Parents' Guide to Outlaw Posse

Mario Van Peebles' Western is, frankly, all over the place, but it has a spirited, scrappy B movie energy and a host of familiar faces seemingly having fun in their small and supporting roles. Outlaw Posse's opening scene alone is a doozy, with three cowpokes (Neal McDonough, Cam Gigandet, and M. Emmet Walsh) arriving in a small town; an act of racism introduces them to Chief in a way that they come to regret. That scene doesn't seem attached to the rest of the movie at all, but it sets the tone. Indeed, it feels as if writer-director Van Peebles tried to squeeze everything he could think of into the movie—but somehow it all shakes out. He's an old pro, and this is his second Western, after 1993's Posse, which isn't connected to this movie.

Plenty of dialogue is devoted to progressive viewpoints and commentary about the history of racism in America. Whoopi Goldberg plays the real-life Stagecoach Mary, the first Black female postal carrier, who says she prefers the company of women. Spooky identifies as gay; D.C. Young Fly, first seen performing a minstrel magic show, has a grand time playing the role. And Amber Reign Smith, as Chief's former love interest Queenie, is a strong Black woman who knows what she wants. Plus, if it's true that a movie is only as good as its villain, then Mapother's Angel is a very good one: He's smart and cultured but also vicious and a bit creepy. In short, Outlaw Posse doesn't have much that's new in terms of story, but it offers plenty of other small pleasures.