Faut pas karaté la queue du tigre

After the success of "Black Belt Jones", Jim Kelly does the sequel of it called "Hot Potato". However, the result isn't what I call a follow-up success. This movie is downright corny and Jackie Chanish. The sound-effects are annoying and silly. It's like looking at a live cartoon almost. This time Jones(Kelly) is in Thailand, looking for a daughter of an US Senator. He doesn't work alone he's got a new sidekick, and a over-sized fighter named Rhino(George Memmoli). The trio work with an uncooperative inspector(Irene Tsu), but they all get the job done. They meet with the impostor who later ends up helping them ge5t the real deal back from the warlord. Everyone fights off the army with their martial arts skills, it's funny when Rhino took on the big opponent. To me, this is one bad movie that should have been improved completely. I mean ever martial art movie shouldn't be all violent, it should be fun which it is. More action and less cheese. But without the cheese factor, it would be a completely boring film. If you enjoy the Jackie Chan films, enjoy this movie on your own terms. I did! 2 out of 5 stars!

This was probably meant to go down has bad movies we love. I just rented this movie hoping it would have been an amusing martial arts movie. What I got instead was silly brainless acting, and fight scenes that look almost funny instead of exciting. Jim Kelly(Williams from Enter The Dragon) don't get me wrong is a awesome martial artists, did'nt look much over when desided to do this movie. Some of his fight scenes were good. But the rest makes you miss Bruce Lee. You wonder why he did'nt get to be a big star like Chuck Norris. But most of the film is enjoyable. For viewers if you are looking for a funny Kung Fu film. Next to Kung Pow, you'll love this one.

Try as I might, I can't think of anything positive to say about HOT POTATO. Though filmed on location, each setting looks dull to the eye. The action is slow, clunky, and poorly choreographed. Robert Clouse shows again that his acclaimed direction of ENTER THE DRAGON was either a fluke or that he got help from Bruce Lee. The worst thing of all about the movie are the attempts at comic relief, which are so slapstick and in your face, I got angry. If you ever wondered why Jim Kelly never became a star, watch this movie - which is the *only* reason it ever should be viewed. Otherwise, avoid!

Jim Kelly was super cool in 'Enter The Dragon' fighting alongside Bruce Lee and John Saxon. He was even enjoyable in his first starring vehicle 'Black Belt Jones' directed by Robert Clouse, who also directed E.T.D. But 'Hot Potato', supposedly the sequel to 'Black Belt Jones', is the pits. Clouse was no fool, he jumped ship. The direction is handled instead by screenwriter Oscar Williams who wrote Jones and the Isaac Hayes vehicle 'Truck Turner'. Well the script stinks on this one and Williams shows little talent as a director, so Kelly is behind the eight ball from the word go. The plot, which is very thin and basically just an excuse for some okay fights and lots of painfully unfunny gags, see Jones enlisted to free the daughter of an American Senator (Judith Brown) who has been kidnapped by a Thai criminal mastermind (Sam Hiona). He is helped by his buddy Chicago (Geoffrey Binney), a local female cop (Irene Tsu), and overweight buffoon "the white Rhino" (George Memmoli). Rhino is responsible for almost all the so-called comedy which really drags the movie down. He plays an obnoxious fat guy ala John Belushi/Chris Farley. And just so we know it's supposed to be funny the soundtrack is full of "amusing" music and sound effects. The sad thing is that Rhino is played by the late Memmoli, an actor who worked with Scorsese, De Palma and Schrader and showed a lot of comic (and dramatic) talent in their movies. But he's just awful in 'Hot Potato'. In fact EVERYTHING is just awful in 'Hot Potato! It's absolute garbage that is a chore to sit through. Steer clear of this one!

This "sort of" a sequel to "Black Belt Jones" (Jim Kelly's character is referred to merely as "Jones") is far inferior. The comedy is lame, the acting mediocre and the dialogue often very bad. But there is a continuous stream of action running through the film, and Kelly shows once again that he had the stuff to be a martial-arts star (although his career was fairly brief). Plus, there are the colorful exotic locations that help you keep watching even the worst scenes. (**)