Three the Hard Way Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Three the Hard Way Blu-ray Movie Review

Let's punch Nazis.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 20, 2025

Director Gordon Parks' entertaining and city-hopping follow-up to his 1972 Blaxploitation classic Super Fly, 1974's Three the Hard Way teams up the charismatic trio of Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly for an action-packed adventure that's one of the genre's more accessible and fast-moving entries. While the film's script (co-written by none other than Eric Bercovici of Shōgun fame) and limited budget don't fully capture the intended Earth-shattering scope of its story, this one still stands tall as a stylish blast from the past that sadly still feels socially relevant.

Opening with a daring escape from some sort of facility where dozens of black men lay dead, a wounded man named House (Junero Jennings) is forcefully driven by a young couple to reunite with his old friend Jimmy Lait (Jim Brown), a record producer. Jimmy and his gal Wendy (Sheila Frazier) take poor House to the hospital, where he warns them of a nefarious plot that targets the nation's black men. Jimmy might normally guard him during the late night shift, but he's got more urgent business: a recording session with The Impressions (a long-running R&B group that Curtis Mayfield was once a part of, and they even sing three songs on the film's soundtrack), so Wendy stays instead.

Unfortunately, a mysterious group of men in disguise secretly break in to House's hospital room to finish him off and kidnap Wendy too, forcing poor Jimmy to seek out answers and ask for help from his other old running buddies Jagger Daniels (Williamson) and Mister Keyes (Kelly). Their shared mission? To find Wendy and stop the threat behind it all: Elon Musk Monroe Feather (Jay Robinson), the leader of a Neo-Nazi group who's apparently developed a lethal poison that, when added to a water supply, will decimate that area's black population. The white supremacist group's first targets are Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Los Angeles, so our heroic brothers -- with a little help from their friends including one Asian dude (David Chow), a heavy-set guy (Charles McGregor), and three sexy motorcycle-driving dominatrices (Pamela Serpe, Irene Tsu, and Marie O'Henry) -- splits up to finally take down The Man.

Reasonable expectations must be in check for first-time viewers of Three the Hard Way, whose plot, as mentioned earlier, is not seamlessly carried out by its script and budget limitations. Simply put, there are portions of the movie where you'll have to use your imagination to believe that the entire nation's black population is at stake: few extras are present, there's no larger connective tissue linking all three locations together, and certain scenes sidestep the overall narrative in a goofy way. However, it's a lot of fun to see our heroes take down the bad guys by any means necessary, and Three the Hard Way's ample big-city locations are used very well to heighten the film's scope and sense of intrigue. Car chases and hand-to-hand combat are sprinkled throughout too, likewise adding in their own level of momentum and raw entertainment value. Add in a generous dose of time-capsule appeal and a few lovely ladies, and you've got a pretty fun way to kill 97 minutes. It ain't perfect, but it's well above average for the uneven genre.

Warner Archive has been meticulously restoring a light but steady stream of Blaxploitation films during the last several years, from thoughtful sets like the Shaft Triple Feature to other fan favorites like Cleopatra Jones, Black Belt Jones (no relation), and Hit Man. Three the Hard Way follows suit with similarly strong A/V specs and minimal extras, making this a slim but enjoyable release that genre fans will enjoy. Perhaps it's time for a multi-disc collection?

Three the Hard Way Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio (which really shows off all the location footage, padded as it is), Warner Archive's restoration of Three the Hard Way looks immaculate and very true to its source material. This 1080p transfer stems from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative that's been meticulously cleaned of dirt and debris, resulting in a very thick and stable image that feels very much in line with an authentic 1970s theatrical presentation. Film grain varies and can be challenged by noise and occasional clumping during its darkest sequences, while other stray shots obviously feature baked-in softness, yet this overall presentation is still remarkably consistent from start to finish and will thrill long-time fans of the film. As far as I know, this marks Three the Hard Way's digital home video debut as a stand-alone title, as the only previous DVD release I could find was as part of WB's 2010 Urban Action Collection, and I've no doubt that this Blu-ray absolutely catapults beyond that older disc in every conceivable way.

Three the Hard Way Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix follows suit with a similarly clean and polished replication of its mono source in a split two-channel container. No obvious hiss, pops, or distortion could be heard along the way, just clean dialogue -- some of it noticeably ADR'd -- with healthy dynamics for gunshots (there's unlimited ammo, apparently), explosions, stock fighting sound effects, and of course the warm, occasionally funky, and always era-specific music cues including three oft-repeated songs by The Impressions, seen above. Another rock-solid presentation here, hands down.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Three the Hard Way Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with terrific poster-themed cover artwork. Extras are minimal.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:04) - This rough-looking but awesome promotional piece can also be seen here.

Three the Hard Way Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gordon Parks' Three the Hard Way is one of those "wink-wink" 4/5 films: far from a masterpiece and full of flaws and gaping plot holes, but it's just too much fun to award it anything less. With iconic Blaxploitation actors Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly sharing the spotlight, great time-capsule appeal, and well over 100 neo-Nazis killed before the credits roll, what's not to love? Warner Archive's new Blu-ray follows in the footsteps of the their previous genre releases, favoring an authentic A/V presentation but only minimal extras. This one's Highly Recommended to the right audience for sure, but it would also fit perfectly in one of the boutique label's multi-disc collections.