You probably think you know what to expect when a martial arts legend puts on a cowboy hat. Most of the time, it’s a gimmick. But The Outlaw Johnny Black is something else entirely. It’s a project that spent years in a kind of "development purgatory" before finally hitting screens, and honestly, the story behind its creation is almost as wild as the plot of the movie itself.
Michael Jai White didn't just want to make a Western. He wanted to resurrect a very specific, very niche vibe of 1970s cinema. If you've seen Black Dynamite, you know the drill. But where that film was a razor-sharp parody of Blaxploitation, The Outlaw Johnny Black tries to balance on a much thinner tightrope. It’s trying to be a genuine Western, a comedy, and a faith-based redemptive arc all at the same time.
It’s a lot.
Why The Outlaw Johnny Black took forever to come out
Crowdfunding is a gamble. Back in 2018, White launched a campaign to get this movie off the ground. He wasn't just looking for cash; he was looking for proof that there was an audience for a "spiritual successor" to Black Dynamite. Fans showed up. They put their money down. Then? Silence. For a long time.
COVID-19 obviously didn't help. But the real delay was the perfectionism involved in the edit and the distribution. You see, White didn't just star in this; he wrote and directed it. When a creator wears that many hats, the vision becomes incredibly specific. He wasn't willing to let a studio chop it into a generic 90-minute action flick. He wanted the long takes. He wanted the weird, sprawling dialogue. He wanted the 70s film grain to look exactly right.
It finally premiered in late 2023, and the reaction was... complicated. Some people expected Black Dynamite 2. They were disappointed. This movie is slower. It’s kinder. It’s less about "slapping pimp" jokes and more about a man trying to find his soul while holding a Colt .45.
The plot is more than just a revenge story
Johnny Black is a man obsessed. He wants the man who killed his father. That man is Brett Canfield, played with a classic sneer. It’s a standard setup. We've seen it a thousand times in Peckinpah films or Eastwood marathons. But the twist here is that Johnny ends up hiding out in a small mining town, posing as a preacher.
This is where the movie gets weirdly wholesome.
The town is being squeezed by a corrupt land baron. Standard Western trope? Yes. But Johnny isn't just kicking heads; he's actually trying to "preach" (sorta). The humor comes from his total inability to be a man of God. He’s a man of violence trying to use words, and the friction between those two identities provides the movie's best moments.
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The cast you probably recognized but couldn't place
The movie is packed with character actors who make the world feel lived-in.
- Byron Minns: He’s White’s long-time collaborator and co-wrote the script. He plays Reverend Percy, the "real" preacher.
- Anika Noni Rose: She brings a level of gravitas to the role of Jessie that the movie arguably doesn't deserve but desperately needs.
- Erica Ash: Sadly, this was one of her final roles before her passing in 2024, which adds a layer of bittersweet nostalgia to her scenes.
The chemistry between these performers keeps the movie from drifting too far into slapstick. You can tell they’re having fun, but they aren't winking at the camera constantly. They’re playing it straight, even when the situations are ridiculous.
Technical craftsmanship: It’s all in the "look"
Visually, The Outlaw Johnny Black is a love letter. White and his cinematographer, Obi Onyejekwe, used specific lenses and color grading to mimic the Technicolor-adjacent look of mid-70s cinema. You’ll notice the zooms. The sudden, dramatic "snap" zooms that were a staple of Shaw Brothers movies and Spaghetti Westerns.
It’s not just for style. It’s about nostalgia.
The sound design follows suit. The foley work—the sound of boots on wood, the exaggerated thwack of a punch, the whistle of the wind—is intentionally "thick." It sounds like a movie you’d find on a dusty VHS tape in the back of a mom-and-pop video store.
Addressing the "Black Dynamite" comparisons
Let's be real. If you go into this expecting the relentless gag-per-minute pace of Black Dynamite, you might get bored. The Outlaw Johnny Black is nearly two and a half hours long. That is an insane runtime for a comedy Western.
