Although clearly an exploitation film -- and even moreso after it was re-released 5 years later under the title Black Rebels, with intrusive softcore footage added -- This Rebel Breed is a much better film than one might expect. It's no classic, and the severe melodramatics of its plot certainly keep it from any claim to high drama, but it does pack a sizeable punch. Richard L. Bare directs in a bare-fisted style that often lacks subtlety but is perfect for the material at hand. He keeps the pressure up and the action moving while still finding time for the occasional bit of character development or a surprising moment of insight. And while the screenplay is contrived and unbelievable, it does at least acknowledge the existence of drug peddling and racial conflict (of several different kinds) in a straightforward manner. The language used is also surprisingly frank, not in terms of sexual content but in terms of slurs and epithets, and the film as a whole is unusually serious. But what makes Breed stand out above other similar exploitation films of the period is its fine cast. Mark Damon and Doug Hume are good as the undercover cops, but even better are Richard Rust. Rita Moreno and, in smaller parts, Dyan Cannon and Al Freeman, Jr. Rust is a great villain, a truly heartless and selfish monster who still has appeal. Moreno is sensational, creating a performance that is exceptionally complex for a programmer of the sort. Breed's screenplay keeps it from being a really good film, but it's still worth a look.