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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Illegal Tender

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 7 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Crime | Drama | Suspense/Thriller
Written by: Franc. Reyes
Directed by: Franc. Reyes
Release Date:
Theatrical: August 24, 2007
DVD: December 18, 2007
Running Time: 108 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for violence, language and some sexuality
Starring Rick Gonzalez, Wanda De Jesus, J. Tom Archuleta, Tego Calderon, Julie Carmen, Delilah Cotto, and Michael Philip Del Rio
After the gangsters who killed his father come to settle a score, a teenage boy and his mother turn the tables on the killers. This is the story of one Latino family's quest for honor and revenge, as the hunted become the hunters. (Universal Studios)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Empire
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site View The Trailer
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen
Quite an entertaining genre piece boasting a terrifically sinewy lead performance from Wanda De Jesus.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
The movie's a genuine oddity: a Latino action drama with one foot in bullet-spitting genre flicks -- '70s blaxploitation and '80s coke-kingpin films are the primary reference points -- and the other in raggedly personal family melodrama.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
As it is, Illegal Tender works as a melodrama, and it benefits enormously from the performance of Wanda DeJesus.
Read Full Review >Variety Joe Leydon
Too 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.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Marc Bernardin
For 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.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Pistol-packing De Jesus evokes Pam Grier in spots but certainly holds her own.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego
Never gets the mixture right, lurching between bullet-happy shootouts and overwrought domestic content.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Ann Hornaday
A throwback to 1970s blaxploitation flicks, with a Latin accent, Illegal Tender would be a brassy, sassy guilty pleasure if it were more, well, pleasurable.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
This tale of crime and punishment is wrapped in a veneer of flashy attitude but founders on mundane details.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
What 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.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
For a film about growing up, Illegal Tender loses itself in a lot of silly juvenilia.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Rafer Guzman
The movie's one bright spot is Gonzalez, a refreshingly natural young actor who needs to get out of B-movies.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Tasha Robinson
Illegal Tender echoes "A History of Violence," another gritty film that explores escaping a criminal past. But the vast vapidity behind Illegal Tender's ill-conceived story line is far harder to overcome.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis
Luridly earnest and laughably immoral, Illegal Tender is an old genre movie with a new look. Call it Hispanixploitation.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Peter Debruge
Illegal Tender is the sort of crime movie in which nothing, not one detail, has been observed from real life; it's composed entirely of fantasies and falsehoods lifted from bad movies and hip-hop videos.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
The real mystery here is why this slapdash semi-effort didn't go straight to video.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 3.2 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Alejandro R. gave it a4:
This movie was not so good. The main actor is Rick Gonzalez, thats not saying much right there. This is the guy thats in Coach Carter in the background most of the time and in War of the Worlds for less than 2 minutes, wow what a resume! Nobody could act in this movie. On top of that, its long and repetitive. It has some gun shots, but its still not very entertaining.
Irene B. gave it a9:
This was a great movie! go and see it.
Lori D. gave it a0:
I am Puerto Rican and was disgusted with this movie. As if Latinos don't have enough stereotypes against them! I'm 25 from the Bronx, and I don't talk with a Rosie Perez accent. Why does every movie with a Hispanic actor have to find these actors with those ridiculous accents? I don't talk like that! It's unrealistic....Can we start looking for actors who speak properly even though they're hispanic? Why aren't we seeing more Hispanics in positive movies, and not the damn stereotypical violence,sex, money, and drugs theme over and over again? Pretty disturbing if you ask me! The movie lacked suspense, the main character finds his father's killers way to easily and the movie finishes! UM YAH WHERE'S THE THRILL IN THAT? Let's throw that one in the mix with Hector Lavoe!
Kema gave it a0:
This could have been told in 20 minutes. The plot was so outright dumb, I can't believe Singleton put his mark on this garbage. The plot was way ridiculous. Not trying to dis the Director, but maybe he should learn to write a film B4 going to Hollywood with this. An embarrassment.
Hugo R. gave it a10:
it was a very good movie you should see it
Jared C. gave it a0:
What? This is the corniest and weakest Crime drama movie ever. especially if you watch The Departed, wow, this one looks bad.
