Jim Brown once again shows us what screen presence is all about in this rather routine but enjoyable blaxploitation-action-melodrama. He plays the title character, who owns a club in L.A. One night, his younger brother Scott (Herbert Jefferson, Jr.), a member of a militant group, brings in the proceeds of a late night robbery, including some incriminating books; this brings down the wrath of the local mob. Before too long, Scott is dead and Gunn is therefore ripe for revenge.
The story is nothing special; it entertains solidly even if it's pretty predictable by and large. But director Robert Hartford-Davis (who went on to do "The Take" with Billy Dee Williams) handles a lot of this material with style. There's some eye candy on display (but no nudity), and the violence is potent all the way through the film. There's no shortage of slimy, reprehensible white villains to have fun booing; if nothing else, "Black Gunn" is enjoyable on a visceral level.
Brown is one cool customer, as so many of the best protagonists were in this sort of thing. You won't see him change his facial expression often, but you WILL see him take some lumps before this is over. However, as the primary nemesis, Martin Landau is almost thoroughly wasted, giving orders and throwing his weight around, but you never do see very much of the character.
Familiar faces scattered throughout the supporting cast also help to make it fun: Brenda Sykes (as Browns' gal pal), Luciana Paluzzi, Stephen McNally, Keefe Brasselle, Timothy Brown, William Campbell, Bernie Casey, Gary Conway, Tony Young, Jeannie Bell. The movie has a particularly strong role for Bruce Glover (of "Diamonds are Forever" fame) as a creepy white strong-arm man. He makes your skin crawl whenever he's on camera.
The dynamic cast and the equally dynamic soundtrack (composed by Tony Osborne) make this a most agreeable (if forgettable) way to kill an hour and 37 minutes.
Seven out of 10.
