is NOT, I repeat, NOT a film for little kids, the easily offended or house pets. Just don't say I didn't warn you.The first half of this film is pretty standard stuff for a Blaxploitation film. Fred Williamson returns home for his brother's funeral and it's the first time he's been there in many years. He's shocked to see that a bunch of corrupt racist White cops are running the place. Fred is tired of getting the shakedown and hassled, so he brings in some out of town friends to put things right. This is pretty much the same plot as BROTHERHOOD OF DEATH, BOSS *IGGER and even I'M GONNA GET YOU SUCKA. And there aren't too many surprises as to what happens once this small and determined Black army hits town. However, there's a lot more to the film than this--taking the film from the usual to the extraordinary.After the town is saved, slowly the outside "friends" show their true colors. They really aren't that different from the old cops except that they are actually greedier and more cruel!! In other words, nice guy Fred Williamson is now stuck with having to fight the Black criminals--making this film different. In most Blaxploitation, the good guys and the bad guys are predictable--White power structure is evil and Black folks are almost always good (unless they are pimps or dealers working for Mr. Big). Here, however, the idea that power corrupts is illustrated--making for a more universal and deeper message. Now how Williamson responds ain't subtle (it's a lot like Bronson in DEATH WISH 2, 3 or 4) and it's a bit stupid, but it is entertaining.In addition to a better than usual plot, this film has an exceptional cast with Williamson, Pam Greer, Carl Weathers and a lot of other familiar faces. While this style film might not be your "cup of tea", if it is, you can't find one much better than this.
Casey-52
I had never seen a Fred Williamson movie before, but BUCKTOWN has converted me into a fan. An incredibly likable hero with intelligence and morals, Williamson is a great actor surrounded by an even better supporting cast.Duke Johnson (Williamson) returns to bury his brother in his southern town of Buchanan. While there, he encounters corrupt white cops, so he calls his black friends from the city to help him take them out. His only problem: the black gangsters now want control of the town. This plot would later be re-hashed in THE BLACK GESTAPO, by the way.BUCKTOWN has great action scenes, but even better are the character development scenes and the entire execution of a great storyline. Williamson stands for justice and brotherhood from his entrance; anyone who criticizes his performance in this film is not paying attention. Pam Grier co-stars as Aretha, his sister-in-law turned girlfriend and since this is post-FRIDAY FOSTER, does a superb acting turn here. BLACULA star Thalmus Rasulala (also in FRIDAY FOSTER) is Roy, Duke's friend who takes over the town. Comic relief is provided by Bernie Hamilton as Harley (great, effective character) and Terrie Turner as Aretha's son (annoying, but important character). Carl Weathers makes more of his famous career as a blaxploitation extra as one of Roy's henchmen. At least he speaks here!BUCKTOWN makes great use of the audience's feelings. At first, the audience empathizes with the black gangsters as they beat the senses out of the corrupt white cops, but then it turns ugly and brutal and the audience then feels bad for the cops. The audience's perceptions of the heroes in the film are constantly corrupted and that is unique for a film of this type. BUCKTOWN is not only recommended to blaxploitation fans, but also for those looking for a film with action, integrity, and intelligence.
