BROWN, WILLIAMSON AND KELLY ARE 'THREE THE HARD WAY'

title: THREE THE HARD WAY year: 1974 cast: Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Jim Kelly rating: ****

A mad scientist and a white supremacist millionaire will poison the water supplies of three American cities, killing only the black population in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, unless Jim Brown, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly stop them. This action packed blaxploitation, bordering on Roger Moore era Bond, never lets up as the dynamic trio, sometimes together, sometimes alone, fight cops and goons alike, surviving car chases, foot chases, gun fights, explosions, and everything else thrown their way. A scene where three motorcycle riding vixens cruise the streets and then torture a crooked cop will confirm the sort of affect this had on Quentin Tarantino's work. And most importantly, all three black icons have their own separate identities: Fred Williams is the suave womanizer, Jim Kelly the mellow karate man, and Jim Brown as the badass bottom line.