Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 5013037592948 Format: PAL Label: World Northal Manufacturer: World Northal Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: World Northal Studio: World Northal Theatrical Release Date: 1979-12
Customer Rating: Summary: "Hello George, I am Michael, the boss is waiting for you upstairs". "Good", he says very evil like. Comment: B movie at it's best but KUNG FU. Black Belt Jones is back and HE is the one that is gonna take bruce's place. He got on the train and fell off quick, but Jim Kelly had a few pretty good movies. This is definitelyone of them. Add in Lee Hoi-sang, Dorian Tan(delon tan), Bolo, Sing Chen, tony leung sei hung ( a great action director) and a couple of other stars I can't put a name to, and you have a really alomst good kung fu flick.
So some diamonds are stolen of course and Jim kelly shows up to track down the robbers. He says-"they call me the black 6 milion dollar man". AHHHHH the cheese, it is good cheese, but just liek anything, you can get too much of it. So save a litle for later if you need to, cause this is a classic and may take two sittings to get through the greatness of it. Sadly it gets REALLY borign at the midway point. So finally the ending comes around and is very unspectacular, but you do get 2 good fights, opne with jim and bolo, other with dorian tan and sing chen. All in all, worth a peek if you are a mega fan like me. And if you don't belieev me about the cheese, then here is the evry last line of the movie. "I'll see you on christmas". They may have finished this movie in 2 days time. For real. Customer Rating: Summary: TYPICAL 1970'S........ CHOP SOCKY!! Comment: Pathfinder Pictures? Never heard of them. While I'm pleased this movie was released on DVD, I am very disappointed with the overall picture and sound quality. This is one of the worst video transfers I have ever seen and the sound is not far behind. Obviously no money went into restoring this movie for its release on DVD and that's too bad for Jim Kelly fans. Make no mistake; this movie has nothing to do with the martial art's classic Black Belt Jones. Jim Kelly had a supporting role in "Enter the Dragon" and he didn't really get a chance to show us what he could do with his ability. In "The Tattoo Connection" he is the man, but once again this movie doesn't really showcase his martial arts talent either. I struggled to give this movie a 3 star rating but hey it's Jim Kelly. This is a typical 1970's chop socky movie that could have been much better. For martial arts and Kelly fans the fight scene between Kelly and Bolo Yeung is still exciting to watch. The Tattoo Connection is still an entertaining movie, but I definitely think the price is too much considering the poor picture and sound quality from Pathfinder.
On the DVD
Interactive menus
Scene access
Filmographies
Trailer
Audio commentary by cinema critics Luke Y. Thompson and Gregory Weinkauf
Still gallery
Languages: English, Mandarin Chinese
On/off subtitles
Customer Rating: Summary: BLACK BELT JONES 2 ? NEVER HEARD OF IT Comment: This typical Hong Kong 1970's kung fu flick has now been re-released as BLACK BELT JONES 2, although originally released as THE TATTOO CONNECTION.Obviously the distributers have called it BBJ2 to tie in with the popularity of the original movie.This movie is no BBJ but it's quite entertaining if you are a Kelly fan.The film is let down by a scene where a rather choppy fight scene goes horribly wrong,the illusion is ruined and the fight looks fake.What's more, Jim Kelly is hardly in this movie and looks a bit of a fool surrounded by all those unknown Chinese actors. Customer Rating: Summary: The Tattoo Connection for Kelly fans! Comment: This film is for die hard Jim Kelly fans! "The Tattoo Connection" (TTC) is promoted as "Black Belt Jones 2" although it has no connection with the original Kelly classic. The producers of this title probably used the tie in to entice the casual fan to check this DVD out based on the popularity of "Black Belt Jones." The plot is sketchy as Kelly's secret agent character Lucas is given the assignment of retrieving a stolen diamond some where in Asia. The film never really gathers up enough steam to be considered as a top rate martial arts offering. However, TTC is at its best when Kelly is on the screen (as the star Kelly is notoriously absent during several rather long sequences) chopping up guys and laying down that ultra smooth soul brother rap. The highlight of the film occurs during the climatic fight on a ship were Kelly goes toe to toe with fellow "Enter the Dragon" alumni Bolo Yeung in a fight to the death. Kelly is fit and in fine form through out TTC. It's a shame that he wasn't given more to do in this effort it might have raised the over all quality of the film. Customer Rating: Summary: what do i remember about THE TATTOO CONNECTION? Comment: i remember watching this 70s jim kelly classic on saturday afternoon tv in new york when a local tv station played kung fu movies every week. ah those were the good ol' days of the late 70s/80s. THE TATTOO CONNECTION sticks out as the best of those kung fu flicks i have seen. i remember jim kelly ... as an agent named lucas sent overseas to find some diamond. i remember some goofy disco theme song titled 'diamond'. i remember a good car chase scene with kelly at some lumber or junk yard. i remember kelly making love to an asian girl while switching drinks where 1 contained a drug meant for him but the girl wound up drinking it and got high. i remember jim kelly telling his bosses that he's "the black six million dollar man". i remember in the bad dubbing 1 of the bad guys called kelly not lucas but "black man!" racist! i remember the climax on a ship and kelly kicking rear. what else? that's all i know. i am just happy that TATTOO CONNECTION will be out on dvd in april (why so many delays after original dates of feb., march 25 and now april 22?!) and i will buy it. hope it will be widescreen and remastered. i will have a good time. congrats to pathfinder video for releasing this treasure, ok 3 1/2 stars. if only they can put out other old kung fu classics like STREETS GANGS OF HONG KONG, STONER (w/ george lazenby post-007), DUEL OF THE IRON FIST. A HARD WAY TO DIE, SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANCISCO with chuck norris, & ROOTS OF EVIL (with christian anders---who?).
it is june 9, and FINALLY, i bought THE TATTOO CONNECTION which sadly it isn't letterboxed and it is in need of windex w/ its filthy film prints. still, i had a good time. the fighting is surprising ly terrific and jim kelly is very good. to my surprise there is a lotta (A LOT! ) nudity that wasn't in the U.S. print when it first came out in theaters. there is commentary by 2 film critics who sound like a combo of beavis and butthead, dennis miller (one of 'em sounds like him) and MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000. and it is helpful and hilarious. 4 stars! if only those 2 critics can poke fun @ george lazenby's awful acting and kung-fu-ing in STONER.
