Outlaw Johnny Black, 2023.
Directed by Michael Jai White.
Starring Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash, Byron Minns, Kevin Chapman, Kym Whitley, Tommy Davidson, Buddy Lewis, Glynn Turman, Chris Browning, Barry Bostwick, Gary Anthony Williams, Tony Baker, Tyler Bryan, Paul Logan, Randy Couture, Eme Ikwuakor, Jalyn Hall, Jill Scott, Donald Cerrone, Roger Yuan, Tomm Voss, Josh Barnett, Paul Sloan, Heath Freeman, Ross Francis, Billy Grandy, Rigan Machado, Robert Allen Mukes, Russell Peters, and Michael Madsen.
SYNOPSIS:
Hell-bent on avenging his father’s death, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man while posing as a preacher in a small mining town that’s been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Outlaw Johnny Black wouldn’t exist.
While Outlaw Johnny Black is centered on the eponymous character (played by the film’s director and co-screenwriter, veteran action staple Michael Jai White), the narrative takes viewers on an irreverent journey for nearly 140 minutes in what feels like several movies and tones befuddlingly blended.
It begins by setting up a fairly standard, blaxploitation revenge tale against racist bandit Brett Clayton (Chris Browning), complete with one too many flashbacks detailing the slaughtering of a small town and Johnny Black’s father (a glorified cameo from reliable great Glynn Turman), before mostly abandoning that story entirely to focus on titular outlaw on the run and disguising himself as the new preacher for a mining town, where he becomes mixed up in a love triangle played for laughs. Along the way, Johnny Black also encounters some Indians, who either provide assistance or are mocked in ways that feel backward and uncomfortably racist, even for a film this silly.
Anyway, those Indians attempt killing a companion he makes on the road, Reverend Percy (Byron Minns), who was trying to get to that mining town to meet up with a romantic pen pal partner for the first time, someone who has no idea what he looks like. Again, this is intended to be funny (the Indians decide to marry Percy to one of their own upon realizing he is still alive), even if it’s not. Meanwhile, Johnny Black presents himself as Reverend Percy, announcing himself to the town and his girlfriend Bessie (Erica Ash), who doesn’t suspect a thing and is ecstatic that she is horny to be with someone of that physical stature. However, Johnny is much more interested in her sister Jesse (Anika Noni Rose), as they develop a meaningful bond without lust.
There are plenty of broad jokes derived from Johnny trying to pull off these sermons and play the role of a preacher despite being a gunslinger, which is mostly effective considering the skilled comedic timing of Michael Jai White. Even during the action sequences and shootouts, he imbues the proceedings with slapstick, cartoonish fun (such as repeatedly slapping one generic henchman with revolvers.)
The issue is that Outlaw Johnny Black spends far too much time as a comedy that it becomes a chore to sit through, particularly because a good portion of the humor not only involves a pointless love triangle (which becomes more complicated once the real Reverend Percy arrives at the mining town) but is also sidelining themes pulling from the religious teachings of forgiveness, juxtaposed with an obsession for vengeance and the outlaw way.
Perhaps even worse, once the script seems like it’s going to pull off something subversive in opting to have Johnny let go of that thirst for revenge upon getting in touch with his father’s mindset from attempting to deliver sermons, it conveniently brings back Brett Clayton for a clichéd showdown anyway. Johnny also gets roped into a bland subplot regarding a corrupt land baron played by Barry Bostwick.
Much of the above would also be too frustrating if Outlaw Johnny Black did not cross the two-hour mark, let alone approach two and a half hours. There is plenty of apparent, visible fat to trim here that would allow for the more intriguing and actual funny parts to shine more, including Michael Jai White’s physical performance, who generally always delivers on the action front. He is so good at directing and performing these action sequences, perfectly bending laughs and brutality, that it’s a bummer a rough, lengthy middle segment leans too far in a different direction.
Nevertheless, there remains a great deal of interest in seeing what Michael Jai White could do directing and starring in something focused on action first and eliciting laughter second.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
