Michael Jai White flexes his filmmaking and comedy muscles with Outlaw Johnny Black, a western comedy that successfully manages to blend the silly with the sincere in its story of faith and justice in the wild west.

Many will know Michael Jai White for his action movies, yet it’s outside the combat zone where some of his best work is found.

That was the case with 2009’s Black Dynamite, a comedy that parodied and paid tribute to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Jai’s latest film, Outlaw Johnny Black, continues the spirit of Black Dynamite with its blend of spoof and tribute. Even more impressive is that Jai directs and co-writes here, and if Outlaw Johnny Black is any indication Jai should do more comedy in the future.

Jai plays Johnny Black, an outlaw on the hunt for cold-blooded gunslinger Brad Clayton (Chris Browning) who killed Johnny’s preacher father (Glynn Turman) some 30 years prior. When Johnny finds himself in the town of Hope Springs, a mix-up sees him assume the identity of the town’s new preacher, a role which the God hating, law breaking, and women loving Johnny Black struggles to maintain.

The comedy of Outlaw Johnny Black is consistently funny and thankfully not politically correct, featuring a clever use of recurring gags, sex jokes, and parody of western conventions that at times tips its hat to the Mel Brooks classic Blazing Saddles.

Just as impressive is how Outlaw Johnny Black implements a sincere message of faith and forgiveness throughout the cowboy comedy. Rather than treating Johnny Black as caricature, Jai creates a character whose revenge filled nomad existence is challenged by a small community who are as God-fearing as they are eccentric.

Supporting turns by Chris Browning as the truly unlikeable villain Brett Clayton; Anika Noni Rose as Hope Springs leader and Johnny Black love interest Jessie Lee; and Byron Minns (who also co-writes and produces) as the real town pastor Reverend Percy whose mission to preach for the Lord’s word takes him on a journey to hell and back, shine amongst a talented cast which also includes cameos from genre legends.

At 216 minutes long Outlaw Johnny Black would have benefited from a tighter cut. Regardless, Outlaw Johnny Black succeeds as a comedy western during a time when such a thing is a rare commodity.