Trouble Man (1972)

As Good As It Gets

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Since seeing the gorgeous Marki Bey in Sugar Hill I have been meaning to take a look at the Blaxploitation genre,but have never got round to gathering enough titles for a viewing fest of the genre.Talking to a family friend over the weekend about the genre,he mentioned to me a number of Blaxploitation films that he was after,which led to me getting ready to finally take a close look at the genre.The plot:Being unable to deal with a spree of robbers at their underground crap shot games,hustlers Chalky and Pete decide to hire "T",a private investigator who is known for solving trouble that the cops won't touch. Initially having some doubts,T accepts the job in order to keep the streets calm.Going undercover at the games,T is caught up in the middle of a robbery.Unknown to T,Chalky & Pete have set a trap,by arranging the robberies themselves in order to gain power over the leading gangster of the city called Big. Kidnapping Big's main henchman,Pete & Chalky dress him in the same clothes as the robbers. Killing Big's henchman at the robbery that T is caught in, Chalky and Pete contact the police and claim that T did the killing. Realising that he has been set-up,T sets his sights on giving Pete & Chalky a deadly roll of the dice.View on the film:Perfectly setting the mood, Marvin Gaye gives the film an icy score,with Gaye's delicate vocals and soft jazz strings being pinned down by a hard Funk beat which strikes every step T takes on the "hood."Looking absolutely dapper in every scene, Robert Hooks gives an excellent performance as T.Growing up in the "hood",Hooks gives T a charismatic,laid-back nature around the friends who he has spent his life knowing.Finding deceit where his loyalties lay,Hooks rips up T's relaxed attitude to replace it with a burning fury to outsmart all those trying to bring him down.Taking on Hooks,Paul Winfield gives a very good performance as Chalky,who Winfield makes to be a little too friendly,whilst Ralph Waite joyfully hisses as evil whitey Pete.Going from booking scum on the TV beat with Hawaii Five-O to walking the big screen walk,the screenplay by John D.F. Black hits cool cat happenings with a Film Noir stomp.Keeping the viewer ahead of T by showing Chalky & Pete set up their traps,Black builds up anticipation for T uncovering the set-up,as Black gives T a real trusting warmth towards his friends,which is ruined by Chalky's betrayal,which leads to Black unleashing T with a blistering force.For the gripping 30 minute final,director Ivan Dixon & cinematographer Michel Hugo largely keep the movie dialogue free,with Dixon and Hugo saying everything that needs to be said with dazzling Film Noir low-lighting and Blaxploitation pump-action shotgun tracking shots,which circle the unlucky foe facing T.Before getting to the finishing line,Dixon and Hugo give the title an enchantingly glamorous appearance,with bright disco lights,slick cars and sharp suits being covered in shards of burning blood reds,as the gun- welding,kung-fu fighting Mr.T shows that when he brings his "A" game,there is no need for an "A"-Team.

I originally became curious about this movie because of the original score and Soundtrack by Marvin Gaye. After waiting a couple of years for the DVD to be released, I was truly impressed by the film as a whole. I'm very disappointed by the score of this film on IMDb. This has to be the most slept on blackploitation movie there is. It has very excellent plot and cinematography that puts you right into the action. Hell, Robert Hooks has to be one of the most unsung heroes in action movies. I watch the movie over a dozen times There was someone that was "cooler" than Shaft, His name is Mr. T. (not the guy with the Mohawk). This is a definite must for you black action collection.

