There's no question that Bruce Lee was the greatest martial arts film hero of the 1970s. But for sheer bad-ass, Afro-sporting chop-sockitude, give me Jim Kelly, Lee's Enter the Dragon co-star, who also starred in such immortal blaxploitation flicks as Three The Hard Way, The Tattoo Connection and, of course, Black Belt Jones. Here's a clip of Kelly in action from Enter the Dragon:
Kelly was no great shakes as an actor, but he had undeniable presence and cheekbones — and an Afro that simply refused to wilt, even under the most trying of hand-to-hand circumstances. Watching him rear back to throw a kick, it almost seemed like his 'do served as a gravity-defying bobber that kept him gyroscopically balanced — a secret weapon that "Mr. Han Man" surely would have respected.
Word for giving Jim Kelly his due. Most kung fu types don't dig him, for some reason (maybe because he's so wooden), but he has some notable moments. My fave is Three The Hard Way (in which he's named "Mister" Keyes, which I believe is due to his momma wanting him to always get some respect) - Kelly plants a foot in the faces of three dudes at once, and the camera overcranks the action so it seems like he's almost bionic. Damn.
Posted by: Paul Gaita | February 05, 2008 at 08:27 AM
Right on... I always loved this dude. In high school my friends and I would make an occasion out of watching "Black Belt Jones." Plus, you can't fuck with that line, "No thanks, Mr. Han-man. I'll be too busy looking good"...
Posted by: Suggadelic | February 08, 2008 at 02:40 PM