Movielogr
Abar, the First Black Superman (1977)
Directed by Frank Packard
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by sleestakk, zombiefreak
Overview
Upon moving into a bigoted neighborhood, the scientist father of a persecuted black family gives a superpower elixir to a tough bodyguard, who thus becomes a superpowered crimefighter.
Length 102 minutes
Actors
Frank Doubleday | John Kerry | Tobar Mayo | Edward Cross | Fred D. Scott | J. Walter Smith | Roxie Young | Gladys Lum | Tony Rumford | Rupert Williams | Tina James | Art Jackson | Allen Ogle | Joe Alberti | Dee Turguand | Nelson Meeker | William Carrol Jr. | James Dickson | Richard Corrigan | Chuck Cumminsky | Syd Marks | April London | Cal Williams | Keith Gill | Sugar McNair | Lee Dodson | Felicia Cruse | Manuel Angeli | Charles Green | Odell Mack
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/03/2011 | Other | Other | Other | 2.5 stars |
| (Average) 2.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
There’s more speechifying going on than superheroics in ABAR: THE FIRST BLACK SUPERMAN, about 90 minutes worth out of the 102 on screen.
Rather than deliver a superhero movie, the film instead decides to wander around black-white relations issues and not at all gracefully. Obviously the writers wanted to preach a message of peace (Dr. King’s “Dream” speech plays three times I think), but it’s written and acted so poorly as to often be alternately laughable and boring; the entire Kincade family talks only in run-on sentences, for instance. When the superheroics finally do occur and Abar becomes Jesus or something, it’s underwhelming and confusing and then the movie just ends.
In my limited experience, blaxploitation movies aren’t always as graceful as BLACK CAESAR, but they can be better than this one was and still manage to dive into civil rights issues. I think I’ll stick to the second black superman: METEOR MAN.
Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite line: “Oh shut up, you Watusi Wobbler…”
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