review for Friday Foster on AllMovie

This attempt to make a more polished version of the kind of film that made Pam Grier popular has good intentions to spare, but never quite realizes its ambitions. The first is that it is too cheaply made to achieve the Hollywood gloss it aspires to. Arthur Marks' direction is competent, but uninspired, resulting a movie with a static, flat look reminiscent of a television movie. The second reason is that its aspirations to slickness rob it of the kinetic punch that infused past Pam Grier vehicles like Coffy and Foxy Brown. As a result, it feels like a tame version of these films despite a reasonable amount of action. However, Friday Foster remains a worthwhile excursions for blaxploitation fans thanks to its once-in-a-lifetime cast, which features everyone from Yaphet Kotto to Scatman Crothers. This cast offers up plenty of scene-stealing turns, the best being Eartha Kitt's witty work as a bitchy fashion designer and Ted Lange's slick performance a flashy pimp with designs on the film's leading lady. Despite all this star power, Grier manages to hold her own with a performance that utilizes her trademark mix of poise and sassiness. Whether she is mingling with the jet set or duking it out with tough guys, Grier is always believable and easy to like. In the end, Friday Foster lacks the consistency and inspiration of the best blaxploitation films, but its stellar cast and Grier's solid work make it worthwhile for genre enthusiasts.