Four top actors from the 70s blaxploitation era starred in what should be considered as a reunion. It looked like this film was made and released way too late long after the genre's heydays. Obviously, it doesn't feel like a classic 70s show at all. Don't expect much from Jim Kelly, who gets shot twice in the shoulder and remains helpless throughout the rest of the film. That leaves Williamson and Brown to do the bidding. They seemed to be veterans together in doing this. Unfortunately, the awful slow pace of the action bogs this one down along with a serious lack of originality and too many jazzy soul tunes interferes the whole thing. Richard Roundtree (SHAFT) only appears during the final minutes. The ending was absolutely catchy, and should've proven something about the actors' future following the making of this picture. It's interesting to note that the two Jims and Fred Williamson (who directed this) were cast together in THREE THE HARD WAY, which wasn't the greatest 70s blaxploitation movie around. ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO was a nice try at reviving the soul-crazed genre out of the grave, but it fails miserably at the end.
Review of One Down, Two to go
