This weekend Nike unveiled The Black Mamba, the long-teased Kobe Bryant mini-film directed by Austin filmmaking legend Robert Rodriguez. The film stars Kobe in the guise of his alterego, the Black Mamba, who wards off threats by enemies, played with devilish flair by Danny Trejo and Kanye West.

Lots of things – including the Nike swoosh – combust and blow up in this nearly six-minute adventure romp, which promises to be Part 1 in an ongoing series. Rodriguez also appears in the extended Nike commercial. Although the director may not have the prowess to be “just like Mike,” he’s certainly on a path to be “just like Spike.”

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This article appears in February 18 • 2011.

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.