If you plan on watching this movie for the storyline, don't. Watch Asphalt Jungle instead. If you want to watch this movie because it's an excellent blaxploitation flick, PLEASE DO! It's a little long-winded, and starts to drag out at the end, so keep some munchies handy. (I also think that it tries to recreate Jungle with some veracity, which lends a bit of awkwardness at times.) However, keep eyes and ears open to the real exploitation going on in the film -- the white community that just does not "get it", the subtle jokes between the main characters concerning that fact, and the definite black pride (the pride not to be white) that the movie puts forth (although all of it from a paternalistic point of view, sadly.) Also, this was one of Pam Grier's breakout roles, so if you're a fan and expect to see a lot of her, you'll be disappointed, but Thalmus Rasulala more than makes up for it: he's the face you know but never can quite place, and is exactly the commanding presence and to-the-point bad boy that this movie needs. I left feeling like I needed to walk around with a wah-wah pedal playing my own little theme song for the rest of the day. (NOTE: I was able to see this film at a Library of Congress screening; it is my understanding that not many prints are available, and the film I saw actually broke half-way through but the technician was able to repair it. Good luck to you in getting the opportunity to see this one if you can.)
