Simply A Masterpiece

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Like a lot of blaxploitation flicks, my enthusiasm for this waned as it went on. Surely in part the inspiration for Django Unchained, Fred Williamson stars as Boss, who along with his partner Amos (D'Urville Martin) works as a bounty hunter. They give up that gig pretty quickly, though, when they arrive upon a town without a sheriff. They take over that position forcibly, and end up having to fight a gang of outlaws who terrorize the town (and have to deal with the offended white people, too). The big problem is, the protagonists are kind of jerks. Sure, we can sympathize with the fact that they are oppressed, but when they start locking up citizens for not saying hello to them, they kind of start to lose their moral superiority. It doesn't help that the DVD looked like garbage, either. Fred Williamson is still pretty bad-ass, and the title song and funky music are, as is often the case with these movies, the best thing about it.

Then this might be what you get in return.Boss Negro (I'll use the politically correct term for this review) is the story of 2 African American slaves turned bounty hunters, named Boss and Amos. Fresh off their hate for white people, They ride into a white town hoping to collect rewards for some bounties they've killed. However, the position of sheriff in the town is available and Boss takes it, and implements new laws, such as a 20$ fine for using the well-known derogatory term for an African American, and a bunch of other laws.Western movies are a dime a dozen, but there has rarely been a movie where the town's sheriff was a black man. I think Boss Negro does it very well, and it's worth a view.9/10

Two black cowboys ride majestically across the American plain. The music is a kind of funk-Morricone, with a singer enthusiastically explaining that "They call him Boss. BOSS N*GGER!" A black woman is being assaulted by a group of white cowboys, our black heroes intervene and save this damsel in distress.A blaxploitation Western was bound to happen eventually, and its a good thing Fred Williamson got there first. What Boss N*gger lacks in technical proficiency and skill it makes up for in heart and soul. The music is funktacular, especially the catchy theme tune, and the acting from our heroes is wonderful. Boss N*gger also boasts some very funny lines, such as Boss kissing a white woman, before going, "that's just to satisfy your curiosity."It's slow at parts, but the idea of two black bounty hunters coming to a white town and setting their own rules is appealing, and the film pulls it off. There are also some great shootouts, especially the finale, which is really quite exhilarating, and features a remarkable, almost downbeat ending. This film is by no means a masterpiece, but it is one of the best blaxploitation films I've seen, and an admirable effort on a small budget.

Fred Williamson was one of the greatest of the 1970s blaxploitation stars, but as cool as he is, he can't make this one anything more than very average. Williamson and frequent co-star D'urville Martin ('Dolemite') play bounty hunters on the trail of no-good varmint William Smith ('Invasion Of The Bee Girls', 'The Ultimate Warrior', 'Maniac Cop') who bully the mayor of a small town (Peckinpah regular R.G. Armstrong) into letting them become sheriff and deputy. They make sport of the uptight white townsfolk, grab as much cash as they can, and wait for an opportunity to get their man. 'Boss N*gger' can't decide whether it wants to be a serious western or a spoof of the genre, and the comedy is broad, recycles much of the Cleavon Little schtick from Mel Brooks' 'Blazing Saddles', and is basically just not that funny. But when it takes the material seriously it shows promise, and seeing Fred Williamson battle b-grade legend William Smith is worth the rental. Williamson scripted as well as starred, and would have been better advised not to. It's the lame script that really lets this one down. The cast is good, and the direction, by 1950s monster movie favourite Jack Arnold, is strong enough. Williamson's charisma keeps this afloat, but to be honest, it's nothing special.