TROUBLE MAN
Starring: Michael Jai White, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Gillian White, Noah Fleder, Theodore Park, Levy Tran, Alani “La La” Anthony, Mike Epps, and Orlando Jones
Director: Michael Jai White
KATIE
I had a lot of fun with Trouble Man. The martial-arts combat is well-choreographed, sometimes wacky, and very engaging. I appreciated the blaxploitation influence, and the script is very self-aware and funny. Michael Jai White, a very likeable screen presence, is fantastic in the lead role, bringing boundless smooth charm and impressive physical capabilities. Method Man is also hilarious and perfect alongside his character. It’s difficult to overlook the terrible CGI in the final act and other constraints of the low budget, but I was thoroughly entertained, enjoyed the action, and laughed out loud a lot.
QUENTIN
Director and star Michael Jai White delivers an instant cult classic with Trouble Man; a self-aware, blaxploitation, B-movie homage set in modern-day Atlanta that works as a spiritual sequel to Black Dynamite. And when I say B-movie, that’s with the most capital of Bs. There are shoddy effects, cheap sets, choppy edits, and genre- and era- specific shot framing, all of which is done intentionally and with love. However, that is juxtaposed with legitimately well-done martial-arts choreography, hilarious one-liners that made me laugh out loud, and White’s authentic charm and charisma. If movies like this were all White ever did, I’d watch every damn one.
