Outlaw Posse

This is an abstract review of the film. The man who made this knew what he was doing. I *think* I get it. Those that don't yet may never be enlightened. Sounds like a bold statement, yes; but this is a reflection of our society, and many of us don't get our current society outside of our own perspectives. If you can't see the world through others' eyes, you won't get the deeper meaning of this movie.

Why not hope for a better future? Do we all need to be vengeful, fearful and spiteful? Can we love and forgive and maybe change the way we structure things to encourage more balance? I think we can and will. If it catches on, this film will be seen in the future as a bellwether.

I was pretty excited to see this movie. I'd just recently rewatched Mario Van Peebles' first film as a director, NEW JACK CITY, and it was much stronger than I remember. I enjoyed NEW JACK CITY when it first came out, but found it over-directed, though I did appreciate that its core was straight out of classic Warner Bros gangster movies, ALA Cagney and Bogart, but updated for a modern political context, particularly among the African American community. Van Peebles followed that movie up with the western POSSE, which also had an activist political edge to it. Nearly 30 years later, Van Peebles returns with OUTLAW POSSE, not a sequel, but maybe a spiritual sequel (probably due to a rights issue), playing another equally cool and anachronistically hip cowboy who returns after 20 years to seek a hidden cache of stolen gold before assorted other bad guys can get. The film starts strong with a cool spaghetti western vibe, but that quickly fades as the story slows to a rather dull pace. Still, Van Peebles brings some exciting visuals to the proceedings and many uber-cool actors appear in bit parts, probably more as a favor to Van Peebles than for a paycheck in this modestly budgeted film, which is pretty cool of them. Whoopi Goldberg, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward James Olmos, Allen Payne, Neal McDonough, and M. Emmet Walsh in his final film role all appear in bit parts. Overall, OUTLAW POSSE is worth watching for fans of westerns and/or fans of 80s/90s throwback nostalgia, but it's nothing brilliant and I'm not sure I'll ever feel the need to rewatch it.

Starts with a good premise: Confederates hid gold in Montana. Let's go get it! And there's a bad guy! He's bad. And there's other downtrodden people. They're good! And there's a multiethnic, multicultural settlement. Yay! And there's a complicated father-son subplot. And a kidnapping! And some musical performances. And some bad singing.

Confused? You will be.

Dialogue? Yes, there is dialogue. Is it stiff? You bet!

Acting? You bet. There are actors doing acting. Is it good acting? Yes! Given what they had to work with in terms of dialogue and plot, for sure. In fact, all of these actors should be given awards for trying so hard, despite the poor hand they were dealt.

I paid $6 to rent this film. If I had feelings, they'd be hurt.

I had the unpleasure of watching Outlaw Posse this pass weekend, it ended up more like an Outlaw Nightmare, what a piece of trash this turned out to be. One would think with a famous father in the movie making business Mario would be better at it, his acting has gotten worse if it could sink any lower, in every since of the word, it was pathetic, the script was lack luster, the acting laughable. My question is what were they thanking, really, Whoopi Goldberg a stage coach driver, why not a camel crossing a desert? I would guess, and I could be wrong, Mario keep thinking, if he keep trying he might get one right, after all these years, it still a lost cause. A movie made with rhyme or reason. My final observation, is this, who keeps giving this guy money to waste on these fail attempts, such a shame.

I just saw the film this evening and thoroughly enjoyed the uplifting, educational, and entertaining depiction of African and Native American life in the Old West.

With a colorful ensemble cast including Van Peebles and comedic giants Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer the film calls to mind the old spaghetti westerns of the past but with a more historically accurate depiction of the various backgrounds colors and lifestyles of some actual historic figures who had a tremendously positive influence on the 19th century western landscape.

A great must see production by the Van Peebles clan!