Ultimately, J. Edgar Hoover (Richard Dysart) labels the Panthers "Public Enemy No. 1," and in the end the FBI teams up with mobsters to flood the Oakland ghettos with heroin and "neutralize" the black community at large.

Whether this "final solution," as one of the mobsters calls it, is true, is just one of the film's charges that has never been proven. But in this context, blaming today's drug problems on the FBI's 1970 retaliation efforts toward the Black Panthers seems like a copout.

The film also glosses over violence and sexual abuse within the Panthers, which has been do-cu-men-ted, and in a move that seems rather misogynistic virtually ignores the contributions of female members of the group.

The film does have its powerful moments, however, especially in the re-creation of the Panthers march on the California Legislature and a scene where Brimmer tells the stern FBI agent in charge that the Panther's 10-point program reminds him of the Constitution, "with some of the Bill of Rights thrown in."

"Panther's" ultimate downfall is in its thin characterizations. Portrayals of members of the FBI — to include a black agent — as racist and violent lean toward ridiculous caricature. And whenever J. Edgar Hoover comes on the scene, he's so dyspeptic that the audience may wonder if he's going to have a heart attack.

And it doesn't help that Mario Van Peebles borrows Oliver Stone's "JFK" directing techniques, blending documentary footage, black-and-white pseudo-newsreel footage and wild camera angles. The result is a jumbled delivery of material that might be more effective with a less distracting narrative structure. As it is, there is simply no emotional link with the audience.

"Panther" is rated R for considerable violence, profanity and vulgarity, and some drug abuse.