Abar, the First Black Superman

1977 "He asked for Equality, he witnessed injustice. He knew Wisdom ... he got Revenge!"
4.2| 1h42m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 01 March 1977 Released
Producted By: Jos-To Productions
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Upon moving into a bigoted neighborhood, the scientist father of a persecuted black family gives a superpower elixir to a tough bodyguard, who thus becomes a superpowered crimefighter.

Genre

Action

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Cast

Director

Frank Packard

Production Companies

Jos-To Productions

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Abar, the First Black Superman Audience Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
calvinnme thus my high rating, because believe me this hits the bulls eye. A black doctor and his family move into a wealthy white suburb of Los Angeles so he can focus on his research. Unfortunately, all his neighbors are racist in ways that make the cast of In the Heat of the Night look like pikers. So the family winds up being protected by Abar, the head of the Black Front for Unity.It turns out that the doctor is working on a formula for invincibility, and after he perfects it, he administers it to Abar, who uses he newfound superpowers to make black teens go to college, black hobos drink milk instead of malt liquor(!), and black preachers ride a horse and buggy instead of a Caddy. Really.The plot veers wildly, with a wacky western dream sequence and liberal use of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech punctuating things. Meanwhile, the acting ranges from pretty bad to unbelievably awful. The doctor is ridiculously wooden, while his wife resorts to over-the-top screaming.And then there's the fabulous 1970s design. There probably wasn't enough of a budget for a wardrobe, so most of the people presumably wore whatever they had (thankfully, they didn't have Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy). This results in a lot of authentic 70s fashion statements and some garish color schemes in the outfits. But there's even more garish color in some of the sets. The doctor's new house has lovely avocado green shag carpeting, and one room that's entirely bright red, as though it had been borrowed from Bergman's Cries and Whispers. The result is an utter disaster, but one that winds up being lots of fun.1/10 if you're looking at it as a normal movie; 8/10 if you're looking for a "so bad it's good" experience.
MartinHafer A black doctor and his family move to the fancy white suburbs and are met with incredible racism from his new neighbors. He also gets some grief from some in the black community for 'abondoning his people'. You really feel sorry for these people. Eventually, the hatred for these people is so severe that the racists are even willing to kill. The family's only apparent hope is a local black power group--but even they can't protect them 24-7. Ultimately, their hope comes in a VERY bizarre form--a brand new black superhero...Abar! It was very surprising that the first hour of the film was, despite the cheapness, very compelling. Addressing racist attitudes in the fancy suburbs was a very timely idea---though I will be the first to admit that it was handled with all the subtlety of a 2x4 upside your head! It went way too far in handling this, though the emotional toll on the family was well portrayed. As another reviewer pointed out, it was good at addressing the justifiable frustrations in black America. Unfortunately, after the first hour, it literally looks as if they threw away the script and started over--and the entire film changed so dramatically it seemed insane. And, considering where it went next, insane is the best way to describe it!! Yes, Abar becomes a super-hero of sorts after getting a miraculous potion from the doctor. With it, he has amazing mental powers--powers to help prostitutes beat up their pimps, black men to stop playing dice and get educated and other ways that force his community to clean up its act. And Abar's hero outfit? It's a blue leisure suit! Now this sounds stupid and bizarre. Well, it is bizarre but surprisingly non-stupid and interesting throughout. For a cheapo film with seemingly nothing going for it, it's surprisingly fun to watch and has some amazing depth.
Woodyanders Successful and respected black doctor Kenneth Kincade (the hopelessly wooden J. Walter Smith, who comes across like a poor man's William Marshall) and his family move into an affluent California suburb populated by grotesquely hateful and intolerant evil snobby white jerks. Said jerks not only protest in front of the Kincade's house and leave a coffin on the front lawn, but also string up the family's pet cat after they brutally butcher the poor kitty. Dr. Kincade enlists the aid of bold and fearsome black militant Abar (bald, charismatic Tobar Mayo) and his followers to protect his family. After his son gets killed by the vile racists, Dr. Kincade injects Abar with an experimental serum that makes him indestructible and gives him special psychic powers. Sporting an immaculate blue suit and red shirt, Abar decides to clean up the streets: Among the good deeds he performs are turning wine into milk, making a purse snatcher return his stolen item to its rightful owner, forcing a bunch of graffiti artists to repaint a wall they just defaced, and, best of all, unleashing a hurricane and plague of rats on the wholly deserving Caucasian villains. Boy, is this one fabulously freaky and stunningly clunky micro-budget blaxploitation oddity: Frank Packard's plodding (mis)direction, James Smalley's talky, yet genuinely offbeat and unpredictable script, the authentically grimy inner city Los Angeles locations, the endearingly amateurish acting by a no-name cast (Roxie Young as Ms. Kincade cops the grand booby prize; check out her big crack-up scene after discovering the mangled body of her murdered son), Ron Garcia's rough, static cinematography, the infrequent ineptly staged action scenes, the funky 70's TV cop show-style score, and the totally unexpected from out in left field uplifting conclusion all make this deliciously loopy doozy one of the single most gloriously weird and original jaw-droppers produced during the 70's blaxploitation craze. Must be seen to be (dis)believed.
spiderman-3 First off: potential viewers should note that the picture on the front of the In Your Face re-release (actual title: Abar, The First Black Superman) has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MOVIE! The two people pictured on the front are NOT in the movie, and neither one of them is Abar.Now that that's out of the way, this movie is so bad that it is not only entertaining, it's highly enjoyable. The premise is easy to follow, and the story has so many goofball turns in it (Dr. Kinkade develops a serum that makes rabbits bulletproof!! Little boy's dream sequence is also unforgettable!) that you can't help but have a good time taking it all in. Production values are really horrible, sound looping is obvious, and scenes often cut for no reason. Still, worth a look, especially if you're a die-hard fan of nonsensical B-movies. The only real problem with this one is the extremely tacked-on lackluster ending.