Movie Reviews: Soda Cracker

Soda Cracker aka The Kill Reflex
directed by Fred Williamson

This 1989 movie is another independent low budget action film starring (and directed by Fred Williamson). It's not very good. 

It does fit in with similar contemporaneous larger budget schlock featuring better known white actors like Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Kurt Russell. 

One difference was that by this time Williamson was beginning to age out of kick butt He-Man action roles. Nevertheless Williamson was a former professional athlete and still maintained an imposing physique and impressive screen presence. 

At this time there weren't many roles in Hollywood in which the Black man got to be the hero, kick a$$, and get the girl instead of being an incompetent criminal, comic relief, a sidekick, or a Magical Negro who is only there to help the white hero reach his full potential.

So despite the often cliched writing, bad cinematography, and pained fight scenes I appreciated that Williamson was continuing to provide RARE examples of cinematic Black male heroism. The plot is pedestrian. Soda Cracker (Williamson) is a Chicago cop who plays by his own rules--is there ever any other kind? 

Soda Cracker and his partner Phil Gillespie are assigned to routine security detail for the Governor's visit. However when the Governor is in the crowd, someone shoots. Phil is dead. The police brass is convinced that Phil was accidentally killed and that the Governor was the target. Too bad, so sad. Case closed.

Soda Cracker thinks otherwise. Soda Cracker believes that the Moss brothers (Bo Svenson and D.R. Jones) , pugnacious drug dealers whom Soda Cracker once arrested, are back for revenge. 

Soda Cracker does not avoid confrontation, especially not when he's carrying his trusty hand cannon. Before long Soda Cracker is harassing both of the Moss brothers, and one of their girlfriends, singer Phyllis Hyman. 

Soda Cracker is also (ahem) "breaking in" his attractive new partner, rookie Crystal Tarver (two time Bond girl Maud Adams) and using her help to do some research. In his investigation Soda Cracker discovers some things about his former partner that don't add up as well as a possible department conspiracy. Various fights and shootouts ensue. Maybe you can watch this movie when nothing else is on but unless you are a Williamson completist, I can't say this film is a must see. The dialogue was bad.