DVD Review: Detroit 9000 (B)

00 (1973)
Directed by Arthur Marks
Starring Hari Rhodes, Alex Rocco, Rudy Challenger, Scatman Crothers and Sally Baker
MPAA: R
Grade: B

Detroit 9000 is an interesting film, as it mixes the cop drama into some familiar blaxploitation themes, without falling into some of the traps that made films of similar style become cliché. This plays like Starsky and Hutch meets Shaft.

Alex Rocco is a white Detroit cop that has been put on a racially charged case involving a heist of nearly four hundred thousand dollars in cash and jewelry. As the victim of the crime was a prominent black gubernatorial candidate, many in the motor city suspect that the perpetrators were white, and that the cops might be colluding, or at the very least, not helping to find the crooks. He is teamed up with a black cop and together, they try to solve the case, but they also make time to seduce some ladies and be badasses.

Another entry in the "Quentin Tarantino Presents" series, it has some humor, a little trickery, some foul mouth language and lots of gunshots. In other words, its easy to see how Tarantino fell in love with this one, and without giving too much away, it also clear that this film had a little influence on how he handled Jackie Brown, one of Mr. T's best.

The music is funky, provided by the Holland-Dozier crew, and there are some sweet 70's outfits going on (although it doesn't try to go overboard with the funky clothes, it keeps it fairly realistic for the time). So for blaxploitation fans, you'll find some treats here, and for those not really into that kind of film, you will still be entertained.

If you are a fan of the 70's cop drama, like Tarantino style movies, or are a fan of blaxploitation movies, then Detroit 9000 is definitely right up your alley.

Review by Bobby Nashville

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