AllMovie

Even by blaxploitation standards, this is one mean and seedy little affair. The Black Gestapo lives up the offensive potential of its title by cramming every bit of nastiness it can muster into its short running time; veteran exploitation scribes Lee Frost and Wes Bishop pack their tale with an endless stream shoot-outs, bare flesh, fisticuffs and every drop of bad attitude that can be wrung from the subject of race relations. As a result, The Black Gestapo is socially irresponsible but never less than watchable. At its best, it's even inspired in a very twisted sort of way: One memorable highlight involves a rape-happy mobster thug getting his gruesome comeuppance while in the bathtub. The acting is also surprisingly decent for this sort of fare. Rod Perry is a solid if not especially charismatic lead and future Night Court star Charles Robinson chews the scenery with relish as the power-mad Kojah. All in all, The Black Gestapo is likely to alienate most viewers on the strength of its extraordinarily tacky premise alone but curiosity-seekers will find it lives up to its perverse promise.