Speaker 1: On Today's Real Reviews, We're diving into trouble Man. No,
Speaker 1: not the Marvin Gaye scored classic from nineteen seventy two,
Speaker 1: but a brand new action comedy throwback, starring and directed
Speaker 1: by Michael John White. This twenty twenty five version. Cass
Speaker 1: White is Jackson, a former Atlanta cop term private investigator
Speaker 1: who gets dragged back into the chaos when rising R
Speaker 1: and B star Jahari played by l Lah Anthony, goes missing.
Speaker 1: What starts out as a simple missing person's case quickly
Speaker 1: wors into something much more dangerous, with layers of the seat,
Speaker 1: buried secrets, and enough side eye to fill a season
Speaker 1: of power. As Jackson retraces Jahari's steps through the murky
Speaker 1: Atlanta music scene, shady clubs, crooked managers, and old flame drama,
Speaker 1: he uncovers a trail that hints at something much deeper,
Speaker 1: a conspiracy involving industry corruption, money laundering, and blackmail. Jihari,
Speaker 1: though mostly absent on screen, casts a long emotional shadow.
Speaker 1: Anthony's performance is brief and frankly underwhelming, but she serves
Speaker 1: more as a symbol of Jackson's guilt and savior complex
Speaker 1: than as a fully realized character. Tagging along for the
Speaker 1: ride is method Man, who plays Jahari's current boyfriend Money,
Speaker 1: and let's be honest, Meth steals just about every scene
Speaker 1: he's in. His natural charisma, timing and slight dettack brings
Speaker 1: much needed levity to a film that at times takes
Speaker 1: itself too seriously. Add in Jillian White, Yes, Michael's real
Speaker 1: like wife has a tough, no nonsense form of flame
Speaker 1: with some killer martial arts skills of her own, and
Speaker 1: you've got a trio that should work. The chemistry is there,
Speaker 1: but the script doesn't give them enough to do. Visually,
Speaker 1: the film has polished you can tell White knows how
Speaker 1: to shoot action. The fight scenes are tight, the stunts
Speaker 1: to clean, and the pacing moves just fast enough to
Speaker 1: keep your attention. But only the fists stop flying. The
Speaker 1: dialogue doesn't carry the same punch. The emotional beats field thin,
Speaker 1: and while the film wants to say something about past
Speaker 1: regrets in industry rot, it never goes deep enough to
Speaker 1: really land those themes. The tone leans heavily into nostalgia,
Speaker 1: from the soundtrack to the wardrobe to the slow motion
Speaker 1: stretched down the sidewalk, you can feel the shaft and
Speaker 1: superfly influence, oozing from the edges, and interestingly enough, there
Speaker 1: are clear parallel parallels. Excuse me to the nineteen seventy
Speaker 1: two Robert Hook's classic, which also followed a slick PI
Speaker 1: navigating dangerous underworld politics. But trouble Man doesn't elevate that formula.
Speaker 1: It simply recycles it. And yes, you can find all
Speaker 1: the usual Jonre tropes here, corrupt record executives, asing gangsters,
Speaker 1: and the inevitable martial arts face off. It's comfort food filmmaking,
Speaker 1: and if you're coming in just to see Michael joh
Speaker 1: White throw down a couple of well choreographed fight scenes,
Speaker 1: you won't be disappointed. Trouble Man is stylish but slight.
Speaker 1: It has the players, the pedigree and the potential, but
Speaker 1: it's weighed down by a predictable story and emotional threads
Speaker 1: that don't quite tie together. Unkle John White brings the muscle,
Speaker 1: nothing Man brings the laughs, and Jillian White brings the edge,
Speaker 1: but they all deserve a better script. I gave this
Speaker 1: film a C. Now you can catch this if you're
Speaker 1: in the move for some low stakes action with retro vibes,
Speaker 1: just don't expect to leave with a lasting impression. That's
Speaker 1: it for this edition of Real Reviews. For more reviews, interviews,
Speaker 1: and commentary on all things black, film and beyond, head
Speaker 1: over to the Film Gordon. Follow us on socials at
Speaker 1: Film Gordon. I'm Tim Gordon and until next time, keep
Speaker 1: it real and keep it real. Peace,