Outlaw Johnny Black

Something that Micheal Jai White does better than Marshal Arts is making Blaxpolation films. Although, I believe White would rather I refer to this as a western, but he can't deny at the end of the day he was paying homage to the likes of Fred Willimson and the late great Jim Brown.

Some big shoes to fill but he filled them and almost busted out of them. It was action packed and humorous and still drove in a valuable message for the masses. It seems he also sneaked in some of his own value system as well without kicking us in the chest with it.

But of course, he does some kicking. Not a lot of moves but some real good ones. White is shining in this movie and the whole cast is impressive.

Left the theatre just wanted so much more.

Brillant film.

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.

The intro was slow which was a minor issue but the cast holds the comedy and action well.

The story was funny, light, and engaging once it picked up when Johnny enters the location of majority of the movie.

The time spent with the characters and the way all the actors worked together was amazing you can tell they had fun while also sharing it towards people on screen.

It was a joy to see so many familiar faces, and so many of the cast from black dynamite shows up while seeing new ones.

I'm hard pressed to find someone who didn't deliver, one of my favorite scenes is when the character Jessie lee is introduced.

It had me and others in the theater dying laughing.

I would recommend to anyone who has seen the directors last work like this, and to anyone who enjoys a classic story of a villain turned hero.

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.

Michael Jai White's "Outlaw Johnny Black" (2023) attempts to blend martial arts action with Western comedy, but ultimately falls flat, delivering a lukewarm and utterly unmemorable cinematic experience. The film suffers from a severe lack of narrative focus, meandering aimlessly between its action sequences and attempts at humor without ever truly committing to either. The supposed "charming" interactions and comedic timing feel forced and contrived, lacking the genuine spark necessary to engage the audience. Despite Michael Jai White's physical presence, the dialogue often feels clichéd and uninspired, as if the writers simply strung together a series of genre tropes without any regard for natural conversation or compelling comedic timing. Instead of a fresh and energetic take on the Western, it offers a superficial and often irritating spectacle of forced whimsy.

Is it worth watching? No, unless you have an exceptionally high tolerance for formulaic action-comedies and a desire to see a predictable narrative unfold. There are far more engaging and genuinely entertaining Westerns available.