You probably know the name Jim Kelly from the time he told Han in Enter the Dragon that he’d be too busy looking good to be defeated. It’s an iconic line. But if you really want to see Kelly in his element—Afro out, fists ready, and leaning into a vibe that defined an entire decade—you have to look at Three the Hard Way.
Released in 1974, this movie wasn't just another action flick. It was an event. It brought together a "holy trinity" of Black action stars: Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly. Honestly, seeing these three on screen at the same time is like watching the 1992 Dream Team play basketball, but with more leather jackets and specialized karate.
The High-Stakes Plot You Forgot
The story is wild. Basically, a neo-Nazi organization led by a guy named Monroe Feather develops a toxin. But here is the kicker: the poison is designed to only kill Black people. They plan to dump it into the water supplies of Washington D.C., Detroit, and Los Angeles.
It sounds like a comic book plot, right? In a way, it is. But in 1974, with the Tuskegee Syphilis Study still fresh in the public consciousness, this kind of biological warfare narrative hit different. It tapped into a very real paranoia.
Jim Brown plays Jimmy Lait, a record producer who catches wind of the plot. He recruits his buddies: B.J. (Fred Williamson), a smooth-talking PR man, and Mister Keyes (Jim Kelly), a martial arts master who runs a dojo. The trio doesn't call the cops. They just handle it.
Jim Kelly: The Secret Weapon
While Jim Brown provided the stoic muscle and Fred Williamson brought the cigar-chomping swagger, Jim Kelly was the energy. By the time Three the Hard Way started filming, Kelly was already a legend in the martial arts world. He won the 1971 International Middleweight Karate Championship. He wasn't just "playing" a fighter. He was the real deal.
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There’s a specific scene early on that every fan remembers. Two corrupt cops try to frame Kelly’s character, Mister Keyes, by planting drugs in his car.
Kelly doesn't argue. He doesn't beg. He just asks, "Gonna set me up?" and then proceeds to dismantle them in slow motion. It’s pure cinema. His movements are fluid, his kicks are precise, and he carries this effortless "cool" that no one has quite been able to replicate since.
Kelly’s style was unique because it bridged the gap between the gritty American streets and the flashy Hong Kong cinema style. He brought Shorin-ryu karate to the masses. He made kids in the inner city feel like they could be Bruce Lee, too.
Behind the Scenes with Gordon Parks Jr.
The movie was directed by Gordon Parks Jr., the man who gave us Super Fly. His father, Gordon Parks Sr., had directed Shaft. You could say the Parks family basically invented the visual language of the 70s Black action hero.
Parks Jr. had a knack for making low-budget films look like high-stakes blockbusters. He used wide lenses to capture the gritty urban landscapes and worked with legendary cinematographer Lucien Ballard to make sure the lighting was perfect. They didn't just want action; they wanted style.
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The soundtrack, provided by The Impressions, is a masterclass in funk. It pulses through the film, giving the fight scenes a rhythm that feels almost like a dance.
The Famous Boxing Challenge
Kinda crazy fact: while they were filming, the three leads actually challenged the world’s top heavyweight boxers to a real fight.
Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly publicly called out Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, and Joe Frazier. Brown offered to take on Ali. Kelly was supposed to fight Frazier. Williamson was stuck with Foreman.
Was it a publicity stunt? Probably. But Jim Brown was a legendary athlete and Kelly was a world karate champion. They weren't exactly joking. The fight never happened, of course, but it added to the legendary "tough guy" aura surrounding the production.
Why We Are Still Talking About It
People often dismiss "blaxploitation" as a collection of cheap tropes. But movies like Three the Hard Way were more than that. They were a response to a Hollywood that usually relegated Black actors to the roles of sidekicks or victims.
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In this film, the heroes are wealthy, competent, and completely in control. They have their own businesses. They drive fast cars. They win.
Key Takeaways from the Film's Legacy:
- Representation Matters: It showed Black men as heroes who could save the entire world, not just their neighborhood.
- Martial Arts Integration: It solidified Jim Kelly as a global star, proving martial arts had a home in American action cinema.
- Social Commentary: It used a "b-movie" plot to address very real fears of systemic racism and medical experimentation.
- The Power of Trio Dynamics: It proved that "team-up" movies worked long before the MCU existed.
Your Next Steps for a Deep Dive
If you want to experience the best of this era, don't just stop at Three the Hard Way.
First, go back and watch Black Belt Jones to see Jim Kelly in a solo lead role. It’s peak Kelly. Then, check out One Down, Two to Go, which reunites the cast a few years later.
Finally, if you can find a copy, listen to the full soundtrack by The Impressions. It’s one of the best soul-funk albums of the 70s, regardless of the movie it’s attached to. Watching these films isn't just a nostalgia trip—it’s a look at how modern action cinema was built.