That Man Bolt (1973) Reviews

• Great Blaxploitation - Jefferson Bolt sounds a little bit like...

  rddube2007-06-17

  Exactly that is what you get. A somehow black version of James Bond. Blaxploitation star Fred Williamson does a good job, fast story lines and a lot of action. Clearly as meaningless and senseless as in a James Bond movie but I enjoyed it a lot since I am also a bigtime fan of the whole genre. He even uses some special gadgets and travels around the world - of course not to forget - he gets the hot chicks. One of his best one liner - if he just finished some part of his job "charming". Of course not a shaft, coffy or foxy brown but a really nice second line blaxploitation flic. The addition of some martial arts shows also the KungFu heyday - of course not too professional but enjoyable.

• Early Fred Williamson vehicle from Universal Pictures

  dworldeater2013-01-03

  Fred Williamson is Bolt and indeed does what Fred Williamson does best. Which is talk trash, beat up the bad guys and get down with the ladies . Bolt is a courier and takes a job to transport money from Hong Kong to Mexico City instead of doing jail time. On his way of completion of that task thugs from the syndicate try to take him down.Bolt than goes full circle and beats everyone up , chomps on some cigars and even finds time to get laid. That Man Bolt is a memorable blaxsploitation classic from a big studio . Fred went the independent route after this , quality varies but Fred Williamson still gets to be cool and take out the bad guys . Those movies don't look as good as this though and while I am definitely a fan of a lot of his independent features , it would have been nice if he got to make more movies that had larger budgets during this period.

• Fun Fred Williamson action/adventure romp

  Woodyanders2012-02-16

  Ace martial artist, international professional courier, and all-around cool dude Jefferson Bolt (smoothly played by the always dependable Fred Williamson) is assigned to transport a suitcase full of a million bucks from Hong Kong to Mexico City via Los Angeles. However, Bolt gets set up by a vicious crime syndicate that grossly underestimates him and incurs his formidable wrath. Directors Henry Levin and David Lowell Rich, working from a lively and eventful, if overly convoluted script by Quentin Werty and Charles Johnson, relate the entertaining story at a brisk pace, stage the thrilling action set pieces with aplomb (a lengthy car chase rates as a definite exciting highlight), and further spruce things up with nice touches of amusing wry humor. Of course, Fred's trademark cool, assured, and charismatic persona holds everything together as he braves perils aplenty, seduces a few ladies, busts out loads of fancy chopsocky moves, suffers a little acupuncture torture, and breaks into a remote island fortress. While Williamson clearly dominates the proceedings, he nonetheless receives sound support from Bryan Webster as pompous and slippery British agent Griffiths, Teresa Graves as foxy lounge singer Samantha Nightingale, Jack Ging as amiable casino owner Connie Mellis, Miko Mayama as seductive socialite Dominique Kuan, John Orchard as slimy limey lackey Carter, Paul Mantee as glowering thug Mickey, and Ken Kazama as lethal karate fighter Spider. The ubiquitous Patrick Wright has a quick bit as a security guard who gets knocked out by Fred. Gerald Perry Finnerman's slick cinematography and the exotic globe-trotting locations provide an impressive sense of scope. Charles Bernstein's funky and spirited score hits the get-down funky spot. Worth a watch for fans of the Hammer.

• Turn off your brain and just enjoy--for the genre, it's very good.

  MartinHafer2011-02-05

  This is a film that can best be appreciated if you've seen a few blacksploitation (also called 'blaxsploitation') films first. That's because compared to the average film in the genre, it's terrific--perhaps not a great one, but well above average. The only thing you need to remember is that you don't think through a film of this type too much--just sit back and enjoy the ride. Bolt (Fred Williamson) is an international man of action--and adventurer, tough-guy and beacon for trouble. His job, like that of many blacksploitation heroes, is a bit vague. What we do know is that he's rich, powerful and quite the stud...and NOBODY better mess with him! The film begins with Bolt in jail in Hong Kong. He hasn't really done anything, but some government official (WHICH government and WHICH branch is never clear) has arranged for his arrest. He'll stay in jail unless he agrees to help them with a secret mission. What that mission is, who the baddies are and what happens really isn't particularly important--and the plot is clearly secondary. From the minute he accepts the job until the final frame of the movie, it's Bolt versus EVERYONE! And, like any good action hero of the genre, there's also plenty of hot women, action, killing and martial arts 'fun'. Among the various blacksploitation stars, Williamson was one of the better ones. The physicality of the role was a natural for the ex-NFL star, he was very handsome and he could act. In many ways, he played a freelance version of James Bond with a slightly less well-defined sense of morality. Very good stunts, nice international locales and decent acting, this one is cool 'turn off your brain' fun. This film is rated R for tons of violence and a bit of nudity--and it's probably not a great film for kids or mother-in-law.

• An odd mix of blaxploitation, martial arts, and espionage/spy thriller

  bensonmum22008-03-13

  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.