Why is it so long?
Because Michael Jai White loves the "hangout" movie. He wants you to sit with these characters. He wants the scenes to breathe. There are long sequences of Johnny just interacting with the townspeople that don't necessarily move the plot forward but build the world.
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It’s a "vibe" movie.
Critics were split on this. Some called it self-indulgent. Others called it a refreshing change of pace from the hyper-edited, ADHD-friendly action movies we get from Marvel or John Wick clones. Honestly, both sides are right. It is self-indulgent. But that’s also why it feels human. It doesn't feel like it was written by a committee or an algorithm designed to maximize "engagement." It feels like a guy making the movie he wanted to see when he was ten years old.
The Action: Martial Arts meets Gun-Slinging
Michael Jai White is one of the greatest martial artists to ever grace the screen. Period. Even in his 50s, the man moves with a fluidity that puts actors half his age to shame. In The Outlaw Johnny Black, he blends traditional Western gunplay with his signature striking.
He doesn't just shoot people. He uses the gun as an extension of his fist.
There’s a specific scene in a saloon—because of course there is—where the choreography is just brilliant. It’s not "wire-fu." It’s heavy. It’s grounded. You feel the weight of the furniture breaking. But more importantly, the action is used to tell the story. Johnny is a man who is "too good" at killing, and the movie handles his internal struggle with that skill quite well.
The Faith Element: Is it a "Christian Movie"?
This is the part that catches most people off guard. The Outlaw Johnny Black has a very strong undercurrent of faith and forgiveness. It’s not preachy in the "Lifetime Movie" sense, but it is sincere. Johnny’s journey from a man of vengeance to a man of peace (or at least a man who wants peace) is the central pillar of the film.
It’s a daring move.
Combining Blaxploitation aesthetics with a redemptive religious arc is a swing for the fences. It makes the movie hard to market. Is it for the action fans? The comedy fans? The church-going crowd? The answer is "all of the above," but that often means it struggles to find a massive mainstream audience. It’s a cult classic in the making precisely because it doesn't fit into a tidy box.
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Common misconceptions about the production
A lot of people think this was a big-budget studio flick. It wasn't. This was an independent production through White’s company, Jaigantic Studios.
- The Budget: It was modest. Most of the money went into the period-accurate costumes and the location scouting.
- The Script: It wasn't improvised. While it feels loose, the dialogue was meticulously written to capture the specific cadence of 70s Westerns.
- The Horseback Riding: White actually did a significant portion of his own riding. He’s a proponent of actors learning the "craft" of the era they are portraying.
What you can learn from Johnny Black’s journey
Beyond the bullets and the jokes, there’s a real takeaway here about the futility of revenge. Johnny spends his whole life looking for one man, only to realize that the man he's become in the process is someone he doesn't recognize.
It’s a classic theme, but White gives it a fresh coat of paint.
If you're a filmmaker or a creator, there’s a lesson in the production itself: Persistence. White didn't give up on this movie when the funding was tight or when the world shut down. He kept pushing because he believed in the character.
How to get the most out of your viewing
If you haven't watched it yet, don't go in expecting a parody. Go in expecting a Western with a sense of humor. * Watch the background: There are tons of visual gags and "easter eggs" for fans of 70s cinema.
- Pay attention to the music: The score is a brilliant pastiche of Ennio Morricone and Isaac Hayes.
- Check out the making-of content: White has been very vocal on social media about the "why" behind his choices, and it adds a lot of context to the film's slower pace.
Ultimately, The Outlaw Johnny Black is a rare bird. It’s an earnest, funny, action-packed movie that refuses to be just one thing. It’s a reminder that movies can still be personal, even when they involve shootouts and roundhouse kicks.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Track down the soundtrack: It’s a masterclass in genre-blending music.
- Rewatch Black Dynamite: Notice the subtle ways White has evolved as a director between these two projects.
- Support independent cinema: This movie’s success (or lack thereof) determines if we get more "genre-weird" films like it in the future.