This film takes place in Los Angeles with a man by the name of "Mr. T" (Robert Hooks) being challenged to a game of pool by a visitor from Texas. Although the Texan is very good, he makes one mistake and that's all it takes for Mr. T to win the game and put him in his place. Immediately afterward, two gamblers named "Chalky" (Paul Winfield) and "Pete" (Ralph Waite) approach him and ask for his help. Essentially, both of these men run illicit gambling operations on different parts of the city and they have pooled their resources to increase their influence. The problem for them is that several masked gunmen have recently robbed their last three gambling setups and they want Mr. T to fix their problem for them. For his part, Mr. T agrees to solve their problem for them but he insists on $10,000 in return. Although they protest the exorbitant demand, they eventually capitulate and set up a time and place for their next crap game. However, once he arrives, things don't turn out as planned and Mr. T finds himself being targeted by both the LAPD and a crime lord named "Mr. Big" (Julius Harris) for a murder he did not commit. Now rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I thought that this was fairly good "blaxploitation" film which benefited from a good plot and decent acting on the part of Robert Hooks. I also liked the performances of both Paul Winfield and Julius Harris as well. On the minus side, I didn't particularly care for the ending which I thought was more than a little unrealistic. Even so, I enjoyed this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Review of Trouble Man
Trouble Man
(1972)
Targeted by the LAPD and a Crime Lord for a Murder He Did Not Commit
13 December 2021