Trouble Man 6 out of 10: Lovers of Seventies high fashion will be in heaven in this blaxploitation film. All the finest Italian suits (many of which still look good today unlike most seventies fashions) are on display as well as that horrible interior decorating (Mirrors as wallpaper seems top be a theme as well as burnt orange and brown.) Also on display is a wonderful sense of cool.
Mr. T (a low key "cool" performance by Robert Hooks) fights of both Chalky (the always watchable Paul Winfield) as well as Mr. Big. (Julius Harris) and assorted lowlifes that clearly don't have his fashion sense (Bad seventies fashion is copious on our antagonists.) The movie is a pretty straightforward affair and is filmed almost as a seventies television crime drama rather than a true blaxploitation film. It has neither the intensity nor the plotting of a good 70's crime story such as Across 110th St or The Talking of Pelham 123 nor does it feature the sleaze of a Shaft in Africa or Coffey (Or dozens of lesser efforts.) There is basically no sex (despite Playboy Playmate Paula Kelly as the love interest) and the violence is subdued (fake blood gunshots are about it). The "R" rating is most likely theme or language induced. It really wouldn't be out of place as an ABC movie of the week.
Trouble Man is generally well done (How this made Medved's 50 Worst Films of all Time book is beyond me) fast paced and it is certainly worth a rent. At the very least there are wonderful fun moments such as WKRP's Gordon Jump in duel roles as well as a shooting in front of a mirror that was lifted 8 years later by Scarface. And of course there are those $500 Italian suits. How can you not be cool wearing those?
Mr. T (a low key "cool" performance by Robert Hooks) fights of both Chalky (the always watchable Paul Winfield) as well as Mr. Big. (Julius Harris) and assorted lowlifes that clearly don't have his fashion sense (Bad seventies fashion is copious on our antagonists.) The movie is a pretty straightforward affair and is filmed almost as a seventies television crime drama rather than a true blaxploitation film. It has neither the intensity nor the plotting of a good 70's crime story such as Across 110th St or The Talking of Pelham 123 nor does it feature the sleaze of a Shaft in Africa or Coffey (Or dozens of lesser efforts.) There is basically no sex (despite Playboy Playmate Paula Kelly as the love interest) and the violence is subdued (fake blood gunshots are about it). The "R" rating is most likely theme or language induced. It really wouldn't be out of place as an ABC movie of the week.
Trouble Man is generally well done (How this made Medved's 50 Worst Films of all Time book is beyond me) fast paced and it is certainly worth a rent. At the very least there are wonderful fun moments such as WKRP's Gordon Jump in duel roles as well as a shooting in front of a mirror that was lifted 8 years later by Scarface. And of course there are those $500 Italian suits. How can you not be cool wearing those?