OUTLAW POSSE -- Western Throwback Is Familiar Yet Fun

Review by Sean Boelman

Many modern-day Westerns tend to be bleak and dour, so seeing one that just wants to be fun to watch is refreshing. The latest film from writer/director/star Mario Van Peebles, Outlaw Posse, is a revisionist Western that adheres to most of the conventions of the genre but is consistently entertaining nonetheless.

Outlaw Posse follows a notorious outlaw who returns from hiding to find a hidden cache of gold, only for a dangerous man from his past to be on his tail, kicking off an explosive adventure. Although it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, Mario Van Peebles has made an enjoyable throwback with enough action and quippy one-liners to keep you smiling through its sometimes quotidian story.

The most interesting thing about Van Peebles’s latest film is what he does with it thematically. The Western is not a genre known for being particularly progressive — especially regarding race — but Van Peebles takes these cliches and uses them to reclaim the genre. It’s not exactly subtle, but there is some sharp dialogue where Van Peebles’s character satisfyingly lays it onto the racist white guy.

Outlaw Posse is a little scrappy and rough around the edges when it comes to the visuals; it doesn't have the same level of polish that some of the studio-backed Westerns have today. But there’s so much passion and love for the genre in every frame that it’s easy to forgive some of its flaws.

The throwback nature of the film also reveals itself in its characters, who are all on the archetypal side. These arcs are all familiar: the straight-laced son of an outlaw who learns his estranged father may not be who he thought he was, the villain who’s seeking revenge against the antihero for a wrong committed against him long ago, and, of course, the band of misfits that makes up the posse.

Still, everyone in the cast seems to be having a blast, lending the film an infectiously fun vibe. William Mapother is the biggest standout, chewing the scenery as any good Western villain should. Even the A-listers, who one would typically expect to be phoning it in for a smaller production like this, give it their all for their few scenes — Whoopi Goldberg, Cam Gigandet, Cedric the Entertainer, and Edward James Olmos among them.

There’s also something incredibly lovable about how much of a full-circle moment this film represents for Van Peebles. Though he’s since become prolific himself, Van Peebles got his start working with his father, Melvin Van Peebles. To see Mario sharing the screen with his son, Mandela, is a fun little moment for cinephiles. It also lends itself to the film nicely because they have a natural rapport.

Outlaw Posse doesn’t have the most polish or originality, but it’s consistently entertaining nonetheless. A game cast and Mario Van Peebles’s obvious love for the Western genre allow this to overcome its familiar beats to deliver a memorable entry into the genre.

Outlaw Posse hits theaters on March 1.

Rating: 3/5