User Reviews

With this once-in-a-lifetime cast (reuniting the four greatest blaxploitation stars of the early seventies), this picture should be more fun than it is. Someone seems to have drained the life out of these performers; Jim Brown, in particular, comes off very badly (judging only from this movie, you'd come to the conclusion that he can't act). The film is also poorly structured, keeping the stars away from each other (and from any enjoyable interaction) for laaaaarge periods of time. And Williamson must have really had it in for Jim Kelly; he barely gives him 1/5 of the screen time devoted to the other leads, and he features him in only two brief fight scenes (he even loses in one of them!). Cool score, though. (*1/2)

Judging by the other user-comments around here, apparently I'm not the only one who's disappointed by this seemingly awesome early '80s reunion of '70s Blaxploitation heroes. Your day can't get any better than when you stumble upon a DVD with on its trashy cover image the names and cool faces of Fred Williamson ("Black Ceasar"), Jim Brown ("Slaughter"), Richard Roundtree ("Shaft") and Jim Kelly ("Black Belt Jones"). When you then notice that Fred Williamson is also the director, and that the plot revolves on four black buddies declaring war against the entire New York gambling mafia, you immediately purchase the DVD and you're convinced that you have a genuinely golden piece of Blaxploitation action cinema in your hands! Unfortunately, however, "One Down, Two to Go" doesn't even come close to the quality level of other Blaxploitation classics (the aforementioned titles, for example) and the whole film is actually even less than mediocre. The script is weak and far too talkative, especially during the first half, and the fighting/action sequences are poorly shot and clumsy. Furthermore it seems like the main roles aren't fairly divided. Director Williamson once again rewarded himself with the role of the cool and womanizing macho, while Jim Brown acts very passively and both Richard Roundtree and Jim Kelly don't have that much to do. At one point Roundtree's character even explicitly says to his pals Cal and J: "you guys are having all the fun, save some for me!" As said, this is purely a film to own in your collection because of the 4 terrific lead stars, although personally I would have preferred seeing a couple of extra ones as well, like Isaac Hayes or Billy Dee Williams. Or why didn't they think of hiring a Blaxploitation heroine as well, like the fantastic Pam Grier or Tamara Dobson?

During a martial arts tournament, fighter Chuck and his friend Ralph think there's something crooked going on behind the scenes. Chuck checks it out and discovers match fixing, but for his troubles he's shot. Ralph becomes worried when Chuck disappears, but they meet up and learn that they won't be getting the money they're owned by the tournament organisers, but become actual targets. Chuck is shot again, Ralph is knocked out cold and Chuck's girl gets raped and kidnapped. Before this had happened, Chuck got his gal to ring his buddies Cal and J to come down and help get their money. Their friends are missing, so Cal and J decide to start up their own investigation and get down to business.

Oh yeah, what a bang-up leading cast we got here! Fred "The Hammer" Williamson's laid-back, rough 'n' tumble late blaxpoitation piece goes on to team up influential 70s exploitation figures Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree, Jim Kelly and Fred Williamson. Hell, that's great! Well, you would like to think so, but the script never lets the four interact with each other too often. The straight-forward material isn't anything special and it might rely on its stars' presences, but there's no question about the sheer spirit and exciting raw beatings, shootouts and explosions interwoven into Williamson's rough-around-edges direction. Smothering proceedings is ultra-smooth dialogues packed stinging wisecracks and ripe humour. Roundtree and Kelly seem to be in supporting roles compared the likes of Brown and Williamson. Honestly when the latter two appeared, that's when the wham-bam attitude and hard-ass excitement seemed to break out. The opening ten minutes actually sets-up an authentic martial arts tournament for the film, where these guys are literally busting their guts for prize money. After some slow moments, it does take its time to find its groove. However the funked-up soundtrack is a real highlight and an atmospherically scorching score is filtered in nicely. Pulsating camera-work is lucidly leering and naturally fitting to the stark and gritty look of the film's locations. The four main men are great. A domineering Brown is excellent as the polite, but persuasively forceful J. The sensational Williamson chews it up with pure vigour and charm as Cal. Roundtree paints a macho awe to Ralph and what little time a solid Kelly gets is done with enough aplomb. Peter Dane and Tom Signorelli make for decent scummy villains and their dopey henchmen cop nothing but beatings. Joe Spinell makes for an amusing minor performance as a twitchy promoter who gets a visit by Roundtree. Warrington Winters injects some light humour as the random appearing sheriff, who just doesn't want trouble in the way of gunfire and explosions that seems to follow these men. The feisty Paula Sills and the endearing buxom Laura Loftus play the sweethearts.

Like the tag-line suggests, this blaxpoitation does pack four times the punch with its ass-whopping. Despite some splintered chemistry, there's still plenty there to offer the fans.

