★★★

While it aims for the comedic heights as I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Hollywood Shuffle, and more recent efforts like Sherman’s Showcase and Black Dynamite, the lo-fi action comedy, New Jack Fury, doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Still, writer, director, producer, (and production designer and visual effects supervisor!) Lanfia Wal pours everything into this chaotic story of crime in the underworld of New Jack City. When a cop’s girlfriend (Ally Renee) goes missing, officer Dylan Gamble (Andre Hall) teams with a recently arrested man (Paul Wheeler) and a “Smooth Criminal” (Michael Trapson) to track down the Styles Syndicate - the heavies he believes are responsible.

Full of puns, sight gags, and one-liners, New Jack Fury is presented as a “Movie of the Week,” allowing Wal to insert satirical commercials and asides to the main story. When the story resumes, we are watching a green-screen landscape of neon backgrounds and minimalist sets straight out of the early 1980s.

For a while, this is a lot of fun - crazy costumes, over-the-top performances and dance fight sequences work their magic. However, during its 84 minutes, New Jack Fury loses steam. Wal’s spirit is infectious and always interesting, but the film never finds that final gear to elevate it into the pantheon of great Blaxploitation parodies.

However, there is potential for this to become a cult favorite, certainly for the “Midnight Madness” crowd. At times outrageous, humorous and brave, New Jack Fury becomes unintentionally exhausting by the end.

New Jack Fury was screened as part of the 51st Seattle International Film Festival.