Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold

I was not a big fan of "Cleopatra Jones" and think it's one of the weaker examples of blaxploitation. Why? Because the leading character is sort of a 'Mary Sue'. This is a character who is too perfect...with no apparent weaknesses and simply too good to be true. In this film, Cleo is a master secret agent, expert at martial arts and is seemingly impossible to kill. She also is amazingly squeaky clean and instead of the usual anti-establishment black hero, this one is working for and supporting the System. As such, it seems like blaxploitation in name only. Why the studio thought this film deserved a sequel is beyond me. Now I am NOT against sequels. For example, I liked "Shaft" and it's sequels. I just don't understand a sequel to a mediocre (at best) movie.

"Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold" begins with some undercover men in Hong Kong trying to buy drugs off a Chinese gang run by The Dragon Lady. But they soon disappear and no one can locate them. Cleo flies to Hong Kong to find them because she's so nice AND the men are her childhood friends.

Despite my disliking the first movie, I was totally shocked when I found I liked this sequel. I still don't feel like it's exactly blaxploitation, but it's a decent spy/martial arts film. Much of it is the nice location shoot in Asia and much of it is because the entire film does NOT rest on Cleopatra Jones. Instead, she has a lot of help...particularly from Mi Ling whose martial arts skills are much better than Cleopatra's (which isn't saying much).

Now I am also NOT saying it's a great film...more like silly escapism you can enjoy as long as you don't think to much! For example, the big gun battle in the casino...well, it's enjoyable but utterly ridiculous!

By the way, apart from Frankenstein, the Wolfman and a few other movie monsters, has anyone worn MORE makeup in a movie than Ms. Dobson as Cleopatra?! I really don't think so!

Follow-up to 1973's far better "Cleopatra Jones" has statuesque black actress Tamara Dobson returning to her signature role as chic, super-tough narcotics agent, here busting a heroin ring in Hong Kong. Cross-pollination of blaxploitation action-flick and kung-fu B-movie is fun at the outset but eventually flags. The shoot-out finale is right off the assembly-line, and Dobson herself seems less energetic than before (she's still sexy, and she puts a unique spin on her comically-stilted dialogue, but these surroundings may have been too much of one thing for her--she's jaded). Stella Stevens plays the villainess this time; she's good, but can't match Shelley Winters in the predecessor. ** from ****

This sequel to "Cleopatra Jones" reduces the blaxploitation elements and adds a HK flavor to the mix, with colorful production design and over-the-top stunts (definitely some "ouch!" moments here). Tamara Dobson is a little sexier this time (despite the excessive makeup), but she still lacks a certain grace in her fighting, and she is overshadowed by her Chinese co-star Tanny, who is not only beautiful but executes some great kicks as well. Stella Stevens, as the villainess, is also a major improvement over Shelley Winters, as she actually poses a physical challenge to Cleo (who knew that Stevens could be so good with a sword?). Overall, this sequel is better than the original mainly because it feels more like a HK action film than an American action film. (**1/2)

Made in the midst of the seventies and the era just before the explosion of the horror genre. Just before that exploitation was the independent thing. And of course black actors wanted to have their own exploitation. Here we have a very good example what we call blaxploitation. But this here is really good. Naturally the main leads are black people but the one to look out to is Tamara Dobson. She was a natural beauty but sadly she became sick and stopped making movies in 1984. She died of her disease which was MS in 2006. Here she's Cleopatra Jones, let's just say a black 007. But look how the feature was made, back in those days they knew how to do their stuff, no CGI or other stupid effects, here's it's the real stuff but here it's effects in the attacks and the many fights. Don't think that you will see a serious amount of blood, no it doesn't. But of course for the seventies nudity was a normal thing and it contains some nudity. But also have a look at Cleopatra's clothes and the way they put some make-up on her. The score, pure seventies, this is excellent stuff. I can't say anything that I didn't like in it. The chases with the cars and motorcycles, it goes on for minutes. You can guess it, one to watch

Surprisingly entertaining Blaxploitation film from the 70s with Amazonian Tamara Dobson returning as the hustling, Kung Fu fighting, bizarre fashion plate Cleopatra Jones. This time Cleo needs to help Matthew and Melvin Johnson in Hong Kong to break up a drug ring under control of the Dragon Lady(actually she and her casino are in Macao). Dobson must wear no fewer then ten weird outfits and quips one-liners throughout with the aid of little helper Ni Tien(a most beautiful young lady). The Dragon Lady is played deliciously by the ever delicious Stella Stevens. Stevens actually gives a pretty good performance as one cold-hearted, ruthless woman accustomed to getting what she wants. This movie gives you exactly what you are promised and expect: lots of action, lots of silliness, lots of innuendo and subtle as well as obvious humour, and lots of martial arts. Dobson gives her standard performance and the rest of the cast does as well. Character actor Norman Fell is here as Cleo's governmental contact and lends the film some credibility. You got to love the 70s action sequences, the outlandish costumes, and that groovy soundtrack.