I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to Blaxploitation cinema, but I've seen enough films by now to know that I root for the underdog titles rather than the popular blockbusters. Flamboyant and famous genre classics like "Shaft", "Foxy Brown" or "Black Caesar" may be entertaining, but I prefer the raw and desolate atmosphere of unsung gems like "Across 110th Street", "Ganja and Hess", "Fight for your Life" or "The Spook who sat by the Door". Ossie Davis' "Gordon's War" can definitely also be added to that shortlist from now on as well! This film doesn't rely on the groovy charisma of one single lead- player (although Paul Winfield is truly fantastic) but instead it portrays a harsh and saddening image of life in the decaying big city ghettos. Mostly thanks to the authentic Harlem filming locations, in combination with a straightforward no-nonsense script and a handful of marvelous action sequences, "Gordon's War" is a rewarding Blaxploitation gem worth tracking down. Decorated war hero Gordon Hudson returns from Vietnam only to find out that his beloved wife died of an overdose and that a whole generation of Harlem youngsters is falling victim to lousy heroine. You know the revenge/vigilante routine from here onward: Gordon assembles his army buddies and go back to war, only this time it's a personal battle against the drug pushers on the streets and crime lords who provide them. Apart from being a fast- paced and competently made thriller, "Gordon's War" is also memorable for featuring one of the most inventive safe raids I've ever seen and the bizarre supporting role of Grace Jones in her first screen appearance. The abrupt finale is a bit of a letdown, though, and the film could have done without the clichéd "oh-we-used-to-be-so-happy" flashbacks.

Gordon Hudson (Winfield) comes home to Harlem after serving in Vietnam. Once he gets there, he is angered, saddened, and shocked by what he sees. Drug pushers, pimps, prostitutes, junkies and other undesirables have turned Harlem into a wasteland. Drawing upon his combat training, he sees his mission as driving out the pushers and pimps, and he simply continues the war once home. In order to do this, he reaches out to his buddies Bee Bishop (Lee), Otis Russell (Downing), and Roy Green (King). They set up a command post in one of the many abandoned buildings in their area. They then proceed to clean up the streets in the most effective way: vengeance. You may be asking yourself how they know who to focus on, but with names like Big Pink (Heard), Spanish Harry (Lewis) and the dead giveaway Luther the Pimp (Gordon), their work is cut out for them. Will they rid the streets of the baddies and clean up their home? Or will they all lose GORDON'S WAR? Find out today! Excellently directed by Ossie Davis, Gordon's War is a winner. Davis adds a lot of nice little, subtle touches that keep the viewer highly entertained. You really do care about Gordon and his compatriots' plight. You want badly for them to succeed. The movie combines many of our favorite things that we're always looking out for: gritty NYC locations, a tough, no-nonsense approach, good character development, the setup of a command center, and the classic "assembling a team" scene, and of course, revenge, revenge, revenge. Among other noteworthy items, of course.This was before another one of our favorites, the "Cleaning Up the Community" montage really took hold - the whole film is Gordon and his friends cleaning up the community. Whether this movie is actually Blaxploitation remains in question - simply because it has Black characters automatically pigeonholes it as "Blaxploitation"? However, nostalgia fans will see a lot of their favorite things on screen: gigantic cars, fly threads and hip lingo. One of our favorite moments took place in a roller skating rink. No matter what subgenre of action movie may arise, it wouldn't be complete without the final abandoned warehouse shootout. A very cool chase caps things off nicely.Featuring the perfectly-chosen music of Barbara Mason and New Birth, Gordon's War delivers the goods.

Now in many ways, GORDON'S WAR and the comedy I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA are very, very dissimilar movies. However, if you think about the basic plot, the stories are practically the same. Both feature a soldier coming home to find out someone they love was killed by gangs of pushers. Both then consist of the leading men gathering a group of Vietnam vets to put the hurt on the dealers and eventually kill off "Mr. Big".Now GORDON'S WAR might easily be categorized as a "Blaxploitation Film", but in many ways it defies the genre. Whites aren't really even mentioned in this film and most of the warfare is directed against Black drug dealers, so the anti-White America rhetoric is missing. Plus, the film, while violent and idealizing vigilantism, has a much more positive message than many films of the genre. But of course, for those who love Blaxploitation, rest assured that this one still has a lot of amazing violence, lots of boobs and tough "take no crap from anyone" leading men.In this case, the lead is played by a man not associated with the genre, Paul Winfield. Winfield returns from 'Nam to discover that his wife got hooked on drugs and died. Instead of brooding about it, he vows to clean up the ghetto with the help of his army buddies.The film, while not especially deep, has a lot of action, a fantastic musical score (one of the best of the era) and is entertaining throughout. Well worth viewing.

OK, so this isn't one of the best movies ever made, but it is one of the better Blaxploitation films and is still not very well known.A Vietnam vet returns home to Harlem, to find out his lady died from an overdose. This Heroin problem is not only a problem for him, but dope and pimps are taking over the whole neighborhood. He wants justice, not just for his woman but for his neighborhood and for his people.He gets a group of his buddies from the Nam, and they form a a 4 man task force to push the dealers out of Harlem.This movie is creative and fun, if you don't try to take it too seriously. Fans of the genre will recognize many of the actors in the movie.This team not only tackles the dealers, the attack the infrastructure, and keep on fighting until they get all the way to the top until they get all the way to the top.Paul Winfield presence is strong.This is really more of an crime-action movie than a crime-drama. Car chases, fighting, comedy, and a few slick quotables in it as well.If you like Blaxploitation flicks, you'll want to see this.