Outlaw Johnny Black

Here is a movie that I struggled with. Michael Jai White is a talented actor and martial artist. One thing he is not is a talented writer or director, and it shows with this new film.

On one hand, you have some incredibly funny jokes that even had my small viewing audience busting a gut. Michael Jai White has a great sense of timing when it comes to his delivery and it works in the films favor.

On the other hand, the story is bloated, with about 2 storylines too many. It really bogged the film down and helped contribute to that extremely excessive runtime. Halfway through, I was hoping for the ending, but there was still over an hour of the film left to watch. I, at times, similarly with Black Dynamite. Although that production had much more going on than this film did, but still knew when to cut it and when to let it roll.

As far as his directing talents go, I was vastly more impressed in the first half of the film than I was for the last. It was almost like he gave up on trying to do anything artistic behind the camera and the film just became a strict point and shoot type of production.

The movie is also very racist toward native americans. The lack of respect shown to the culture is jarring, even when presented in a comedic format such as this. The only joke I could get behind was all of the native americans were played by anybody who was not actually native american and this was to parody that fact from the old spaghetti westerns. Very clever, Mr. White. But other than that, it was very racist and not very funny.

Overall, I enjoyed the film in parts. However, it was too long and feature some pretty relaxed racism towards native americans that I'm sure didn't connect in the way that Mr. White had intended. A pity because with some editing and a few tweaks to the screenplay, this could've been comedic gold. I really hope Black Dynamite 2 doesn't turn out like this one did.

2 outlaws out of 5.

"Outlaw Johnny Black" is the latest movie from Michael Jai White and his team that brought us the amazing "Black Dynamite". (If you have not watched "Black Dynamite" yet, you are missing out on what would be the funniest movie to come out in the last 20 years had "Tropic Thunder" never been made. It is that good.) Being that it is the same crew, you will see many of the same faces returning to the party.

Johnny Black is a man driven by vengeance that leads him on a journey to finding himself. I will leave it at that to not spoil anything as the plot is actually more in depth and with more twists and turns than would be expected from what is a concept that has existed as long as stories have been told.

Where BD was a *chefs kiss* spoof of a Blaxploitation film, OJB is more a comedic western along the lines of "Blazing Saddles". More Mel Brooks than Sergio Leon, MJW does a good job of bringing the laughs while also having a good bit of character growth and life lessons thrown in.

The only issue I had with the movie is that it is fairly long, and some parts are there to expand on the plot and not hit you with the comedy. Whereas BD was nonstop zingers from start to finish, OJB is more spaced out with the comedy at the beginning and picks up a bit in the later half.

Some people make take issues with how some characters are portrayed, but just remember that it is all done deliberately to mimic a style of the past and how things were done then. I could understand what the intent was and thought everything was hilarious.

As this is a *follow up* (for a lack of better term) to BD, you may be wondering if you need to see BD beforehand. The answer is no. This is a completely standalone movie that can be enjoyed by itself. However, you will miss out of several jokes that are direct callbacks to BD (hence my review title).

While I would give BD a solid 10/10 due to the genre it is spoofing and the nonstop comedy from start to finish, I will give OJB a 7/10 for being a little longer, more sparing with the jokes and being of a genre that lends itself less to the full-on belly laughs.

Definitely recommend the watch.

Johnny Black is an outlaw with a heart full of hate...especially for the many racists and bullies in this version of the old west. However, when he is mistaken for a preacher by a town made up mostly of blacks, his nastiness begins to ease and he finds himself caring for the first time in many years.

"Outlaw Johnny Black" is a film directed, co-written and starrng Michael Jai White, the brilliant actor who brought us "Black Dynamite". However, "Outlaw Johnny Black" clearly is NOT "Black Dynamite"...though occasionally it seems a bit like it. But the problem is that it sure looked as if White wasn't sure whether he was making a comedy, a drama, or just a very low-budget film with a bunch of his friends...whereas "Black Dynamite" is a wonderful comedy.

Overall, a film with some nice moments but also some occasionally poor acting (never by White), flat laughs and a cheapness that works against it. Not a great film....and one that left me a bit frustrated because I know how great White can be.

Well... that was a watch that leaves me baffled. And I'm a bit sad...

I hoped this one to be more like Black dynamite, but it really ended up confusing me. I actually really liked the more dramatic and traditional western stuff more and those parts are strong 7-8 to me. And I really liked those over the top hilarious stuff, and they were even higher, strong 8-8.5. But this movie mixed those two together the way I can't really like this as a whole movie. So it ends up 6-6.5 in the end. That's really a shame. This movie should have been more "real" or it should have been a proper spoof, but as it is it does not work.

Lukewarm compared to the non-stop heat of Black Dynamite, but there are still qualities and laughs (just) to be had. Has the same tongue-in-cheek, bawdy humour as BD - just not that much of it. There is barely a joke for the first 20mins (until we see his Wanted poster). Doesn't quite commit itself to being a full on comedy but neither is it a straight Western either, it kinda wanders between the two. Considering the Kung-Fu potential to hand, there is strangely little action but what there is - is fun all the same. The movie is perhaps over long and in some ways under developed, the pace picks up once Johnny meets 'Bullhorn'. Once I accepted this was to be no BD 2, then I could enjoy it for what it is - a leisurely comic Western in that low-key manner common to the 1970s. It's not a parody of Westerns (as Blazing Saddles is) more of a tribute with many moments that reference classic Westerns (Billy Jack, Joshua, Clint movies etc); the final lines given to Fred Williamson and Jim Brown (like Stadler and Waldorf) was a sweet touch. Movie as a whole had a good heart and some warm messaging. 6.5 to be honest, but I love these actors and their world so I'm bumping it up to 7/10.