The Dolemite Explosion (2002)
** (out of 4)
Thugs are taking over the streets and good innocent black people are having their lives ruined by them. Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore) decides to head home from Africa and he's going to take down these thugs and their leader. What these bad guys don't know is that they're also messing with a Dolemite who has special powers.
DOLEMITE and THE HUMAN TORNADO were two landmark blaxploitation movies because they pretty much did whatever it took to make their presence known. If you've seen the films then you know Rudy Ray Moore was unlike any other actor out there at the time and his power certainly made those films what they were. THE DOLEMITE EXPLOSION came twenty-six years after the last film and there's no question that it's hampered with an extremely low-budget but at the same time it's fun for what it is.
Again, one needs to be prepared that this is a very low-budget movie. With that said, what made the first two films so much fun was their crazy nature and that's certainly on display here. This Dolemite has a special power that allows him to shoot out lightening at people as well as other special powers. These scenes are certainly weird but hey, it's Dolemite! There are also some rather campy moments including one scene where we see Moore's old ass pounding two different women in a van. Of course, the women are full clothed and this here is just downright hilarious in its own way.
As far as the story goes, obviously there's a message being displayed here and it's a pretty good one. The film's low-budget prevents it from being able to do more and there are some really silly shoot-outs that are poorly staged and executed. There are other issues in the film but at the end of the day it's fun seeing Moore back in action even if he's too old. Still, there's some fun that the film has with that including the obvious body doubles but if you enjoy the actor and his character then THE DOLEMITE EXPLOSION is worth checking out.
