UnowPriceless
hyped garbage
Joanna Mccarty
Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Suman Roberson
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
Calum Hutton
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
utgard14
Somewhat disappointing homage to 70's blaxploitation films. Has a lot going for it with a cast full of great actors from that genre and a director who did some solid work there too. But ultimately it doesn't work well. Despite the violence and language, it's nowhere near as gritty, tough, and sexy as those 70's films. Also, and this sounds like a cheap shot, the fight scenes are comically bad. One could argue that perhaps this was an intentional part of the film paying tribute to the likes of Rudy Ray Moore but that would be a huge stretch. The fights don't appear to be choreographed so the actors just move each other around and throw professional wrestling punches instead. Still, the cast and director are worth recommending you check it out.
preppy-3
John Bookman (Fred Williamson) returns to his home town which is now over run by gangs. His father is attacked and John wants to clean up the city. He enlists two old friends to help--Laurie (Pam Grier) and Jake (Jim Brown). But the gang leader is a borderline psycho and won't let go of the city. Bookman realizes they're going to have to fight to win.This was just made to get some of the best stars from the 1970s blaxploitation films together to kick a** like they did back then! Aside from Williamson, Grier and Brown we also get Ron O'Neal and Richard Roundtree popping up in small roles. And it's always good to see Paul Winfield, Isabel Sanford and Robert Forster (before his big comeback in 1997's "Jackie Brown"--with Grier). The basic plot is OK but there are some serious mistakes made. As the movie goes on the plot gets increasingly stupid (Williamson's "plan" to pit the gangs against each other causes killings and huge property destruction) and there are plenty of loopholes. There's some great action sequences but (even for this type of movie) it's far too violent. Seeing old people and children attacked or killed is just going too far. Still it's great to see these actors in action again. Grier easily gives the best performance--but I was surprised at how really good Williamson and Brown were. This gets a 7 just for the cast. Worth catching...just don't think about it too much.
ReelCheese
I found the concept of this film irresistible. Who wouldn't want to see Fred Williamson, Jim Brown and Pam Grier -- they of '70s blaxploitation action fame -- back kickin' some butt again. Unfortunately, ORIGINAL GANGSTAS doesn't live up expectations. The plot sees cigar-chompin' Williamson returning home after his elderly father is nearly killed by thugs for giving police information on a deadly drive-by. Freddy soon teams up with Brown and Grier for some vigilante justice that comes far too little, too late for the viewer. After a reasonably strong start, the film unravels in a myriad of awful dialog, uninteresting subplots and a lack of action. If you're looking for a better film about an aging vigilante, try the later DEATH WISH entries.
lastliberal
It's like old home wee when stars like Jim Brown (Slaughter, Black Gunn), Fred Williamson (Starsky & Hutch), Pam Grier, Ron O'Neal (Superfly), Richard Roundtree (Shaft), and Paul Winfield (Sounder) get together to teach some young punks a lesson. Heavys of the 70's blaxploitation genre are called home to get some revenge and clean up the town. Lots of talking and shooting and good old fashioned fisticuffs.Pam Grier (Coffy, Foxy Brown) is back in the form we like. She was one of the first female action stars in Hollywood. Looking forward to a retrospective this weekend when they replay two of her best.
