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Three the Hard Way

Play trailer Poster for Three the Hard Way R 1974 1h 33m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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44% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
A record producer (Jim Brown), a PR man (Fred Williamson) and a black belt (Jim Kelly) in karate foil a racist plot to poison part of a city.
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Three the Hard Way

Critics Reviews

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Time Out Mar 13, 2007
Dully predictable, thoroughly gratuitous after the first few minutes as the possibilities for genuine suspense are forsaken in favour of a three-figure body count and several automobile demolition clichs. Go to Full Review New York Times Mar 13, 2007
1.5/5
Badly written, staged and edited. Go to Full Review Ed Travis Cinapse May 24, 2025
In some ways ahead of its time, 1974’s Three The Hard Way from Gordon Parks, Jr. was a bit of an “Avengers Assemble” cinematic moment, bringing together some of the most meteoric stars of blaxploitation cinema in one irresistible package. Go to Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal May 19, 2025
4/5
Viscerally exciting, aesthetically accomplished and spacious enough for a blunderbuss of badassery from Jim Brown, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly. A better blend of blaxploitation and James Bond than the purposeful such installment a year earlier. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy May 17, 2025
1.5/4
This is Amateur Hour in virtually every regard. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Jun 26, 2022
2.5/4
...unabashedly fun and silly... Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Vincent S @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Feb 21, 2026 This is a glorious mess of a B Movie with plot holes, weird nudity and a lot of swagger and violence. This is a guilty pleasure, fun action cult blaxploitation classic. See more DanTheMan 2 @DanTheMan2150AD Dec 9, 2025 For a film about three Blaxploitation legends killing a seemingly never ending legion of Neo-Nazis, you'd think Three the Hard Way would be a lot more bonkers than it actually is. Instead it's a gloriously soulful mixtape of funk, fists, and polyester swagger all solidly directed by Gordon Parks Jr. There's an upbeat comic energy permeating throughout thanks to its charismatic performances and proliferation of entertaingly larger-than-life action sequences, yet, despite a second act that contains its fair share of lulls, Three the Hard Way boasts a pervasively affable feel that ensures its missteps remain mostly easy enough to overlook, with the final result an unabashedly fun endeavor that never entirely outstays its welcome. See more Jul 7, 2020 I remember going to see this movie when it first came out years ago. Now I find myself watching again. I laugh at the jive talking. But I love seeing Jim Kelly, Jim Brown and Fred Williamson in action. The Bad and the Doctor should have been in more together. See more Feb 24, 2018 Squandered potential with a great villain and mediocre justice. See more delysid d @RT67044741 Sep 12, 2017 this is one of my favorite black 70s movies. it has all the typical aspects of this sort of film; funky music, nudity, fist fights, gun fights, car chases, cars blowing up, and an overly complicated plot. it also has kung fu. i like how easily the cars blow up in this movie. like you could just go over a speed bump back in them days and your car would explode. i also love when three badass topless chicks show up to torture a guy See more Feb 18, 2017 The soundtrack is a classic, period. See more Read all reviews
Three the Hard Way

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Cast & Crew

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Gordon Parks Jr.

Director

Jim Brown

Jimmy Lait

Fred Williamson

Jagger Daniels

Jim Kelly

Mister Keyes

Sheila Frazier

Wendy Kane

Jay Robinson

Monroe Feather

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Three the Hard Way

Three the Hard Way (1974) Three the Hard Way (1974) Three the Hard Way (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A record producer (Jim Brown), a PR man (Fred Williamson) and a black belt (Jim Kelly) in karate foil a racist plot to poison part of a city.
Director
Gordon Parks Jr.
Producer
Harry Bernsen
Screenwriter
Eric Bercovici, Jerrold L. Ludwig
Production Co
Allied Artists, Allied Artists Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jan 12, 2010
Runtime
1h 33m
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