What’s It About
Cowboy Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton, the man responsible for the death of his father. He soon becomes a wanted outlaw while posing as a preacher in a small mining town that’s been taken over by a notorious land baron
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
This is definitely a film you need to be in the mood for. It is very apparent that Outlaw Johnny Black is supposed to be the western version of Black Dynamite. It’s funny, serious, and goofy, with a positive message all set to the stereotypical Blaxploitation theme. Michael Jai White is Outlaw, Johnny Black, and he is out for revenge. The movie has a somewhat serious opening that feels a bit out of place, until certain events start happening. Once things get going, it flips from drama to comedy to action to slapstick seamlessly throughout the movie. Outlaw Johnny Black pays homage to several Westerns staring Black people, including Sergeant Rutledge, Black Rodeo, Charley One-Eye, and of course, Blazing Saddles. Back in the day, studios only produced a few western films where Black actors were given the opportunity to play a lead in a genre that can only be compared to the way actors want to star in Marvel movies today. Outlaw Johnny Black is Blaxploitation at its finest. And no, it’s not as good as Black Dynamite, but it has its moments when it comes to one-liners and sight-gags. The dialog will go over the heads of many White moviegoers but I’m sure the Black audience will understand at least ninety-five percent of it immediately and the other five percent on the way home.
OUR RATING – A WWRBBM 7
MEDIA
- Genre – Western
- Street date
- Digital – November 3rd, 2023
- DVD/Blu-Ray/4K – December 12th, 2023
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.35:1
- Sound – English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles – none
Extras
- none