Abar, the First Black Superman (1977)

Director: Frank Packard
Starring: J Walter Smith, Tobar Mayo, Roxie Young

Synopsis:
A black doctor moves into a deeply racist white neighborhood and meets the leader of an underground movement who proves to be the perfect test subject for his experiment.

Impressions:
You expect blaxploitation films to be made on the cheap with a number of limitations to them, but few can boast of being quite so hilariously bad. On all fronts, this movie is poorly done. The writing, the acting, the sound mixing, the camera work, the editing, etc., etc. Honestly, the script is so badly written that it arguably trivializes the social issues it addresses. Tobar Mayo is the only one who comes close to delivering anything close to a professional actor's performance, and that's mostly by comparison to the other cast members. Now, this incompetence may succeed in amusing you. I found some charm to its clumsiness myself. Abar's apotheosis at the end is very nearly reason enough to sit through all the buildup leading to it. If you're the type who can enjoy Z-grade cinema, you may want to give this one a try. Otherwise, skip it.

Rating:
50/50