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Though they were most popular in the ‘70s, wildly over-the-top exploitation films never really went away. And in the Wild West blaxpoitation adventure Outlaw Johnny Black, action star Michael Jai White directs and stars as a fugitive who won’t back down until he gets his revenge.
Outlaw Johnny Black follows the notorious gunslinger on his quest to avenge his father’s death by killing Brett Clayton (Chris Browning). On his journey, he meets Reverend Percy (Byron Minns), who’s traveling to the town of Hope Springs to fill a vacancy at the local church. And after they’re attacked by a band of natives, Johnny escapes and carries on to Hope Springs, posing as the new pastor. But he soon finds himself caught in the middle of a wealthy land baron’s attempt to take over the town.
While Johnny’s journey takes him from one Wild West outpost to another, though, it’s clear from the start that this isn’t just a heavy, dramatic Western about one man’s lifelong quest for justice—and the lessons he learns along the way. From his first stop in the dusty little town of Cheyanne, the film is given the lovably cheesy feel of those beloved low-budget ‘70s films—complete with incredibly pale natives, bumbling lawmen, and sinister rich white men. And the performances sometimes are just as amusing as the characters themselves.
As the story plays out, it tends to vary in tone. At times, you may even get caught up in the town’s battle against the greedy land baron and forget that the film is really a parody of a classic Western—until something so incredibly ridiculous happens to remind you that it’s all just for fun. And it just gets crazier and crazier as the story continues—complete with outrageous plots, over-the-top characters, and even a treasure map.
All of the wackiness here definitely makes for a wild and crazy Wild West adventure. Unfortunately, though, the filmmakers chose to stick with the typical inflated Western runtime—coming in over two hours long—and once it passes 90 minutes of gunfights and kung fu action and Native Americans in drag and general silliness, it does start to feel like it’s overstayed its welcome.
Outlaw Johnny Black is loaded with ‘70s style action and silliness. And though it goes on a little longer than it should, it’s still a lot of wacky Western fun for those who enjoy the overdone comedy of old exploitation movies.
Join Johnny on his comical quest when Outlaw Johnny Black rides its way into theaters on September 15, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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