Leofwine_draca Low budget and highly entertaining aren't always terms that meet up in the world of filmmaking, but ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO is an exception. Directed by and starring Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson, who kept on making blaxploitation type flicks throughout the 1980s, long after the boom had ended, this little movie is a lot of fun and doesn't let a lack of budget get in the way of telling an engaging story.The film starts off with some real-life fight footage (unfortunately recalling that terrible 'documentary', FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH) before moving onto stronger territory. Jim Kelly and Richard Roundtree star as a couple of fight organisers who are ripped off and betrayed by the Mob, in the form of small-town redneck goons and their suited, gun-wielding counterparts. Finding themselves no match for their enemies, they call in the help of a couple of old timer buddies, Jim Brown and Williamson himself.This is where the fun starts. Brown and Williamson have a natural camaraderie and good sense of humour, and watching this pair strolling through town and cracking heads (with the cigar never leaving Williamson's mouth) makes a great evening's entertainment for this viewer. Okay, so the story is nothing to write home about and the supporting cast (aside from a cameoing Joe Spinell) are pretty poor, but who cares when four – count 'em! - of blaxploitation cinema's greatest stars are teaming up and crushing skulls! Fast pacing works in the film's favour, the running time flies past and aside from an anticlimax ending, this one rarely puts a foot wrong.

davideo-2 STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs Ralph (Richard Roundtree) and Chuck (Jim Kelly) are two kung fu champions who have set up a tournament to see who is the best.However,they've encountered a problem in the shape of the mob,who are putting pressure on them to rig their tournament.When they instinctively offer resistance,they find themselves the subject of an attack and find themselves relying on pals Cal (Fred Williamson) and J (Jim Brown) to stand up to them and offer retribution.Throughout the 70s and into the early 80s,the 'blaxploitation' movie was a big thing and enjoyed a huge following as it did it's thing and played a huge part in bringing black culture into mainstream cinema.Two of it's most iconic figures,Jim Kelly,the unforgettable Williams in Enter the Dragon and Shaft himself Richard Roundtree,who added much to the action element of this movement with their baaaad-asssss attitude and hard personas,enjoy prominent billing in this one,but each have only supporting roles and very limited screen-time.As it is,this movie is carried by two other black players,Jim Brown and Fred Williamson,fairly charismatic guys with a fairly effective rapport and presence between them.The main problem with the film is the story.It is simplistic as hell and churns on at a robotic pace as the movie rolls on and on.Aside from being one of the lead stars,Williamson also administers directorial duties here and sort of allows his own pet project to meander along at his own comfortable,slumberous pace.The film is simply okay but so nothing special from any other of it's ilk.Overall,this is,for the most part,a robotic and plodding entry into it's genre.However,if you want to watch a fair bit of 'black attitude' and style,a cool,funky soundtrack,not to mention some okay martial arts here-and-there,this might just fill a hole in your stomach.***

rokshok183 Contrary to another comment on this film. "If you like the stars in this film then you will like this film." I, like many others, always keep a look out for any Jim Kelly fliks knowing that you're in for some irrepressible charisma and perhaps even a irrepressible 'Fro. But any bias I have to the stars in this film just couldn't persuade me to actually say that I enjoyed the film.Scenes dragging themselves to their graves, suspense voided build-ups to anti climatic events and of course some cardboard acting are all expected and forgivable in this genre of film. But with the cast at hand you hope you're gonna have some on screen personalities reaching out of the screen and giving you a good smack in the face. If there is a cast to do it then surely this is it. Unfortunately the lot of em die on their asses in their attempts with this movie. Shame.

gridoon With this once-in-a-lifetime cast (reuniting the four greatest blaxploitation stars of the early seventies), this picture should be more fun than it is. Someone seems to have drained the life out of these performers; Jim Brown, in particular, comes off very badly (judging only from this movie, you'd come to the conclusion that he can't act). The film is also poorly structured, keeping the stars away from each other (and from any enjoyable interaction) for laaaaarge periods of time. And Williamson must have really had it in for Jim Kelly; he barely gives him 1/5 of the screen time devoted to the other leads, and he features him in only two brief fight scenes (he even loses in one of them!). Cool score, though. (*1/2)