B

Black Dynamite - 2009

Refreshingly HIGH-larious, this is hands down, the all-time spoof of the blaxploitation era.  The 70's has never been portrayed in a better and highly saturated light!  Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, Black Dynamite had the audience exploding with laughter, myself included. It is ninety minutes of your life that you will never regret.  What's especially raw about this movie is that the director, Scott Sanders, did not use any digital enhancements to create its retro high contrast look of the 70's film industry.  They actually used old film stock to achieve that effect.  The movie features Michael Jai White as Black Dynamite who is a former CIA agent.  Basically, the story is Black Dynamite resumes his position upon hearing of his brother's murder and goes after the mafia, who are also responsible for bringing drugs into the black orphanages and filling the market with bad malt liquor.  This movie had me laughing every five minutes with scenes such as one where Black Dynamite is seen tossing his nunchucks in the air, throws a few punches at the assailant, then seconds later catches the nunchucks again in his hand like a boomerang.  It is so righteous!

I went to see it at the Sundance theater in Seattle with a group of new friends.  The theater never stopped rumbling with laughter as Michael Jai White commanded the audience with his wits and mad skills.  I HIGHLY suggest watching this movie.  It is pure slapstick humor.  Imagine watching Bruce Lee...but as a big black man, and a bushy mustache. Need I say more?  Five stars for its original humor!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - 2008

Directed by Mark Herman, this heartrending movie takes place during one of history's most egregious times: the holocaust.  The story follows an eight year old boy, Bruno, whose father is a high ranking SS officer.  Their family moves next to a Nazi concentration camp where the father is the new commandant.  When Bruno sees the people in the "striped pajamas" (prison clothes) on the other side of the barbed wire fence, his innocence brings him to believe they are just farmers.  Bruno later befriends a young Jewish boy through the fence, unbeknownst to the dangerous reality that encompasses them. I think Bruno's youthful ignorance to the situation is somewhat synonymous to the rest of the world's awareness about concentration camps due to heavy propaganda.  When you watch this movie, you cannot help but love Bruno and you find that protecting his innocence is the most important thing.  But one has to question whether or not children are strong enough to keep their youth when they are surrounded by the desecration of humanity.

Bruno is an example of an ever growing character and you can see how his life is a delicate balance of youthfulness and hope. This is a story of how the simplicity of a child's life can be destroyed by the complexities of adults. You can't help but wish boys like Bruno and his friend could have grown up in a less tumultuous and hostile time.  You must watch this movie, though I highly suggest popping in a happy-go-lucky movie afterwards in order to somewhat save your sanity.  This is a definite reel-listed five star!