Rockstar wigs dynamite review12/20/2023 Those of us who share an affection for White as well as biting satire might, at this point, be hoping for “Outlaw Johnny Black” to pivot into the beginning of a “Blazing Saddles”-esque critique of the genre, however problematic. It’s an unwelcome surprise, then, that, just five minutes into White’s film, we’re introduced to the native characters of “Outlaw Johnny Black.” Clad in their party city best (cheap felt animal-skin approximations and what appears to be skinny scarves à la H&M circa 2007 tucked around their heads), it comes as a bit of a shock to be introduced to characters - including an actor who could be casually described as Aryan - portrayed in such a way. In as much as Westerns can be broadly defined by the seizure of land and territory by its protagonists, the inclusion of Indigenous communities in the genre has a less-than-stellar history. However, it’s only too soon that things go astray from the kind of filmmaking that made “Black Dynamite” such a contemporary cult classic. Snappy too are the bold opening credits that establish the film’s affection for the Western. In less than five minutes we’re given over to a showcase of his action chops, laden with a winking, tongue-in-cheek play with both the genre as well as his onscreen legacy. Within “Outlaw Johnny Black”’s opening moments, White is quick to get to the action. It is during this quest for vengeance that he becomes a wanted man and, left with no other choice, hides out in a small mining town where he poses as the new preacher. Where to begin with “Outlaw Johnny Black”? The newest genre flick from martial-arts icon and director-writer Michael Jai White, the Western action-comedy has been touted as the spiritual successor to White’s 2009 neo-Blaxploitation comedy, “Black Dynamite.” Originally an Indiegogo-backed production, the “Spawn” actor’s Western parody stars White as the title character, a quick, gun-slinging cowboy who has devoted his life to hunting down the man responsible for his father’s death.
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