Reviews & Ratings for
Foxy Brown More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 5:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Index

44 reviews in total

---

26 out of 33 people found the following review useful:
One viewing will make you a Pam Addict!, 18 June 2004
Author: iago-6 (scott@cinemademerde.com) from NYC

I bought this movie for $2.99, thinking it would be amusing trash. I had no idea how awesome, wrenching, complex, invigorating, and just downright GOOD it was. A lot of comments here have focused on how fun and awesome it is (and it totally is), but I don't see anyone talking about it as a legitimately good movie, so that's what I'm going to address here.

First of all, they just don't make movies like this anymore. Movies today are so sanitized and wiped free of emotion that one doesn't have much of a reaction to them. This movie features RAW emotion, mainly rage and anger. It also doesn't play nice on the brutality. I could not believe Foxy was actually going to be raped... that would NEVER happen in a movie today, and if it did, it would never be treated as casually as it was here. The way she is brutalized in this movie is genuinely shocking, and the ways in which she gets her revenge are equally shocking... and exhilarating. What I'm saying is that you have a real visceral reaction to this movie, and that's a lot more than can be said for most movies nowadays.

Secondly, I don't see anyone talking about the moral complexity of this movie. The whole thing of it being Foxy's own brother who sets the plot in motion brings a lot of ambiguity and depth to both his and Foxy's characters. And then there's Juanita Brown's performance as Claudia. The scene where she goes from drugged-up laughter to hysterical shrieking is just breathtaking... I've seen lots of Best Supporting Actress statues given out for a LOT less. I also liked how the movie didn't make a big deal of how Foxy arranged for Claudia to get out of the business and get back to her husband--and I like that the movie had Foxy do this: i.e. she's helping others around her, not just out for her own revenge.

Finally, there's Pam Grier herself! This movie made me a convert. There's just something so compelling about her; tough, vulnerable, tender, and MEAN when she has to be. There was a moment in this movie where the thought flitted through my head: "How am I going to survive in life if I don't have Foxy to protect me?" I am offically obsessed. I have the DVD of this film on order, and have plans to watch "Coffy" with a friend in a few days. Pam, you are a national treasure!

And let us not forget the awesome title sequence and catchy song by Willie Hutch!

As I was watching, I was thinking "I'm amazed no one has tried to remake this. Who would they choose? probably Halle Berry, though there's no way she could hold a candle to Pam." Well, it was no surprise to see that next year a remake is due out with Halle Berry. (But is Halle's Foxy going to get raped? I highly doubt it). You can just imagine how that's going to be. It will be all sanitized with some decorative "suffering," and then some bloodless revenge. That's why I keep harping on the rape in this movie: it was balls-out NASTY and BRUTAL and pulls no punches. Let's just see how Halle does.

One thing more: I'm not a Tarantino fan, but this film provided a lot of insight into a) Why he would want to make Jackie Brown, and b) a lot of the form and conventions (including the rape) that he followed in Kill Bill. Too bad, in my opinion, this movie is four times as complex and emotionally involving and cathartic as Kill Bill. A lot of that, I think, has to do with how technically proficient and writerly composed Kill Bill is, and a lot of the power of this comes from it being low-budget and without a feeling of being "guided" by a ironic and proficient director.

What the world needs now is Pam, sweet Pam.

--- Check out my website devoted to bad and cheesy movies: www.cinemademerde.com

---

21 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
A chick with drive who don't take no jive, 2 February 2004

Author: johnnysugar from Minneapolis, MN

In 1973, the film "Coffy" made Pam Grier a star, a permanent icon of the blaxploitation films of the era, and a symbol of female empowerment in the face of racial tension. She also kicked a whole lot of tail. Writer and director of "Coffy", Jack Hill, had finished a script for a sequel when the studio decided at the last minute that it didn't want to film a sequel to "Coffy." Re-working his script, Hill gave birth to what could arguably the seminal female blaxploitation film: "Foxy Brown."

