The Big Score

My review was written in November 1983 after a Times Square screening.

As his eighth directorial assignment, Fred Williamson's "The Big Score" is an unexceptional action picture. Low-budget entry should do fair business at urban action houses.

Film is reportedly based on one of several Gail Morgan Hickman scripts originally written for the "Dirty Harry" film series and acquired in the mid-1970s from Clint Eastwood by Williamson when Eastwood put aside his hit character (temporarily, it proved, given the upcoming "Sudden Impact" feature).

Despite the Chicago locale, Williamson's narcotics cop role of Frank Hooks is firmly rooted in "Dirty Harry" terrain -bounced from the force after a bag of money disappears in a large-scale drug bust. Freed from red tape and the department's rules, Hooks ruthlessly dispatches the bad guys, leading to the inevitable villain in a Williamson film, Joe Spinell.

Before sputtering out in an uneventful anti-climax, pic is fun in the early reels, carried by the camaraderie between Fred and his fellow cops played by action stars John Saxon and Richard Roundtree as well as no-nonsense thesping by his superior, essayed by Ed Lauter. Film lags with musical numbers by Ramsey lewis and Nancy Wilson, latter merely okay in her film acting debut as Hooks' quasi-estranged wife.

Tech credits are adequate, with bright, functional lensing of Chicago neighborhoods by cinematographer Joao Fernandes (previously known under his pseudonym "Harry Flecks" on pioneer porn films such as "Deep- Throat" and "Devil in Miss Jones"). Jay Chattaway's invigorating musical score punches up Williamson's trademark foot chases.

OK, listen up, the rest of the people who have reviewed this movie are either blithering idiots or have never watched a B Movie actioner before. Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson directs and stars in this renegade cop versus a drug syndicate movie which has everything you could possibly ever want from one of these kinds of films. There is gun play, fisticuffs, explosions, great one liners, a damn cool soundtrack and a terrific cast having a ton of fun with the subject matter. Is it true that it's low budget, fairly rare, shot on a lower grade film and sort of illogical in places? yes of course, it's an action film made in the early 80s but that's not why you watch a movie like this. You watch it because Fred Williamson is one of the coolest men on the planet, because The Hammer always gets his man, because the cast list reads like a Whos Who of AWESOMENESS, because it's shot on real locations, because it's fun and gritty and, if you need one more reason, because there are full human body explosions in the movie!!

The Hammer plays a rough and ready, rule breaking cop who gets suspended after a drug bust gone wrong fails to turn up a million dollars in cash. Now this renegade has to clear his name and stop the bad guys who have a vendetta against him and want their money back. It doesn't disappoint. From the opening scene of Williamson undercover dressed like the smoothest pimp you've ever seen to the explosion filled ending it is a well paced, slick, fun, exciting, funny, action filled movie with a soundtrack that sets it on fire. A fairly bad copy is available on YouTube or you can buy it cheap on Amazon. I would suggest you do so. Yes this film needs to be watched and reviewed as what it is. Although the production value might not stand up against a big studio picture, considering it was probably made for 7% of the budget of say, a Beverly Hills Cop, it's a damn fine film and The Hammer knows how to get bang for his buck on screen.

Also, for the other reviewer that said that Black Caesar is the sequel to Hell up in Harlem, it's the other way round. You're on IMDb it would've taken you literally seconds to find that out.

Anyway, please ignore everyone else and give this movie a chance. It's kick ass!

I saw this movie some years ago. And I've seen many Fred Williamson movies and all I have to say is........"It's a typical Fred Williamson Movie." Most of his movies are cheesy to say the least. If you keep this in mind before viewing the movie, it lessons the blow. I look at his movies as comedy. They are good movies for you and your buddies to get together with some beer and chips and just "rag" on the movies. (Please check out the following Williamson Classics. "Bucktown", "O.G.", "That Man Bolt", Hell up in Harlem...and it's sequel "Black Ceasar".) And also make sure you are drunk and with your friends when watching. However, I must say, the music was pretty decent. It features Jazz greats Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson (who also plays Williamsons women)and R&B greats the Chi-lites.