Absolutely brilliant

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

I certainly hope that the phrase "Kid Dynamite" will come back into common usage some day.This show about a "lower middle class" or "higher lower class" black family was really about J.J., or "Kid Dynamite", as he would call himself."Kid Dynamite" was the Laurel to the family of "Hardys". He was as skinny as you could get, and wore a hat that made him the kind of guy all kids would admire, and hope to be some day.Flo, the mother, was a stereotypical straight force to the comedy of J.J., but she never lost her dignity, and her character was more three dimensional than one would think. It was just very very subtle.The father and other two siblings were other straight roles to J.J., no doubt about it. It's easy to see why the father left the show. It was a pleasant role that Amos played, but really sort of a block of wood. Playing that role, one would think "why do I even need to be here"? The writers tried to invoke some "thoughtful" ideas into this, but the show was "Kid Dynamite" all the way. And that meant basic comedy. Still, they did a pretty good job of bringing up meaningful topics

Knock on any door in the low-income areas of America and you will find the Evans family - black, white, hispanic, etc.This was an accurate account of a family living week-to-week. It was the 70s, but the problem still exists today.Just the right amounts of comedy and drama made this show believable. It stood above the other African-American-type shows because it was real.I think John Amos, as the family patriarch James Evans, was the cornerstone of the show. Would he be happy or mad when he walked through the door? If mad, it was only because he had to struggle with racial problems and low-income jobs in order to support a family of five. I thought Amos was truly superb in his role. Esther Rolle as Florida and the rest of the cast could draw tears from the audience as easily as they could draw laughter.The fact that they could show comedy through the drama makes it, I think, one of the top 10 television series of all time, even though it declined after John Amos left.

I just returned from a trip to Chicago. The last show I saw before I left was "Good Times", so upon my arrival to the area out of the window of the plane, I looked for the buildings shown in the opening and closing of the show. They weren't anywhere I could see. Are they still standing? have they been demolished? Just curious, I like to look at things like that and it would be something to see weather it be new buildings or the same old buildings. also does anyone know what happened to the two siblings of JJ, Thelma and Michael. Have either of them been I anything recently? It would be interesting to see what they've done

The lives and times of the Evans family living the projects of Chicago.I saw this on TV originally when I was a kid. Being a white kid from a suburban neighborhood I found the show quite disturbing. It WAS funny but they didn't soft peddle (too much) what it was like growing up in poverty. The language was tame, there was no violence and no sexual talk at all but it still addressed serious issues like racism, sexism, gang violence, death, living in poverty etc etc. It was all treated within the bounds of TV--but "All in the Family" and "Maude" were pushing the envelope of what could be said (and shown) on TV at that time so "Good Times" got away with some pretty hot issues.Seeing it again it still holds up...but I don't find the laughing at some REAL serious issues that funny anymore. Still they could probably only get it on TV that way back in the 1970s.The acting is mostly excellent. Esther Rolle is WAY too goody-goody as the mother--but she pulls it off. John Amos is loud, belligerent and obnoxious--just like a real father. Ralph Carter wasn't that good as the youngest Evans kid Michael--I was always aware he was acting. Jimmie Walker was profoundly annoying as JJ. Stanis was GREAT as the only girl--the insults she let loose as JJ were hysterical.The show started out well but when Amos left after the second season (purportedly over a salary dispute) the show fell apart. Obnoxious JJ (who acted like a TOTAL idiot) took center stage and it became "The JJ Show". Rolle quit in disgust but, after her complaining LOUDLY about JJ, she came back after a year. JJ was toned down considerably and acted more adult. Then next door neighbor Wilonna got Penny (Janet Jackson--yes THAT Janet Jackson) who wasn't needed and the show steadily fell apart. However Ben Powers was a welcome (and drop dead handsome) addition during the last season and it did all end happily with EVERYBODY getting out of the projects. Unbelievable but happy.Still the first two seasons are great and even the last few with Rolle are pretty good. But when it was JJ, Wilonna and the kids it was NOT good--just loud and stupid. So it's well worthing catching the first two seasons and last few.