Review: Karate Ghost

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Karate Ghost (aka Black Belt Joe)
Directed by Bobby Canipe Jr.
Acid Bath Productions; Is This Las Vegas Productions
90 minutes, 2022
www.jamesbalsamo.com/#/

If you are wondering if this is serious or a goofy comedy, well, I mean, look at the title. If you dig a little closer, the name of the titular character, Black Belt Joe is a pun named after a much beloved blaxploitation era character played by Jim Kelly (d. 2013). 

Now, when I say “goofy,” please note that I am not saying bad, but I am saying stupidly silly with a very broad (and yes puns) comedy. In other words, this is like the Keystone Kops as opposed to, say, Lenny Bruce. And there is also a need for that level of broad and bawdy humor. That this was co-written and produced by James Balsamo, who also appears in the film wearing a ridiculous wig in an astoundingly purposefully overacted role where he even stares directly at the camera and often talks to it, should say a lot. But this is directed by Bobby Canipe Jr, and I will take it from that point of view.

Joe Balsamo

Black Belt Joe (Joe Borlik) is a Ju-Jitsu expert, but with a mean streak (and not just for his puns) that likes to kill his opponents, rather than just subduing them. One of them is the brother of Nick Laser (Balsamo), who vows revenge, by adventuring to learn the martial art, after a few drinks, ‘natch.

After a vision in the clouds reminiscent of god’s appearance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), this leads Laser to a ju-jitsu master, Wong Chong Smitch (Garrick Lane). I was amused how they make it as though the Japanese passive martial art sound like some secret wonder system, like the one taught to Uma Thurman by Sonny Chiba in Kill Bill, Vol 1 (2003).

Joe Borlik

Of course, there is the mandatory training montage, but it certainly is not up to the level of Rocky IV (1985), The Karate Kid (1984), or any of the Shaw Brothers releases. Laser is incompetent, confused and overwhelmed, which is quite amusing.

Of course, the actual fighting choreography is somewhere akin to the “MadTV” spoof of Rudy Ray Moore’s Dolemite (1975), but what else would you expect? This is a broad comedy, and fighting authenticity is not quite a requirement, even in a film about fighting. And rightfully so.

I love the posturing over-the-top machismo, where people talk (especially Laser in a forced gravelly voice) with extended last words (e.g., “You’re not leaving here aliiiiiive. You’re leaving in a body baaaag.”). I do get the feeling that much of Balsamo and Borlik’s dialogue was ad libbed, which would make sense of the two of them having co-writer credits, along with Canipe. And Joe does not leave the tournament alive (am I giving away too much, considering the name of the damn film?).

Cagney Larkin

Later (and 30 minutes into the film), Laser is a maintenance man at a Dojo recently bought by boob-obsessed to the point of cringy Allen (Cagney Larkin), who has a cute and heavily tatted girlfriend, Selena (Morrigan Thompson). They set forth an event that brings back BB Joe, who also likes to orate directly into the camera. And he is out for revenge against not only Dick – I mean Nick; damn that Allen – Laser, but anyone else who crosses his path. This leads to some fun if cartoonish gore.

And who gets killed? People who happen to wander into the Dojo when no one is around, such as a homeless guy played by Canipe, the director. But you know the big rematch showdown is coming between Laser and zombie Joe. But I wonder how they will fight each other while both looking at the camera (I kid).

Morrigan Thompson

Most of the action, be it the training, the newly bought Kali Filipino Martial Arts Dojo, and the martial arts tournaments are actually all in the same space that the crew (I am guessing Balsamo as he is the Producer) managed to find that works well. I would not be surprised if they found the place first, and then wrote the story after (that was sort of the philosophy of some of Roger Corman’s pictures: if he liked the poster, he created the film).

As ridiculous as the film is on so many levels, it is also so obvious that the cast had a lot of fun making it. What is more, that level of enjoyment is passed along to the viewer. If you are expecting to see a film with the technical capabilities and budget of, say, the Insidious franchise, you are barkin’ up the wrong cinema. However, if you delight in the likes of low budget action films like Dolemite, and “get it,” you might find yourself smiling as I did.

Much as one can almost tell when a film is under the Unearthed Films banner by its content, it is easy to watch this release and know that it is an Acid Bath Productions, and not just because Balsamo has such a central part in it; it is more the style, the laissez-faire attitude as far as storyline consistency and acting, and cheesy gore. There is also a cast, but not the overflow of celebrity cameos. However, it is nice to see this under Canipe’s direction, giving a bit of a different-yet-familiar feeling to the piece. I hope he gets to direct more.

IMDB listing HERE

Trailer TBD