Trouble Man

This is supposed to be part homage, part action flick, part parody. And it is. In a way, it's very entertaining. In another way, it's a very silly film, badly acted and very low budget. I think it went for the wink-wink and the "so bad is good" vibe, but it did not get to that point where I could thoroughly enjoy it.

Michael J White had the presence and the action skills, but you could see that most people there were not even actors. And some people there were extremely good martial artists, but they just didn't get to shine. OK, I get it, you want to make a film with your friends. That's cool. But then the film is only a success if you can make your friends shine. And this film didn't do that.

Interesting story line but messy acting. If you are gonna use greenscreen please make it not so noticeable (Loni tied to the chair at the rooftop). Felt like I was watching some bootleg movie. Looks like a throwback movie from back in the day...lol. Even Shaft 1 was better than this.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the story line, Michael Jai White fight scenes and glad to see Method Man.

Michael Jai White's Trouble Man delivers surprisingly engaging action-comedy that punches above its weight.

Following ex-cop turned Atlanta PI Jaxen hunting missing R&B star Jahari, the investigation spirals into conspiracy territory with enough twists to stay interesting.

White directs himself capably, keeping things brisk with genuine genre understanding. The Atlanta setting provides authentic atmosphere, and Method Man offers decent support, though the acting quality wobbles throughout.

Budget constraints kill the action sequences stone dead. Fight scenes feel stagey, chase sequences lack punch, and supporting performances range from adequate to wooden. White's charismatic presence can't mask these technical shortcomings.

What works is the film's genuine affection for classic detective stories. It's comfort food cinema-familiar, unpretentious, moderately entertaining despite obvious limitations. This would've found its audience easily in the 1990s, but feels slightly adrift now.

Rating: 6.5/10 (Decent detective story hampered by budget reality and uneven execution)

This was a watchable film because it's in the category of "A LOW DOWN DIRTY SHAME", "I'M GON GET YOU SUCKA" and "HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE" which those movies i enjoyed! Action and comedy rolled into one with a strong comparison with the other 3 movies i mentioned. Not to mention the Kung Fu was decent!!!!!

Trying to star in and direct has left its mark. Its not easy to be in the directors chair as Michael Jai White has found out.

The plot offers a few twists but is simple enough. The fight scenes hold the movie together and are well done but the acting is weak and exaggerated throughout. A director with more experience would have fixed a lot of the problems. It was a good try but just not good enough.