Foxy Brown (Pam Grier) is a strong woman striving for a better world. While she attempts to help her drug-dealing brother Link (Antonio Fargas) change his ways, she waits for her federal cop boyfriend Dalton (Terry Carter) to recover from plastic surgery designed to hide him from the drug lords he informed on. Renaming himself Michael, he plans to run away with Foxy to a new life. All of his plans crumble, however, when Link discovers Michael's true identity, and informs on him for a hefty sum to the devious Miss Katherine (Katheryn Loder) and the suave Stve Elias (Peter Brown). When Katherine's goons kill Michael in Foxy's house, Foxy swears revenge. She infiltrates a call girl ring run by Katherine in an attempt to bring the crime lord down in the name of vengeance.

Hill has created an iconic character in Foxy Brown, a character who has been copied and referenced to varying degrees of success since her inception (most shamefully in Beyonce Knowles' character of Foxy Cleopatra in "Austin Powers in Goldmember"). It's not difficult to see why. As embodied by Grier, Foxy is the ultimate female: beautiful, sexy, intelligent, and undeniably fierce. Grier is such a pleasure to watch on screen that you sometimes forget about the lack of support she has around her or the simplistic morals of the story.

Loder's Miss Katherine Wall is a villainess of operatic proportions, filled with delightful malice and sadistic impulse. Brown's Steve is just as good, every inch the handsome mid-70s man. Fargas is also memorable as the weasely and cowardly Link, but outside of these three, the supporting players are only adequate. While Junita Brown's doomed call girl has her moments, the rest of the supporting cast is fairly flat, with line readings not having the right amount of emotion (either too much or too little) and often hitting just off-key of the psychological and emotional core that they need to strike.

While Hill's script taps deep into the racial biases of the 70s, and is filled with the appropriate amount of slang and tension, his characters are often moral absolutes with little in shades of grey or complex motivations. Often, this exists on a similar plane to race: with the exception of Dalton/Michael's fellow agents, every white person in the film is shown as uncaring at best, evil of the highest order at worst. By the same token, with the exception of Link and a fellow dope dealer, the black characters are heroic and upright. In the context of the film, the conceit is appropriate, but it can lead to some viewers being upset or failing to take into account the politics of the time that would lead to such a depiction and dismissing the film out of hand.

Despite these flaws, "Foxy Brown" is definitely a film to watch not just for historical value, but for the remarkable performance of Pam Grier, an actress just as strong and beautiful today as she was in 1974. Whenever she's on the screen, you immediately forget about any imperfections in the movie. As the theme song says, she is "superbad." And that's good. 7 out of 10.

---

15 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Action-packed, Afro-Sheened excitement, 15 July 2001

Author: ColemanDerrick from Decatur, Georgia

Foxy Brown is one of the most graphically violent urban action films around. Jack Hill delivers a solid story to compliment pulp-style action sequences. Peter Brown and Kathryn Loder are remarkable as the villainous couple, whose passion for oneanother contrasts the hateful crimes they commit. Pam Grier is marvelous as Foxy Brown, both visually and emotionally. Foxy Brown, like Grier's previous character Coffy, is a strong-willed and able woman, who wants justice in her community, and personal life. The film's content, while slightly dated, is still timely enough to resonate with some viewers. Finally, I would like to address some rather ignorant critics of this film: yes, the villains are white. THIS IS A BLAXPLOITATION FILM!!!! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT????!!!!! While it is not easily stated, Foxy Brown and so many of the blaxploitation movies were originally produced so that Hollywood could capitalize on the vibe of the black community. These films were created, marketed, and displayed to an audience that was often belittled and ignored during the decades leading up to the 1970s. They are action flicks that pull on the heart strings of some, while others get a cool chuckle watching them. Trust me, whenever a bigot ruins my day, it is always nice to watch Foxy Brown bring whitey down!!! Power to the People!!!! And as the immortal Bob Ross always said, "God bless."