Supremely suave Robert Hooks plays it cool and easy as Mr. T, an ultra-smooth womanizing pool shark (real-life pool hustler James Earl "Txas Blood" Brown cameos as an arrogant sucker Mr. T beats in a high stakes game), licensed private detective, and fee-lance troubleshooter for hire, one certifiably bad hombre anti-hero and all-around ruthless, cocksure righteous cat. Mr. T's hired by treacherous underworld kingpin Chaly White (the always excellent Paul Winfield) and Chalky's equally pernicious greaseball white partner Pete (an uncharacteristically slimy'n'sleazy Ralph Waite, who's extremely hateful in a rare full-fledged villain role) to foil a stick-up gang that's been ripping off the devilish duo's late night illegal craps games. Mr. T gets framed for murdering the son of one Mr. Big (ubiquitous blaxploitation mainstay Julius Harris, dominating over everybody with scene-swiping self-assurance), a notorious major league inner city player who declares open season on Mr. T's hide. Further complications develop when Mr. Big winds up involved in a ferocious all-or-nothing turf dispute with Chalky and Pete, a vicious war which puts Mr. T in the uncomfortable position of having to evade both the bullying jerk cops and an endless legion of brutish mob goons.Ivan ("The Spook Who Sat by the Door") Dixon's brisk, hard-as-steel direction gives the somewhat standard crime/revenge plot a good, swift kick in the rear, wringing plenty of tension and fiercely violent, gut-tearing action from "Shaft" co-screenwriter John D.F. Black's knotty, cynical script. Said script vividly creates a chilly, chaotic dog-eat-dog world ridden with cold-blooded double crosses and populated by greedy, untrustworthy scuzzwads who'll do anything for money or power. The convoluted, resolutely unsetimental story persuasively states that there's no such thing as either honor or loyalty among thieves. The blackly amoral, mean-spirited, evil-hearted tone will set your nerves on end. The coarse, barbed dialogue really hits the scorching spot, too ("Now get the hell out of my car -- the two of you are *beep*ing up a nice day"). Michael Hugo's slick, expansive cinematography lends the picture a glossy, glittering look while the fabulously funky Marvin Gaye score, boasting a sublimely hip'n'heavenly opening credits theme song, supplies the awesomely happening soul music vibes. (The invaluable Robert O. Ragland served as a technical assistant to the composer.) Controbuting solid secondary turns are Paula Kelly as Mr. T's sexy nightclub singer main squeeze, "WKRP in Cincinnati" TV show regular Gordan Jump as a spineless, sniveling slum lord, and "Sudden Death" 's Felton Perry as an amateur boxer informant. Harsh, tough-minded and morally reprehensible, "Trouble Man" proves to be every bit as irresistibly irrepressible and irresponsible as its titular untouchable character.

This is one of the grandest "blaxploitation" flick of the 1970's,and to this day it still doesn't get the ultimate respect it truly deserves. This is a one man in-your-face action flick that delivers the goods and keeps coming back for more. It's ranks up there with the best of that era which includes films like "Black Caesar","Shaft","Super Fly","Coffy" "Foxy Brown","Hammer","Three The Hard Way",and so much more. For those who never seen this film,it is worth the required viewing in a movie that doesn't waste any time,even though its running time of 99 minutes holds the audience in check. When this film came out in 1972,it was not very likable by the critics,but audiences were enthralled by the great acting,unstoppable action and the great atmosphere. In other words,one of the baddest ass flicks of the decade. This film came out around the same time another blaxploitation film came out about the same time.... Gordon L. Parks' "Super Fly"(Warner Bors.,1972),which starred Ron O'Neal and "Black Caesar"(AIP,1972),directed by action-guru Larry Cohen which starred Fred Williamson."Trouble Man"(20th Century Fox,1972),directed by fame Hogan Heroes'star Ivan Dixon,and starring Robert Hooks as the central character Mister T. Mister T was one cool dude,a straight-up hustler,pimp daddy and private eye who always kept his cool whenever something was about to happened,and usually does. He has a beau of beauties,drives a expensive Lincoln Continental car,and wears $600 suits that are customed made in Italy! Also,you can tell that Mister T came up hard,and had to be harder than the competition! Raised in the streets he's been a man since he was a kid. He has an aresnal of weapons,he's rough and tumble and ready for action,and can fix almost any situation while being the ultimate lady killer. Also,to point out that Mister T is no joke! You'll rub him the wrong way or try to double crossed him,he'll blow up in your face. He is cold hard steel,not to be messed with! However,he has hassles with the police,the mobsters who want to eliminated him at all costs(including one of them played by Ralph Waite,of the TV series The Waltons,and the others played by Paul Winfield and Julius Harris)while maintaining the control of his business and his main squeeze(played by Paula Kelly),but Mister T gives them hell to pay and pay they do! In other words,"Trouble Man",was throroughly impressive,and its a crying shame that this film is not out anywhere on DVD and Video since the last time I saw this was when I was little with my parents in the movie theatres,and again as an adult when cable's The Fox Movie Channel. This film is Rated "R" for strong graphic violence and language with parts of nudity for some of the sexual material.About the motion picture soundtrack to "Trouble Man":(Release in 1972) This soundtrack came out before the film did,and if you check it out it is a soul classic of the era. However,this was basically a jazz album by the way since Motown great Marvin Gaye wanted to do a jazz instrumental piece for years,but here is the album that gave a new generation a classic piece of brilliant soul. Here is vintage soul music with all the arrangements and songs written by Marvin Gaye himself and it is worth the listening experience,so please check it out.