Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Black Samurai Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 20, 2020

Note: This film is available as part of Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection.

Disc Twelve of The Masterpiece Collection continues with the Blaxploitation theme of the last couple of discs in this set, albeit this time with star Jim Kelly in the spotlight in both films.

It almost seems like Adamson was trying to give birth to a veritable franchise with Black Samurai, a property Adamson optioned from a book series (that in and of itself is kind of unusual for Adamson), and which offered Jim Kelly to play a kind of James Bond-esque character. (Interestingly, and perhaps not so coincidentally, the next film Adamson made with Kelly, Death Dimension, featured an actual James Bond, George Lazenby, along with Harold 'Odd Job' Takata.) Kelly portrays secret agent Robert Sand, who is tasked with saving a kidnapped daughter of a VIP, a girl who just so coincidentally (and conveniently) happens to be Sand's girlfriend. This film offers a number of elements in both depictions and dialogues which may strike the PC police as violating certain standards, but it has an undeniable gonzo energy, and where else are you going to see Jim Kelly flying around in a jetpack?

Black Samurai Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Black Samurai is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's some damage, including print through, right at the opening, along with some pretty heavy grain, but things improve thereafter. The palette looks generally very fresh throughout the film, with reds and blues popping very well. Some stock footage (including flights, which seems to be an Adamson staple) is pretty ragged looking, and there's some noticeable crush in some dark scenes. Once again there's pretty recurrent damage in the form of white flecks and smaller scratches. This doesn't offer quite the same level of clarity as some of the films I gave slightly better scores to, but it's still generally very good. My score is 3.25.

Black Samurai Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Black Samurai features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that exhibits just a hint of crackling in the midrange in some music cues (including the opening), though that said some later moments, including some piano playing later in the film, can sound clear and distortion free. This is another entry that features some over the top "chop socky" sound effects in fights, frequently accompanied by nonstop music. Dialogue is presented cleanly throughout. English subtitles are available via the button on your remote.

Black Samurai Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Black Samurai Trailer (1080p; 2:43)

Black Samurai Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Black Samurai offers a good showcase for the always enjoyable Kelly, but the film is probably hobbled by some of its depictions and at least a line or two of questionable dialogue. Video and audio are both generally fine if each encounters a couple of stumbling blocks along the way.