This film begins in New York with a prize of $400,000 being promised to the winner of a competition between a martial arts dojo from California against one from New York. Although the organizer of the event, "Frank Rossi" (Peter Dane) has secretly colluded with a local mobster named "Gabe Mario" (Tom Signorelli) to fix the fight, they are thwarted in their effort when the California dojo manages to prevail against the odds. Not only that, but while the main fight is taking place, Rossi becomes alarmed to discover that the sensei of the California dojo "Chuck Wells" (Jim Kelly) has found out what is going on. So to remedy that problem he sends some thugs to make sure he doesn't tell anyone. One thing leads to another and Chuck ends up being shot. Not long afterward, his good friend "Ralph Dart" (Richard Roundtree) becomes concerned about his absence and takes it upon himself to not only find Chuck but also tries to collect the prize money as well. However, after being severely beaten up for his efforts, he sends for two friends from Los Angeles known simply as "Cal" (Fred Williamson) and "J" (Jim Brown) to help him out-and they are more than willing to take on anybody who gets in their way. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film seemed to rely more on the "star power" of the four main actors than anything else. As a result, the plot seemed to be a secondary consideration. To that effect, unless the viewer is in awe of the cast, there really wasn't much to be impressed about and I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.

I did not realize that Fred Williams made another flick which consist of the biggest stars of Blaxploitation. but unlike Original Gangsters this movie came out at the height of their careers, which is good because the only reason you would want to see it is because of the black star power.

With a title that sounds like the Sequel to 3 the Hard Way, adding Shaft to the list making 4, the movie starts with marshal arts master, Jim Kelly and Richard Roundtree getting into some trouble with dudes who don't want to pay the money they are owed, and when trouble escalates, they call in their boys Fred the Hammer and Jim Brown to help.

The movie is not much different from 3 the hard way with Jim carrying a big gun and Fred hooking up with some chick. In fact, I mentioned basically every movie these two did in the 1970's.

What's lacking is Jim Kelly's marshal arts. Sure nothing can beat the scene in 3 the hard way where somehow his nice boots are replaced with sneakers out of nowhere and he gets into some hard hitting action, but it would be nice if they tried.

This wouldn't be much of a problem if Shaft was used to his fullest in the film, but he's not. I guess when you got the Hammer in the directors chair, he's got no choice but to make super star Jim Brown more than just his back up, but once Fred is on screen it's his show, make no mistake.

Most of these movies are just like the other, but somehow this movie's quantity is a little under, despite the large talent pool. Try to Avoid.

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.

One Down, Two to Go (1982) is a movie I recently rewatched on Tubi for the first time in a long time. The storyline follows two police officers whose friend is shot and beat after he discovers a fixed fight tournament. The two cops track him down and also uncover who is behind the fixed fight tournament. Can they crack the case in time to save their friend? This movie is directed by and stars Fred Williamson (The Big Score) and also stars Jim Brown (Dirty Dozen), Jim Kelly (Enter the Dragon), Richard Roundtree (Shaft) and Tom Signorelli (Sleepers). The storyline for this is a bit cliché but fun to watch unfold. I really loved the fights and shootouts, even if at times they're a bit clunky and awkward. The acting and charisma by Williamson, Roundtree, Kelly and Brown are all on display in their unique and entertaining way. Overall this isn't the best blaxploitation film from the 70s but it is worth a viewing. I would score this a solid 6/10.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Ralph (Richard Roundtree) and Chuck (Jim Kelly) are two kung fu champions who have set up a tournament to see who is the best.However,they've encountered a problem in the shape of the mob,who are putting pressure on them to rig their tournament.When they instinctively offer resistance,they find themselves the subject of an attack and find themselves relying on pals Cal (Fred Williamson) and J (Jim Brown) to stand up to them and offer retribution.

Throughout the 70s and into the early 80s,the 'blaxploitation' movie was a big thing and enjoyed a huge following as it did it's thing and played a huge part in bringing black culture into mainstream cinema.Two of it's most iconic figures,Jim Kelly,the unforgettable Williams in Enter the Dragon and Shaft himself Richard Roundtree,who added much to the action element of this movement with their baaaad-asssss attitude and hard personas,enjoy prominent billing in this one,but each have only supporting roles and very limited screen-time.

As it is,this movie is carried by two other black players,Jim Brown and Fred Williamson,fairly charismatic guys with a fairly effective rapport and presence between them.

The main problem with the film is the story.It is simplistic as hell and churns on at a robotic pace as the movie rolls on and on.Aside from being one of the lead stars,Williamson also administers directorial duties here and sort of allows his own pet project to meander along at his own comfortable,slumberous pace.The film is simply okay but so nothing special from any other of it's ilk.

