66 - The Human Tornado (1976) Summer Sequel Month Part 2
Summer Sequel month continues on the Grindbin with another movie that's not really a sequel. More of a re-imagining or alternate story, Rudy Ray Moore's character of Dolemite returns in an all new adventure complete with his patented style, one-liners and penchant for horrible kung-fu.
If you've listened to our Dolemite episode (Number 21) you know we have a great love for the movies of Rudy Ray Moore on the Grindbin and The Human Tornado is one of his best films.
Is Human Tornado a sequel? On the surface it would seem so: it's another movie with Dolemite, it's a follow up to the first movie, and it contains a lot of the same characters. Yet nothing from the first movie is ever referenced and while the characters are the same they are in completely different situations (Queen Bee owns a club and Blakely is a cop and not working for the FBI). So what exactly is The Human Tornado?
Arguably this is a super hero movie and it's presented more like a serialized adventure. Much like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Human Tornado is difficult to place within the context of the first film. We are in a new place with a new adventure and some of our old friends return for the ride. None of it matters as the movie is much more polished and paced than the first outing; sadly Mr. Boom mic doesn't make a return appearance.
What makes The Human Tornado so enjoyable is that everyone seems to be having a legitimately good time making the movie. The jokes are funny, the action is horribly bad (in a good way) and the movie is paced well so that the audience never gets bored or lost.
The Human Tornado is much like Evil Dead 2 to The Evil Dead; it's a better and more polished re-imaging of the first outing and it's definitely worth a watch.
