Maybe it's me, but promoting a film as coming from the producers of an acclaimed movie hit never carries quite the same weight as one by the director of that same earlier work. It probably should, but few producers have managed to achieve genuine auteur status (I'll forward Val Lewton as a prime example of a producer who has). So telling me that Black, the directorial debut of French newcomer Pierre Laffargue, has been brought to us by the producers of A Prophet is not the best sell I've been hit with recently, despite my love of that particular film.

When an armed raid on a security van in Paris goes horribly wrong, one of the gunmen, Black (MC Jean Gab'1), decides to lie low until the dust settles. That is until he receives a call from his cousin in Senegal supplying information about a stash of uncut diamonds being stored in a poorly guarded bank in Dakar. Eyeing the opportunity to make one final score that would set him up for life, Black travels to Africa and hooks up with a small group of fellow thieves who can help him pull off the heist.

Unfortunately, news of the diamonds and their insecure location travels fast and Black and his crew aren't the only ones with their eyes on the prize. Also looking to get their hands on the jewels are a crazed, mercenary Russian general (Yakovlev), a ruthless, reptilian arms dealer (Levantal) and his African voodoo sorceress mistress (Mata Gabin), and a corrupt, female Interpol agent called Pamela (Karemera). As his team rapidly begins to fall apart in the ensuing melee to claim the diamonds first, Black once again finds himself alone, running and fighting for his life against seemingly unbeatable odds.

Produced by Marco Cherqui (A Prophet, but you knew that) and starring French hip-hop artist MC Jean Gab'1 (the District 13 movies), Carole Karemera (Sometimes In April), Francois Levantal (A Very Long Engagement; D'Artagnan's Daughter) and Anton Yakovlev (The Beat That My Heart Skipped), Black was described by Eye For Film as a "popcorn movie with oodles of French cool," Black is a affectionate and worthy tribute to the Blaxploitation genre right down to its energetic soundtrack of funk, jazz and soul by artists such as the film's star MC Jean Gab'1, Eumir Deodato, Fela Kuti, Brass Construction, Don Cherry and Roy Ayers.

Black (cert. 15) will be released on DVD (£15.99) and Blu-ray (£19.99) by Anchor Bay Entertainment on 14th February 2011. No extra features have been listed.