Youngblood

I saw this movie when it first appeared. I was very impressed with the script, action and flow of movie then. All the actors were perfect for their parts, even though some were just starting out in their careers. WAR does the awesome sound track (especially the reprise)!!! I would love to purchase video, if I could ever find it! I'm still looking! >

I don't want to be so simple as to say that this movie had no point or message at all, but I will say that they failed to make a better point.

The main character, Michael aka Youngblood (Bryan O'Dell), is a hard-headed high schooler itching to get into trouble. He gets hooked up with an L.A. street gang called the Kingsmen and that was all the brotherhood of troublemakers he needed.

Either because they were stupid or reckless, the Kingsmen move up from gang fights and other petty crimes to jackin' drug dealers. Drug dealers usually aren't in business for or by themselves. They have suppliers who have suppliers on up the food chain and you better believe that someone is going to be protecting the merchandise.

I thought the movie was trying to drive home the message of the futility of street gangs, but it didn't effectively do that. I thought it would drive home the message of the inanity of getting in over your head criminally, and it only somewhat did that as well.

Ultimately, I think this movie languished somewhere in the middle of praising gang life and coming out hard against it. It never came out too strong on either point. Had this movie drove home a harder and more sobering message I think it would have been better.

Caught this for free on YouTube and might primarily be some sort of nostalgia and maybe my memory is failing me but not a lot of movies about young black youth were made in the 1970's. Just enjoyed it for what it was. Young black dude making his way through the streets.

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs was the box office draw, but the focus of Youngblood is actually the title character, played with reasonable conviction by What's Happening! semi-regular Bryan O'Dell. He's a not so street smart kid who wants to run with the Kingsmen, a local gang headed by Hilton-Jacobs, a returned Vietnam vet. The Kingsmen spend a lot of time drinking, beating up rival gang members, and abusing each other, but that doesn't mean they don't have a social conscience: when they lose a member to smack, the hunt is on for the dope pushers peddling junk in the 'hood. The story is familiar but is helped along by a uniformly good cast. War's score is excellent, especially the title track and Galaxy, featured in a disco scene heavily reminiscent of Soooooouuullllll Train. Watch for Ron Neal (Superfly) in a brief cameo as a high school gym teacher.

I recently watched Youngblood (1978) on Tubi. The storyline follows a 15-year-old boy in Los Angeles who has a successful older brother trying to pull his family out of the ghetto, but the younger brother is unsure if he wants to leave. When one of his friends dies of a drug overdose, he joins a gang and wants to help them get revenge. Can the older brother save the young man before he gets too deep and can't get out?

This film is directed by Noel Nosseck (Best Friends) and stars Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (LA Heat), Renn Woods (Return to Green Acres), Bryan O'Dell (Street Wars), and Art Evans (Die Hard 2).

This is an underrated addition to the blaxploitation genre. The settings, attire, hairstyles, and dialogue all fit the premise perfectly. This is a well-written and well-cast film. The situations feel authentic and depict real family struggles. The storyline unfolds well, and the concluding shootout is perfect. The soundtrack is also excellent.

In conclusion, Youngblood is a worthy and underrated addition to the blaxploitation genre that's worth viewing. I'd score this a 6.5/10 and recommend seeing for fans of the genre.