40
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenQuite an entertaining genre piece boasting a terrifically sinewy lead performance from Wanda De Jesus.
- 60VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonToo muted to have much lasting impact, and remains modestly diverting only on a scene-to-scene basis. There's no quotable dialogue, no standout action sequence, no flashy supporting performances -- in short, nothing to lift Illegal Tender from the level of competent but inconsequential B-movie.
- 58Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyFor a second, the movie has the snap of a truly surprising thriller -- like a Hispanic "Kill Bill" -- about an aging lioness willing to kill to protect her cub.
- 50Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayA throwback to 1970s blaxploitation flicks, with a Latin accent, Illegal Tender would be a brassy, sassy guilty pleasure if it were more, well, pleasurable.
- 50TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThis tale of crime and punishment is wrapped in a veneer of flashy attitude but founders on mundane details.
- 50New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanWhat kind of movie is misdirected, poorly acted, preposterously written--and still wholly entertaining? A B-movie, of course. While Illegal Tender has misguided pretensions towards Serious Filmmaking, it's surprisingly likeable if you see it instead as a cheesy thriller good for a lazy Friday night.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoSan Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoNever gets the mixture right, lurching between bullet-happy shootouts and overwrought domestic content.
- 42The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasFor a film about growing up, Illegal Tender loses itself in a lot of silly juvenilia.
- 40L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklyWe’re too bored to have fun.
- 0New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithThe real mystery here is why this slapdash semi-effort didn't go straight to video.