Overall,this is,for the most part,a robotic and plodding entry into it's genre.However,if you want to watch a fair bit of 'black attitude' and style,a cool,funky soundtrack,not to mention some okay martial arts here-and-there,this might just fill a hole in your stomach.***

84 minutes b/w movie by Fred the Hammer Williamson. It won't win any screen guild awards but no one expects it to. You see it to watch Jim Kelly, Richard Roundtree, Jim Brown, and Fred Williamson kick a$$. That's what they do. The 2 minute car ride on the BQE with no words could have been done away with and the funky dog is used too much. I liked the movie. Bad guys pi** them off, bad guys get killed. That simple.

Low budget and highly entertaining aren't always terms that meet up in the world of filmmaking, but ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO is an exception. Directed by and starring Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson, who kept on making blaxploitation type flicks throughout the 1980s, long after the boom had ended, this little movie is a lot of fun and doesn't let a lack of budget get in the way of telling an engaging story.

The film starts off with some real-life fight footage (unfortunately recalling that terrible 'documentary', FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH) before moving onto stronger territory. Jim Kelly and Richard Roundtree star as a couple of fight organisers who are ripped off and betrayed by the Mob, in the form of small-town redneck goons and their suited, gun-wielding counterparts. Finding themselves no match for their enemies, they call in the help of a couple of old timer buddies, Jim Brown and Williamson himself.

This is where the fun starts. Brown and Williamson have a natural camaraderie and good sense of humour, and watching this pair strolling through town and cracking heads (with the cigar never leaving Williamson's mouth) makes a great evening's entertainment for this viewer. Okay, so the story is nothing to write home about and the supporting cast (aside from a cameoing Joe Spinell) are pretty poor, but who cares when four – count 'em! - of blaxploitation cinema's greatest stars are teaming up and crushing skulls! Fast pacing works in the film's favour, the running time flies past and aside from an anticlimax ending, this one rarely puts a foot wrong.

This movie is so bad that it makes Dolemite look like the Godfather

Nothing in this movie makes any kind of sense

The first 15 minutes takes place at a martial arts tournament and instead of introducing the characters of the movie the "director" (I use that term very lightly) decided to focus on the random martial artists fighting with very little actual dialogue and the actors merely observing the guys fighting

Anyways after that the movie actually starts (I guess) but there's not much of a movie to speak of as it is random scenes with people jumping to conclusions based on nothing in one scene one of the guys asks for a orangejuice at the bar and the waitress says: "Orange Juice? You must be friends with them Karate guys from the other night" which makes a lot of sense since only Karate guys and friends of Karate guys drink Orange Juice.

And the leads in the movie are allowed to kill and harass as many people as they want because they have a just cause and the sheriff just tell them they need to come in to the station so they can write a report, but most times the leads just can't be arsed

It's just a terrible piece of crap movie that doesn't make any sense and that only focuses on trying to make the leads look like cool guys and nothing else

I didn't even mention the fact that 40 minutes in they decide to change leads completely when they introduce Jim Brown and Fred Williamson they take over the show instead of Richard Roundtree and Jim Kelly who sorts of fade away from leads into co-stars instead

In this hoped for "revival" of the Blaxploitation genre, you have the superstars of Black '70s cinema: Jim Brown (always with the biggest gun with the longest barrel), Jim Kelly (who I always thought was a posturing joke), Richard Roundtree (still looking good post-Shaft), and Fred "Da Hammer" Williamson (so cool, he has ice dripping down his back!).

Only Roundtree has kept his actor's dignity of the four. Fred still cranks out his Po Boy Productions straight to video flicks, but I will say he still does well in Europe. These low budget films actually are profitable there. I'll give him that. Brown has had his own share of woes in the press in recent years and just walks through this one. Jim Kelly has to be thee WORST actor of the group. GI Joe (with the Kung-Fu grip) could whoop him easily. (In one scene, his woman is getting gang-banged, and he's getting his KF stance on against one bad guy). And Roundtree didn't embarass himself, and has at least has maintained a long list of character roles, most notably the "Shaft" update with Samual L. Jackson in 2000.

This is one turd of a movie, lovingly directed by Williamson. Bland direction, hokey lines, low budget hoettas, you name it. Yet it's considered a cult favorite, by whom I don't know. I'll skip the plot. It's so banal it doesn't bear repeating. On the level of a Cynthia Rothrock film. But the best scene is at the end when Fred "Hammer" sticks one of his trademark cigars into a pooch's mouth.

So there you have it. Gets a 2 out of 5 from me.

And most of the soundtrack was "moonlighted" by Jazz Fusion keyboardist Rodney Franklin, but credited to others.

