Black, directed by Pierre Laffargue.

Tonight, Liberty Theatre at 6.30 p.m. and Liberty Theatre on Monday at 3.45 p.m.

Review by Amanda Dale

With more twists than a boa constrictor, this gripping thriller reinvents the heist movie with both a dash of fun and fantasy.

Slick, violent and action-packed, it has an element of the supernatural and an assortment of characters straight out of a James Bond film.

A warning though if you don't like snakes, then you had better give this film a miss. The story is one of a prophecy involving a lion, black panther and an evil snake. And there are plenty of snakes, both of the slippery kind and of the dregs of humanity.

The action moves from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, and includes a group of Russian mercenaries, a gang of machete-wielding African wrestlers, and double-crossing baddies worthy of any Bond supervillian status.

Refreshingly, there is also a kick-ass, no-nonsense action heroine, who is more than a match for the eponymous Black of the movie title.

Black, played by French-Cameroonian rapper MC Jean Gab'1, meanwhile is an engaging figure with both elements of swagger and sympathy.

After some of his gang get killed when a bank robbery gone wrong, Black receives a telephone call from his cousin in Senegal, offering him a 'job' at the bank where he works as a security guard.

In a safety deposit box lies a suitcase containing a bag of uncut African diamonds. Black assembles a new heist gang and immediately heads to the airport.

With a cool soundtrack straight out of a blaxploitation movie, 'Black' constantly surprises the viewer with its twists and turns.

As things go wrong the main character and his female sidekick Pamela then embark on a spiritual journey, cast as the Lion and Panther in pursuit of the Snake Man.

With its supernatural mystery and moments of pandemonium, 'Black' is a highly entertaining twist on the traditional heist genre, with plenty of bite.