---

16 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Action-packed, afro-sheened cinema!!!!!!, 13 July 2001

Author: ColemanDerrick from Decatur, Georgia

This was one of the most violent, nonhorror films that I can recall from the 1970s. Beyond the blaxploitation label, Foxy Brown is a solid adventure film, that remains timely to this day. Kudos to Jack Hill, who worked up another treasure with the lovely Ms. Grier. Peter Brown and Kathryn Loder truly deliver unforgettable performances as depraved, sadistic villains, who love each other, but care little for anyone else. The love their characters share is a contrast to the evil that Mr. Elias and Ms. Wall do. As a note, I try to keep things in perspective, and stick to reviewing each film that I write about. But to whoever chooses to read this particular comment, please keep something in mind about the blaxploitation films:

1. They are action films, for the most part, beyond race. 2. These movies were made to play up the social issues of the time, and even today; so yes, most of the villains were white--deal with it!! 3. Because the blaxploitation films were produced in Hollywood, you should take note that the strong, physical prowess exhibited by the heroes and heroines of the films eventually find their way into the mainstream, as the Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Commando, and Cobra movies of the 1980s and 1990s utilize the same, over-the-top action in urban settings. These films, with white leads, are more inline with the blaxploitation formula, than Dirty Harry and Death Wish pics; the Eastwood and Bronson characters mainly used their guns, and rarely duked it out with any villains.

So maybe I am rambling, but my point is this: enjoy each film for what it's worth. And keep in mind, the target audience for blaxploitation movies was ignored by studios during the decades before the 1970s. If you are white, and like blaxploitation, or of any race and think of these movies as cliched slices of the 1970s, please open your minds and keep a proper perspective of the times.

---

10 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
She'll put you on ice!, 22 February 2004
Author: davidbyrne77 from Ottawa

Damn, this movie is so supa-bad it's supa-good! Pam Grier is great as the jive talkin' lady who's out for revenge after some snow-pushing honkies didn't treat her so nice. There's no messin' around with Foxy Brown! The clothes, the characters, and especially the talk (dig this, jive that) is so '70's it seems to be a parody.

What's bad about this film is the excessive violence (Foxy's drugging and raping and her gruesome revenge), but maybe it's necessary in order to have a film like this. Throw censorship to the wind and have a no-holds-barred action/revenge flick, complete with mutha-f***er this and that, pickle jar prothetics, and propeller dismemberments.

The trailer for this flick is the coolest. If it doesn't make you dig Foxy straight up, you're in the wrong scene!

---

8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Hilariously over-the-top, cheesy sex and violence. And Pam Grier is hot., 15 January 2010
Author: from United States

This is shamelessly trashy. And very cheesy. And aside from Ms Grier, the acting is soap opera-grade. And its hilariously dated. And just all around hilarious. And Pam Grier is one sexy bad-ass chick. Or rather: Superbad! Can you dig it?

The gun hidden in the afro was a nice touch.

So was the death-by-airplane-propeller.

And the brawl in the lesbian bar.

And the revenge-by-manhood-removal.

We get to see her boobs. Large, shapely boobs.

I was hugely entertained.

There really isn't more that I need to say.

---

10 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Damn Maltin, this is the s**t!, 23 August 1999

Author: DrSatan from The Land of Mortis

Foxy Brown is one of Pam Grier's best blaxploitation movies (topped only by Coffy). From the James Bondish opening sequence of Pam dancing to the "Foxy Brown" theme song, to Antonio Fargas ("That's my sister...and she's a whole lotta woman!") to the spectacular ending which I will not spoil, this is a must see for any a) Pam Grier fan b)blaxploitation fan c)anybody who wants to see a strong female character beat the crap out of her opponents. That being said, it does feature the standard "Grier sleeps her way to the top of crime syndicate", a plot ripped off of Coffy. With scenes like the famous "Afro as holster" sequence and the inclusion of a Black Panther-esque anti-drug group this movie is fun from start to finish. Don't believe that Maltin; Mr. Charlie gave LaserBlast a better rating; he gave Sheba Baby, which is awful, a better rating. See Foxy Brown tonite!

