Fred Williamson plays Duke Johnson who is visiting a Southern town in order to bury his brother Ben and to try to sell Ben's Club Alabam bar which just closed. He has to wait 60 days, however, so he now has to stay during that time before he can do it. With the advice of Harley (Bernie Hamilton),however, Duke decides to once again open the bar. During some of that time, Harley's friend Aretha (Pam Grier) has some friction with him concerning his not even going to visit his brother during those last years before they fall in love. Along the way, some racist neighbors try to get some money from him which then has Duke inviting some friends like Roy (Thalmus Rasulala) to kick their ass. After that happens, well, something worse happens...While the drama was pretty compelling concerning the players I just mentioned, I have to admit some disappointment in not having Ms. Grier do some fighting herself since I've been used to her doing so in her other AIP movies. It's seems to be Fred doing it all by himself most of time. So if you're expecting something campy, you won't find it here. But if you don't mind drama mixed with action, Bucktown might be your cup of tea.

Duke Johnson (superbly played by the almighty Fred Williamson) returns to his Southern home town only to discover that the local corrupt police force rules over the place with an iron fist. Johnson calls on several guys from the big city led by his smooth good buddy Roy (the terrific Thalmus Rasulala) to clean the hamlet up. Unfortunately, Roy and his nasty goons take over the crime racket after they wipe the cops out. Director Arthur Marks, working from a tough, smart and complex script by Bob Ellison, ably creates a hard, starkly amoral tone, maintains a steady pace throughout, and stages the action scenes with considerable brio (a ferocious protracted climactic fight between Duke and Roy rates as a definite exciting highlight). Moreover, the violence is every bit as rough and bloody as it ought to be. The bang-up cast qualifies as another significant asset: Pam Grier as Duke's fiery, sassy old flame Aretha, Tony King as slick sleazeball TJ, Bernie Hamilton as amiable drunk Harley, Art Lund as vice, hateful Chief Patterson, Tierre Turner as brash kid Steve, Morgan Upton as vicious deputy Sam, and Carl Weathers as brutal muscle Hambone. Both Robert Birchall's gritty, yet polished cinematography and Johnny Pate's funky, syncopated score are up to speed. An authentically funky grindhouse nugget.

Enjoy Bucktown for what it is: a Western stuffed into a Blaxsploitation flick. Think about it, man comes to a small town to bury his brother, he gets people who want to drive him out, he brings in his own people, they get driven out, then they start their own thing. Or perhaps a Blaxsploitation take on Animal Farm, whatever works. At any rate, it is trying to be something a little different than the usual lot of Pimps and Hookers, and, hey, it's got Fred Williamson, it's got Pam Grier, it's got friggin' Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in a fun supporting role. It's unabashed fun and quasi-guilt-pleasure stuff, if not very filling as a full dramatic experience, and it ends on a fight that is so long somewhere Roddy Piper and Keith David are like "C'mon, man, wrap it up, man!"