Trouble Man

In 1972, Paul Winfield had an interesting year: he starred in the Oscar-nominated Sounder (of which he got a nod) with Kevin Hooks as his son. Then he also played one of the villains in Trouble Man which starred Hooks' father, Robert. As for the star, he's real cool here as he goes like Shaft playing pool, making love to his lady (Paula Kelly), and knowing when to shoot without messing up his suit! While I rarely watched "The Waltons", I knew the other bad guy was played by Papa Walton, Ralph Waite, and boy, does he really get it! And how about the future Arthur Carlson from "WKRP in Cincinnati", Gordon Jump, playing a slum landlord who has to apologize to a woman whose baby almost got killed by a railing but not before getting his butt whooped by Mr. T (Robert Hooks' character)? Julius Harris was as cool as Mr. Big here as he was in Hell Up in Harlem a year later. Most cool of all is Marvin Gaye's main title theme and the entire score he composed. Really, what else to say except Trouble Man is solid, you dig? And, no, I really don't think this deserves to be in the book "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time".

1972 is the premiere year of some of the best so-called "BLAXPLOITATION" films. Underrated stage, film and television actor Robert Hooks plays the character of "T". "T" is a super cool Brother that bends the rules while getting the job done for his unsavory, criminal clients who can't go to the police when trouble arises in there criminal underworlds.

"T" is asked by the salt and pepper criminals, Chalky and Pete to solve a series of dice game holdups only for "T" to realize that he is part of criminal underworld takeover between up and coming hoodlums and an established Black Los Angeles gangster that goes the name of "MR.BIG". By the end of this film "T" will have to fight his way out of a web of murder, thievery and deceit. "TROUBLE MAN" warranted a sequel but one was never made. This film also includes an excellent score by "MARVIN GAYE". I put this movie right up there with "SHAFT", "SUPERFLY", "BLACK CAESAR" and "THE MACK". Great performances also by Paula Kelly, Paul Winfied, Ralph Waite and Julius Harris. I rate this film **** stars/excellent. It's on video. GET IT!

This guy sports no mohawk, full beard, camouflage pants or 500 k in gold chains, and yet this Mr. T is just as supremely bad-ass as his more famous namesake. Over a decade before B.A. Baracus first pitied fools with the "A-Team", 'Trouble Man' Robert Hooks kicked asses through grindhouse cinemas in this highly entertaining blaxploitation flick of 1972. Mr T. (Robert Hooks) is a super-tough and super-cool player, private eye and basically the man for every business that calls for balls - the 'Trouble Man'. As one of the promotional lines promises: "He carries two guns, one to stop trouble and one to make trouble." If a job is dangerous and needs to be done, Mr. T is the man to do it. Trying to trick him, however, is not recommendable...

While "Trouble Man" is, as far as I am concerned, no highlight of 70s blaxploitation cinema (films like "Coffy", the original "Shaft" or "Truck Turner" come with my highest possible recommendations) it is a film that every fan of the black Exploitation sub-genre should appreciate. The story is not the most original ever, but good enough. The film is full of action and violent shootouts, the score by Marvin Gaye is cool (even if not quite as cool as the contemporary scores by Isaac Hayes), and Robert Hooks is great in the lead. Some more female eye-candy certainly wouldn't have bothered me, but overall the film shouldn't be missed by blaxploitation fans. Highly recommended to my fellow lovers of 70s cult-cinema.

Being a Baby Boomer I thought I had caught all or most of the Black-Exploitation movies! Somehow I missed Trouble Man! Robert Hooks who plays "T" had to be one of the coolest dudes I've ever seen! I wonder what Mr. Hooks (who's a serious and dramatic actor) thinks when looks back at this wonderful piece of art! Sound Track is great!

If you have never seen this film, but you saw Shamus (of Burt Reynolds fame), then you have seen this film. You just didn't know it. This movie came out in 1972, Shamus in 1973. The plot is different, but the central character is the same(except for black/white). A private eye that is rough and tumble, lives in a pool hall, has a front man run the hall, has hassles with the police, and can fix almost anything, while being the ultimate lady killer. Both movies are very good.