--- title: "Jackie Brown: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/jackie-brown/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/jackie-brown" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Jackie Brown (1997): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics agree that Jackie Brown is a slower, warmer film than Tarantino had made before, and they part company on whether that is a virtue. The praise clusters on the cast: Pam Grier’s flight attendant is singled out almost everywhere, and Robert Forster’s bail bondsman nearly as often, with several reviews calling their tentative romance the film’s centre. The unhurried character work, the funk and soul soundtrack and the faithful handling of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch are the other recurring strengths. The reservations cluster on pace and length. Variety finds it too long and short on the snap of earlier Tarantino; The New York Times calls it talky and sluggish; the Los Angeles Times finds it easygoing but far from compelling; Total Film puts it at nearly forty-five minutes over. The spread is fairly wide, from warm admiration to mild disappointment, with no outright dismissals. The later reviews are kinder than the first-run ones, reading the middle-aged regret as the point rather than a slackening. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 24 December 1997. The critic praises the film as proof that Tarantino is the real thing, highlighting its smart characters who must outthink each other and the rich texture of dialogue and situations over plot mechanics. He singles out the strong casting, especially Pam Grier and Robert Forster, and the affectionate, unhurried character work. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jackie-brown-1997) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 2025. The critic praises the film's shift from Tarantino's earlier brash style to a mature, empathetic exploration of aging, vulnerability, and middle-age regret. Strong performances, especially Pam Grier and Robert Forster as the central odd-couple pair, and textured character moments elevate the slowed-down crime plot. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/jackie-brown-review-quentin-tarantino/) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Tarantino re-energises Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch as a homage to 1970s blaxploitation, with Pam Grier outstanding as the savvy flight attendant outwitting everyone around her. A superb cast, inventive visual techniques and a great funk soundtrack elevate the down-and-dirty crime thriller. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-d9y3rj/jackie-brown/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 1997. The critic finds the film unquestionably too long and lacking the snap of Tarantino's earlier work but notes an abundance of pleasures in characterization and atmosphere, praising the imaginative casting and emotional nuance alongside its faithful yet distinctive adaptation of the novel. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/jackie-brown-1117340009/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 1997. The critic finds the film a slower, talkier and more sluggish adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel than it might have been, criticizing its length and lack of special stakes while noting some pleasures in the performances and Tarantino's affection for Pam Grier and the material. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/24/movies/film-review-smarter-than-she-is-hah.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 1997. The critic calls the film Tarantino's idea of a nice film, a leisurely tribute to Elmore Leonard and Pam Grier that is easygoing but far from compelling, with too leisurely a pace and a lack of immediacy despite strong performances. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-24-ca-1648-story.html) ## Empire — Adam Smith 1 January 2000. Tarantino delivers a more thoughtful, less frantic adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel that proves him still the most important filmmaker of the decade. The standout is the uniformly strong ensemble, especially Pam Grier as the resilient title character and Robert Forster as the smitten bail bondsman. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/jackie-brown-review/) ## The Times — Geoff Brown 19 March 1998. The film shows Tarantino reined in and matured, probing deeper into his material with some human kindness. It works as a succession of well-observed scenes featuring strong performances, especially from Pam Grier as the bruised heroine. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/article/jackie-brown-jrwsdpnwsl7) ## Time Out — GA 13 May 2020. Tarantino delivers his most mature film to date with a faithful adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch, centering on Pam Grier's flight attendant navigating a scam while outsmarting cops and criminals. The focus on character, relationships and middle-aged regrets stands out as a subtle, poignant strength. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/jackie-brown) ## Total Film 20 March 1998. A languid character study that echoes Pulp Fiction but never lives up to it, with strong moments and performances but ultimately ordinary and two-dimensional. Robert Forster stands out as the most believable character, while the film suffers from being nearly 45 minutes too long and lacking sharp dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/jackie-brown-review/) ## Collider — Meredith Loftus Rating B+. 25 December 2022. The critic views Jackie Brown as a flawed but underrated blaxploitation homage that stands out for its mature tone and strong ensemble performances, particularly Pam Grier's charismatic lead and Robert Forster's gravitas. It singles out the budding romance between the leads and the soul/R&B soundtrack for praise, while critiquing the film's narrative structure as less innovative than prior Tarantino work and some character portrayals as uneven. [Read the review](https://collider.com/jackie-brown-review-quentin-tarantino-pam-grier-samuel-l-jackson/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/jackie-brown.md