Outlaw Johnny Black
Written and Directed by Michael Jai White
Starring Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash, and Byron Minns
Rated PG-13
Runtime: 136 minutes
In theaters September 15

by Clayton Hayes, Staff Writer

I have, and will always be, a Black Dynamite apologist. It is an incredibly fun film, a pitch-perfect riff on 70s blaxploitation, that sadly became a victim of its own success. It starts to drag in the last third and ends well before it hits the 90 minute mark, so I never quite understood why Cartoon Network thought over seven and a half hours of the same thing could work. Still, Michael Jai White’s performance in the film is pretty undeniable, blending his obviously impressive physicality with some surprising comedic chops. I’ve often wished White would give action-comedy another go and, lo and behold, along came Outlaw Johnny Black

Outlaw is the first release by White’s own Jaigantic Studios, with White writing, directing, co-producing, and starring in the film. The tagline “From the Brothers Who Brought You Black Dynamite” feels a bit odd as a result, with Dynamite co-writer Byron Minns relegated to a supporting role and co-writer/director Scott Sanders nowhere to be found. A few other Dynamite actors, Kevin Chapman and Kym Whitley, return as well, but the link between the two films is otherwise pretty tenuous.

The plot of Outlaw is typical Western fare: White plays the titular outlaw, Johnny Black, who turned to a life of crime after his preacher father was gunned down by the villainous Brett Clayton (no relation to yours truly). Black’s desire for revenge leads to his stealing the identity of Reverend Percy (Minns) to lie low in the town of Hope Springs, itself under threat by a land baron played by Barry Bostwick. Will the hardened outlaw’s heart be changed by the pious and downtrodden townsfolk? You can probably guess the answer to that.

It’s when you start evaluating Outlaw as a comedy that the comparison to Black Dynamite really becomes unfavorable. The magic of Dynamite’s humor was in its actors committing to the bit and playing even the silliest plot contrivances absolutely straight; Outlaw opts instead for some jokes and visual gags sprinkled throughout an otherwise ordinary plot. A few of the gags work well, like Black’s wanted poster, but for the most the film operates as a decent (if not particularly noteworthy) Western with a few tacked-on jokes. They feel so out-of-place that I was left wondering if the film was originally conceived of as a comedy at all.

The other films that Jaigantic Studios has in production appear, at least on the surface, more along the lines of the straight action that White has become known for. A film that trades on the legacy of Black Dynamite and is just comedic enough to justify the comparison is probably a safe bet for the burgeoning studio, something that’s likely to be successful enough to give them a foundation to build on. Unfortunately, and I really do wish White the best of luck going forward, I can’t find it in my heart to recommend Outlaw Johnny Black.