Baadassss - The new film by Mario Van Peebles is based on his father's book How to Get the Mans' Foot Outta Yo Ass and serves as a biographical journey of his father Melvin in a critical point in his life back in 1970-71 when he created Sweet Sweetbacks' Baadassss Song, a film that would launch both a new era of independent film as well as the blaxploitation genre.

Mario is cast in the role of his father Melvin, blending in almost seamlessly with footage of the original film. Ossie Davis plays Mario's late grandfather handling the role with a subtle dignity that Davis has perfected. The role of young Mario is given to the impressive Khleo Thomas, who was seen last year in the Disney film "Holes". Also impressive are the short performances by David Allen Grier as one of the film crew, T.K.Carter as Bill Cosby and the original "Batman" Adam West as a producer.

The film strives to recreate the feeling of America after the civil rights movement had reached a boiling point and the hippie dream had faded. To me it was not the chronicling of that period in America or the feeling in Hollywood at that time, that was nearly as impressive as how Melvin Van Peebles managed to redefine the filmmaking process - this is where the film makes it's strongest statement. With it's truth-is-stranger-than- fiction message Baadassss really overshadows the original.

The younger Van Peebles does an impressive job with storytelling using his fathers' book as well as his own accounts of making that film (you won't believe what scene the 13 year old Mario Van Peebles was used in for Sweetback). There is definite care given by Mario to understand his father and the system he had to work within while trying to make a social statement through cinema. The end of the film comes full circle by showing present day footage of the filmmakers and their thoughts including a final image of a cigar smoking Melvin Van Peebles, an image that resonates almost as strongly as the titles that ended "Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song" which read "WATCH OUT! A BAADASSSS NIGGER IS COMING BACK TO COLLECT SOME DUES!

To the man I declare: beware!