Tattoo Connection/Comments

• Also released on DVD in UK as BLACK BELT JONES 2. The trailer for this flick reads "Tattoo Connection - Starring the black Superman of martial arts Jim Kelly. He's James Bond and Bruce Lee rolled into one cool package of dynamite!" This ones a definite low-point in Jim's short film career. He has said the film scripts he used to receive in the 70's were lousy and/or racist and decided to hot foot it to Hong Kong to see if he fared any better. With this movie he should have saved his air miles. A gang of oriental diamond thieves steal the North Pole Star from it's courier as it enters Hong Kong and it's worth $3 million bucks on the black market . Back in the USA an executive diamond committee calls in the help of ex-CIA man Lucas (Kelly) to retrieve the stone from Hong Kong. The dubbing is piss awful and even poor Jim is dubbed with a voice that gives him a permanent blocked nose. HEAR - excellent disco toons in a club, SEE - Jim sporting his trademark Adidas and Fila tracksuits as eveningwear. Anyway, the thieves work for nasty Mr Liu and Lucas fights nine of his men on a flight of stairs. HEAR - dialogue like "Your chinese legs ain't bad " and "How do the feet taste" as Lucas is kicked in the chops. SEE - Bolo throw baby rabbits around on the deck of a ship because he wants rabbit stew and is sick of tinned food! Bare chested Jim takes on all of Liu's men and kicks Liu himself overboard. I have to say it just one more time for the record - THIS FLICK IS (APART FROM THE FIGHT SCENES) THEE MOST LOWLY PIECE OF CRUD THAT POOR JIM EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH!!! Do yourself a favor and check out Mr. Kelly doing what he does best (i.e. KICK ASS) in Three The Hard Way and Black Belt Jones. - Mark Banville