---

9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
A Supa-Good Flick!, 27 August 2003
Author: foxycoffy from Orange County, California

With "Coffy", Pam Grier showed that she could cream both the bad guys and the box office, but it was this film that catapulted her to a level of iconic stardom that not only preceded "Charlie's Angels", but provided the blueprint. Supa-bad Foxy Brown is a smart and sexy renegade out to exact revenge for the murder of her lover, who was an undercover federal agent. Behind the death is Miss Katharine (played with delicious, lupine subtlety by the late Katheryn Loder), a wicked madam who orders her bumbling drug-running henchman to do her evil bidding. Katharine's aided by her right-hand man, Steve, who later finds himself in quite a pickle when up against the fury of a woman scorned. Foxy's a whole lotta' woman who's got what it takes to beat the baddies at their own game---a voluptuous body (perfect for going undercover as one of Miss Katherine's prostitutes), a pistol-packin' Afro, and, most importantly, a "black belt in barstools". Backed by Jack Hill's slick direction and a crunchy, soulful Willie Hutch soundtrack, this movie is a modern classic that surpasses the Blaxploitation genre in which it evolved.

---

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
An awesome action, chick-flick with sweet soul/funk music, 2 May 2009

Author: Julia Arsenault (ja_kitty_71) from Canada

After watching this film, I love it, it is an awesome action, chick-flick with sweet soul/funk music. Now I know what you are thinking: When I said "chick-flick," well I meant that Chick-flicks aren't just about romance, comedies or films about girlfriends; they are about women, and the love and tragedies they go through; and also about the bad-a** women like our Foxy Brown.

Well anyway, this film starts with a street hustler named Link Brown, cringing in a bar full of police officers, he's trying to wait out a bunch of thugs who want to beat him for holding out on a loan from losses incurred from street gambling schemes. In desperation he calls his tough sister Foxy to bail him out yet again. Foxy runs some of the thugs into the river in her car. Afterwards, Link pleads to her that he'll live the straight life if he can hide out at her pad for a while. Foxy reluctantly agrees. Later, Foxy goes to visit her boyfriend in hospital. This is Dalton Ford, an undercover officer who has been investigating the same crime-ring that Link owed money to. The hoodlums thought they'd killed him, but he really ended up in hospital for plastic surgery to give him a new and safe identity. Emerging as handsome Michael Anderson, he and Foxy hope to start life anew. On the streets, they encounter a black gang who beat and run drug pushers out of town. Foxy introduces Michael to the freeloading Link, and Link acts suspicious. Links leaves Michael and Foxy to themselves, but later looks at some newspaper cuttings and adds two and two together. There is an enormous debt to pay ... and this kind of information could clear that debt. No sooner does Foxy think her life will be smooth, than Michael crashes through her door, breathing his last and shot to death. With some detective work, the grieving and raging Foxy soon tracks Link down at his white girlfriend's, and as they snort coke she storms in on them. Livid with anger, Foxy won't kill her own brother, but she does force the identity of Michael's killers out of him, then force him to leave the city; and so Foxy is out for vengeance.

So that is all I am tellin' you folks; you will have to see the film for yourself, and see how it ends; and I also recommend it for fans of soul/funk music (the music and songs by Willie Hutch), seventies cinema or blaxploitation cinema; of course I would say "Soul Cinema" because the term "blaxploitation" sounds kind of offensive to me, I mean come on! Barrack Obama is the new Presidient of the US, and he is a black man; what would he and others like him think?

---

6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Cool and funky flick!, 5 July 2002
Author: DJ Inferno

"Foxy Brown" is probably the prototype of a typical blaxploitation classic. It´s full of sadistic violence and explicit sex. If you´re in search for political correctness, forget it - this flick delivers sex´n crime en masse! Okay, because of the thin plot and the low budget "Foxy Brown" was made of the film seems more to be the episode of a TV series than a production for the theatres, but its amazing main actress Pam Grier will blow you away! Next to Dyanne "Ilsa" Thorne Pam´s my absolute favorite actress from the 1970s and I know I´m not alone with my opinion... Foxy´s hot, unbelievable sexy and moreover one of the toughest heroines ever brought onto the screen. Not to forget Willie Hutch´s fantastic funky discosoul score, which brings the 1970s spirit back to life! The world needs more women like Foxy and more films like that!!

---

---

Page 1 of 5:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Add another review

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
External reviews	Parents Guide	Plot keywords
Main details	Your user reviews	Your vote history