Kenner

Given that Jim Brown is the lead actor of this movie, and the movie has a one word title, one may understandably think that they will be getting a blaxploitation movie like "Shaft", "Slaughter", or "Hammer". However, the movie was actually made about three years before the blaxploitation genre got started, and is instead a fairly serious drama. Nothing immediately wrong with that, but the actual execution is pretty dismal. While the movie was filmed on location in India, which does at times give the movie a colorful and exotic backdrop, the movie has a very dull story. The thin story is extremely padded out, when it is not predictable or relying on coincidence to try and keep things moving. The performances are nothing to shout about, with Brown (who has never been a good actor in my opinion) clearly showing clear discomfort and no enthusiasm. If you want to see a good Jim Brown movie from the 1960s, choose "Dark of the Sun" instead.

Roy Kenner (Jim Brown) arrives in Bombay looking for Tom Jordan, the man who killed his business partner. A young boy named Saji befriends him. The boy keeps looking for his American sailor father from a picture his mother Anasuya (Madlyn Rhue) gave him.

I had hoped for some exotic locations and some Indian culture. They definitely filmed this in India. Basically, Indian culture is Jim Brown being shocked or frustrated with the local customs. The fleeting glimpses are interesting enough. I do not like the interior sets. Madlyn Rhue looks like a westerner doing brown face. Kenner needs some more exposition in the opening act. It's all a mess and a bit exploitative and rather bland.

In the opening scene, Jim Brown is piloting his boat across a large harbor, heading to dock. Cut to his shipmate, below decks, cooking a pan of eggs. Next scene, the boat is docked and Jim Brown is supervising the loading or unloading of stuff. Cut again to the shipmate below -- he's still standing over a pan of eggs. That's no way to treat eggs.

"Kenner" only gets worse from there.

I am not going to lie, the acting in this movie is terrible, I mean, maybe beyond terrible. But hey, it's still got Jim Brown, who kinda tries. In fact, compared to the other actors in this film, he looks like a master thespian.. You also have extensive footage of India as it was shot on location. I think the India footage is enough to bump up the rating here. Culturally speaking, pretty neat. The plot? Well, let's just say, not essential or really sensical. Did I mention Jim Brown is in it and it was filmed in India? OK, it's a a really bad film. However, MST3K has shown us, bad movies can be kinda fun.

I see that from the lack of comments that this film does not make the rounds on TV that often. It is not on video nor DVD. I saw this film recently. It was on a tape that I had that was taped from TV many years ago. Now I know why I did not remember this picture. Jim Brown plays an American Sailor who goes to Bombay India, to search for a guy that cheated him out of some money. He gets tangled up with a young boy that is searching for his American father. The acting is horrible and the story makes nearly no sense at all. The photography is so so, but should have been much better. This film was made in 1969 when MGM had changed hands, and the film quality started to lack. This film should remain in the vaults. See it if you are a Jim Brown fan, otherwise beware. * star