This movie looked like it would be pretty good. I read somewhere that Fred Williamson was part of the 'blaxploitation' genre, but the cast looked good. The movie didn't, though it wasn't terrible. I suppose given the subject matter--karate fighting in a boxing-type ring, with the fights fixed and partners stealing from each other, and killing to prevent their scheme from being found out--it was not a particularly violent movie, but it was more violent than I cared for. I did get the impression that Richard Roundtree, Jim Brown and Fred Williamson gave better performances than the white actors. And given the fact that Williamson directed and was a producer, surely black people would be presented with some dignity. I guess they were, but I couldn't avoid thinking I was seeing my first 'blaxploitation' film. Still, I had to enjoy watching Roundtree's character (or was it Williamson's? I couldn't remember which was which) act tough toward those who weren't being honest with him. I guess it wasn't really so bad, but I wouldn't make a habit of watching other movies like it.

This must have been shot off a $20,000 budget. The only pro was the intro of karate show and the cast of blaxploitation legends. However with that being said..... crappy directing, crappy lines wasted on good actors, crappy music, crappy plot, and corny ending. Seriously a bad bad bad flick! Save your time and take your dog on a long walk instead.

What a great 70's action film cast and what a piss poor movie! It looks like it was shot on Super 8 and they made it up as they went! Awful in every department, including the action!

One Down, Two To Go is a later blaxsploitation/action movie that was directed/produced and acted by Fred Williamson. The Hammer brought along Richard Roundtree, Jim Brown and Jim Kelly to join the party. The film is in no way a bad movie, but the pacing and script don't do the high powered cast of 70's black tough guys justice. There is plenty of action and trash talking, but a lot of the film is boring and takes a while to get there. It picks up once Fred Williamson and Jim Brown show up. Richard Roundtree didn't get enough screentime to utilize his full potential and Jim Kelly gets hardly any screentime. This film was the last of three films that Fred Williamson, Jim Brown and Jim Kelly acted together in. I much prefer Three The Hard Way over this, but there were parts of this movie that I did find entertaining.

One Down, Two to Go may rank a few notches beneath other celluloid team-ups with these stars, but it definitlely has it's share of fun moments. Jim Kelly's character is wounded for most of the movie, but it's always a pleasure to watch big bad Jim "SLAUGHTER" Brown team-up with Fred "The HAMMER" Williamson! Especially when Richard "SHAFT" Roundtree is in the mix! One Down is no Three the Hard Way, but there's just nothing like the spectacle of the Hammer uttering the immortal line "Back off Mojo! You may know Kung Fu but I know Gun Fu!"! LOL! One Down, Two to Go is a cheesy blast of fun that goes best with favorite beverages, good popcorn, and a room full of rowdy B-movie lovers.

One Down, Two to Go (1982)

** (out of 4)

Chuck (Jim Kelly) and his crew enter a martial arts tournament, which they win but the mob decides not to pay them. Soon a friend is severely beaten so Cal (Fred Williamson) and J (Jim Brown) show up to show them who's the real boss.

ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO was directed by Williamson and it features four of the major stars from the 70's blaxploitation films. You've got SHAFT (Richard Roundtree), SLAUGHTER (Brown), HAMMER (Williamson) and BLACK BELT JONES (Kelly) all in one movie so what's not to like? Well, there's quite a bit not to like in this film, which is really too bad since you've got so many greats in one film.

Sadly, the screenplay itself is pretty much a mess for a number of reasons. The film starts off with a bunch of martial arts footage, which is fun to watch on its own but it probably shouldn't have been in this film. From here there are way too many boring dialogue sequences, which just don't go anywhere and especially when you'e got four masters of the genre on the screen. What you want to see them do is fight, blow stuff up and kill bad guys. We eventually get to that stuff and that's when the entertainment level goes way up.

The film suffers from a very low-budget, which prevents the action from looking the greatest but for this type of films it's okay. Of course, the best thing about the picture is getting to see the four stars in one picture. The majority of the film is based around the Williamson and Brown characters, which is fine as they add a lot to the picture. Both Kelly and Roundtree are basically extended cameos but it's still nice to see them. Fans of MANIAC will enjoy seeing Joe Spinell in a brief scene and we also get Tom Signorelli.

ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO isn't a masterpiece or even a good movie but it's mild entertainment, which should have been much better.

Contrary to another comment on this film. "If you like the stars in this film then you will like this film." I, like many others, always keep a look out for any Jim Kelly fliks knowing that you're in for some irrepressible charisma and perhaps even a irrepressible 'Fro. But any bias I have to the stars in this film just couldn't persuade me to actually say that I enjoyed the film.

Scenes dragging themselves to their graves, suspense voided build-ups to anti climatic events and of course some cardboard acting are all expected and forgivable in this genre of film. But with the cast at hand you hope you're gonna have some on screen personalities reaching out of the screen and giving you a good smack in the face. If there is a cast to do it then surely this is it. Unfortunately the lot of em die on their asses in their attempts with this movie. Shame.