Michael Jai White punches, kicks, and monologueshis way through Atlanta inTrouble Man,a silly action-comedy that honors its blaxploitation roots. White’s fourth feature as a director is a family affair, as his wife Gillian White joins a large ensemble of familiar Hollywood veterans. The film’sextensive fight choreography displays White’s impressive martial-arts skills, but these are difficult to take seriously with obvious fake blows that miss by a mile. There are a few chuckles and snippets of clever humor, which match well with White’s likable persona and laudable effort at producing teaching moments. That’s unfortunately not enough to carry this strained kidnapping mystery, whose uneven narrative drags with slow beats.
Trouble Man!
Set in bustling Atlanta, the story begins with Jaxen (White), a former cop, bodyguard, law student and current club security chief, earning extra money as a fixer. He’s the guy you call to take care of business that requires a rough approach. Jaxen despises guns, and tries to reason with people before pummeling them. He always preaches better behavior after a beat down. Jaxen also deplores the N-word in any context, and delivers extra punishment to those who use it flippantly —a lesson a doctor who beats his wife learns the hard way.
A Sophisticated Fixer
Meanwhile, famed singer Jahari (La La Anthony) decides to call it a day after a long recording session. She gets into a black SUV and is whisked away by a new driver. A few days later, Jaxen is summoned to the offices of Swerve Records by its sleazy owner,Barnes Holden (Orlando Jones), who delivers some shocking news: Jahari is missing. Barnes thinks she’s started using drugs again, and Jahari must be found as her new album is about to be released. Jaxen has a history with Jahari, and so he takes the job despite his dislike for Barnes. He enlistsMoney (Method Man), Jahari’s connected boyfriend, for help. The pair start digging, and uncover a deeper conspiracy with a dangerous villain pulling the strings.
White looks etched out of stone and incredibly dapper as Jaxen, a protagonist designed to be more than mere muscle. Jaxen constantly referencesblaxploitation classics likeSuper FlyandSweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,framing himself as an unstoppable hero who dictates the rules of the game. But that’s the only thing he has in common with those ’70s cinema icons. Jaxen isn’t a street hustler, drug dealer, pimp or womanizer sticking it to the man. For him, violence is a means to an end that’s not preferable. It’s a mantra he repeats before every brawl.
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Trouble Man’scomedy is most successful when it’s subtle. The aged doorman of Jaxen’s apartment building is named Willis (Vernell Varnado), for example, creating opportunities forDiff’rent Strokessitcom gagsevery time they interact. Audiences of a certain age will recognize these jokes, but they’re probably completely lost on younger viewers. The blatant buffoonery of secondary characters' slapstick antics and exaggerated reactions is meant for wider appeal, but falls flat most of the time. There’s a disconnect between the laughs that needs bridging and consistency.
The action scenes are plagued by a different set of issues. Jai obviously isn’t aiming for realism. He wants the fighting and gun play to look cool and fuel the humor. The opening act achieves that goal, but then everything that comes after isa Kung Fu parade. White and his stunt team’s tremendous skills are impressive, to a point;a 57-year-old doing roundhouse kicks is admirable, but then the choreography becomes meaningless. It’s just too staged, and the big showdowns are basically White and company pulling their punches. That’s not interestingorfunny.
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Gillian White plays Gina, Jaxen’s event-planner girlfriend who’s unwittingly caught up in the shenanigans. They’ve got decent chemistry when flirting in the beginning, but scene after scene of them addressing relationship problems brings a soap opera vibe that grinds the film to a halt. That can’t happen in a 90-minute movie that’s already loaded with filler. This is a case of a real-life couple spending too much time together on film: It’s tough to edit down your significant other, butTrouble Manisn’t a romance.
The supporting cast both hits and misses. Method Man stands out as Money, and his chemistry with Jaxen is a highlight of the film. Method Man has been getting better with each starring role, honing his acting chops as he graduates from smaller parts into lead roles. The same cannot be said for Jones and Mike Epps, the club manager, who are one-note throughout. Along with Levy Tran as the heavily-tattooed primary villain, all three play cardboard characters that don’t resonate, and their participation in the purposely excessive climax is a struggle to sit through.
White does deserve credit for Jaxen’s many sermons, which range from explaining psychological terms to lecturing baddies on how Africa originated martial arts. These scenes land, while quite a few aspects of the film do not. That’s the problem withTrouble Man —it’s just too much of a mixed bag.
Trouble Manis a production of Swirl Films and Jaigantic Studios. It is available now in theaters and in digital release from Samuel Goldwyn Films.
