That Man Bolt (1973)

An odd mix of blaxploitation, martial arts, and espionage/spy thriller, 13 March 2008

Jefferson Bolt (Fred Williamson) is a courier hired to take $1 million from Hong Kong to Mexico City via Los Angeles. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, however, Bolt quickly realizes he's been double-crossed. After a friend is killed and Bolt learns the money he's been hired to carry may be counterfeit, Bolt heads back to Hong Kong to get revenge on those who set him up. But that will mean he'll have to face a crime boss named Kumada and his army of trained martial arts killers.

If nothing else, you've got to give the people responsible for That Man Bolt a little credit for trying something new. That Man Bolt is an odd mix of blaxploitation, martial arts, and espionage/spy thriller – and it almost works. The main problem is that the movie is about 20 minutes too long and the plot is so convoluted that it's impossible to follow or care about what's going on. One minute the money is counterfeit - then it's real - then it's counterfeit - then it's real . . . After a while, I stopped caring. Some judicious editing might have saved Bolt and turned it into something really special, because the movie had potential. Bolt is played by the always cool Fred Williamson. What he may lack in acting ability he makes up for by being the baddest dude around. The supporting cast isn't too shabby either. Teresa Graves and Byron Webster really stand out. Finally, the whole international jet-set feel of That Man Bolt really works. Locations as diverse as Macao and Las Vegas give the movie sort of a James Bond feel. Unfortunately, the unwieldy script keeps That Man Bolt from being anything better than average.

5/10