(1976)
1
Jeremy Wheeler
This inferior follow-up to Black Belt Jones is a downright chore to get through, filled with lame comedic touches and bland fight choreography that drag the flick down to a slow-grinding torture session that no one will want seconds of. Jim Kelly showed promise in his team-up with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon and even struck gold on the previous Jones excursion, but it's deathly apparent that something went horribly wrong on this picture. Blame can surely be pinned on the director, Oscar Williams, whose writing credit on Truck Turner is admirable, but in no way was it the experience needed to helm a rumble-in-the-jungle action flick. On the plus side, there are some brilliant dialogue zingers that are good for a quick rewind or two, while a few fleeting scenes of over-the-top insanity make nice moments of delirious entertainment. For the most part, though, Hot Potato is good for one thing -- the title! Everything else in the flick is a hot poker in the eyes, thanks in part to the brutally unfunny antics of the overweight comic relief character White Rhino (George Memmoli), whose no-shirt and suspenders outfit will plague audience members until their dying day.
Hot Potato on AllMovie
Hot Potato (1976)
