Roger Corman’s New World Pictures decided that it was time to mash up the emerging martial arts craze with the unstoppable power of Blaxploitation. Enter TNT Jackson (released in the Philippines as Dynamite Wong and T.N.T. Jackson).
Originally scripted by legendary character actor Dick Miller, the film hit a bump during production. Corman felt Miller’s draft was weighed down with too much dialogue, so he ordered a quick on-location rewrite by expatriate American actor Ken Metcalfe (who also plays the villainous drug lord Sid). Miller and Corman fell out over the heavy edits, as Miller felt his vision was interfered with, and he never submitted another script to Corman again.
To keep things running at breakneck speed, Corman brought in his go-to guy in the Philippines: producer and director Cirio H. Santiago (Nam Angels). Santiago understood New World Pictures’ golden rule better than anyone: if you can’t make it good, make it fast.
Diana “TNT” Jackson (Playboy Playmate Jeanne Bell) learns her brother Stag has gone missing in Hong Kong—unaware that he was kung-fu’d to death in the opening minutes by a sartorially gifted heavy named Charlie (Stan Shaw, Truck Turner). Determined to get answers, TNT hops on a plane to Hong Kong (though aside from a few stock shots, the entire film was shot on the sweaty, sun-drenched streets of Manila). The moment she steps off the plane and cabs into the bad part of town, she’s swarmed by muggers and drug dealers. Armed with zero patience and a fierce pout, TNT starts cracking skulls.
Along the way, she crosses paths with Joe “Dynamite” Wong (Filipino comedy icon Chiquito), a martial arts ally who claims he practically invented spying; aforementioned drug king Sid; Elaine (Pat Anderson, Fly Me), Sid’s sultry, sharp-tongued girlfriend who is secretly an undercover government agent trying to bust the operation; and Charlie (Stan Shaw), Sid’s ambitious, ultra-fly second-in-command who rocks one of the largest newsboy caps in cinematic history. TNT makes love to Charlie, trades biting insults with Elaine and begrudgingly forms alliances as she unravels the drug ring responsible for her brother’s death. It all leads to an all-out, free-for-all brawl at a hotel on Isla del Sol during a local festival.
Jeanne Bell was not a trained martial artist. Her fight scenes feature choppy editing, under-cranked footage to speed up the action, and wild, fluid hand gestures that feel more like she’s ASL signing the dialogue than attempting karate. But what Bell lacks in black-belt mechanics, she more than makes up for in sheer presence, killer outfits and an all-time great pouty stare. She’s also in a topless fight through a bedroom that has her getting dressed as she’s decimating every man in her way.
You can watch this on Tubi.
