Three the Hard Way

source: Three the Hard Way

Trailer—Three the Hard Way

Three the Hard Way

Jimmy Lait (Jim Brown) and Wendy find their distraught friend House. He had escaped from an unknown prison camp. He claims that he was picked up off the streets along with other black men. While in the hospital, he is killed by a hit squad and Wendy is kidnapped. A white conspiracy is trying to kill all the minorities. Jimmy is joined by Jagger Daniels (Fred Williamson) and Mister Keyes (Jim Kelly). This is a fun blaxploitation film. It has all the elements. It has ridiculous action, ridiculous villains, and black power. Now it does give an explanation of the title but I choose a different threesome. Those who has seen the movie would know exactly what I mean. In reality, they have six the hard way. The girls are really the element which puts this over the top. It's completely ridiculous and it knows it.

Whitey has been up to no good as Jim Kelly kicks into action to stop the doomsday for his black people. This movie has got it all. From a bad 70's score, to not enough light in many of its scenes, 3 The Hard Way ends with "the 3" blowing up Whiteys car. A cool story to say the very least, I give it an overall score of 3 out of 10 since its fits the category of being a true "black action" film.

If you are going to send a bunch of rednecks after Jim Brown (Slaughter, The Dirty Dozen), Fred Williamson (Mr. mean, Black Ceasar), and Jim Kelly (Black Belt Jones, Black Samauri), you better bring one thing - a whole bunch of body bags. The ignorant rednecks that planned to kill millions of Afroican-Americans by poisoning the water supply forgot that and suffered for their mistake. Sure, this is another 70's Blaxploitation flick, but it was fun to watch these three in action against dozens of red beret-ed American Nazis who got their ass kicked but good. Also features 70s beauty Jeannie Bell (T.N.T. Jackson, Sex on the Run).

I really appreciate the blaxploitation flix for all their fabs and flaws. This one in particular is an inspiring but flawed film. Not so much as the story, but in the stunts. When Jim Kelly is fighting the crooked cops in the streets, he switches from boots to sneeks!!!! The three female friends look awfully macho while riding through the city. Overall, the story is scary, in the notion that some wealthy racists would ever try to do something so sinister. A fun film, with true heroes and vile villains.

A very good blaxpoitation flick from the mid 70s. Much more ambitious than the usual genre fare, the movie is slickly made, starring three of the most famous stars of the time, Jim Brown, Jim Kelly and Fred Williamson. As I recall, the casting caused quite a stir at the time of release. My only complaint is the unsatisfying, rushed final act. Gordon Parks, the director failed in giving the villains a memorable send off. Well worth seeing. The soundtrack by the Impressions is great as well. By the way, having seen the movie in a theater, the lighting problems noted in other reviews is due to the poor print used, a second generation, edited TV version. The original version included a * scene by the three motorcycle riding women "interogators" and more closeup kung fu violence, by Jim Kelly. Hopefully, a DVD release someday will restore the original R rated cut.

Three the Hard Way stars football greats Jim Brown and fred Williamson, and former karate middleweight champion Jim Kelly. Together, they are reunited when one of their buddies is snuffed out trying to expose a neo-nazi operations camp. Each hero comes from a different city and each has a unique combat style. When a neo-nazi leader(Jay"Dr. Shrinker" Robinson) plots to contaminate the waters of three big cities to the extent that only black-americans will be affected, the trio springs into action using street fighting, exploding gun fights,and high kickin' martial arts to thwart the evil villain.

The entire film was a plot hole. No explanation was given from one scene to the next. How did they manage to intercept the poison capsules? How did they locate them? Why did Jim Brown end up hanging on to the back of a huge truck after it ran down the phone booth he was in? Why did the truck explode after he jumped off? Why did ten armed men run away from Jim Brown instead of just shooting him? Why was the shootout at the end filmed in both day and night? What happened to all the snow that covered the ground near the evil doctor's headquarters? One minute it was there, then it was gone. Why was James Brown's girlfriend so plain-looking? She looked like she could be his mother. Don't get me started on the three female red, white,and blue; black, Asian,and white; color-coordinated topless torture/interrogation crew. And the soundtrack songs featured some lame singers who were completely inappropriate for an action movie. Total garbage.