The wacky, low-budget quest “Outlaw Posse” by the writer-director Mario Van Peebles is not a direct sequel to his innovative Black western “Posse,” from 1993. It’s a companion piece, built in the same universe, that is equally indebted to the history of Black cowboys and the need for restorative justice in America.
As Chief, an outlaw hiding in Mexico, the playful Van Peebles wears a dark-colored cowboy outfit similar to the one he sported in “Posse,” and mirroring what his father, Melvin Van Peebles, wore in his 1971 Blaxploitation flick “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.” That film was the first father-son pairing between them; it’s fitting to see Mandela Van Peebles now teaming with his dad as Decker, the estranged son of Chief.
Like “Posse,” “Outlaw Posse” concerns a cache of gold commandeered by a Black soldier. Set in 1908, the gold was stolen by Chief from the Confederate government decades ago for the purpose of reparations. A malicious squad of white men, led by the sadistic, one-handed Angel (William Mapother), is pursuing Chief’s ragtag gang across Montana.
Angel takes Decker’s family hostage, forcing him to infiltrate his dad’s band of outlaws and report back. Along the way, historical figures like Stagecoach Mary (an underused Whoopi Goldberg) and funny characters like Horatio (Cedric the Entertainer) appear.
In direct conversation with cinema’s many spaghetti westerns, Van Peebles’s shaggy script relies on winking nods and plentiful shootouts in lieu of production value. “Outlaw Posse” may not be innovative, but its regard for family affairs is worth treasuring.
Outlaw Posse
Rated R for sweetback content, language and brief partial nudity. Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes. In theaters.
