History Film / CleopatraJones

Definitely a product of its time, Cleopatra Jones has aged fairly well; the dialogue tends to be natural and is quite snappy in parts (the JiveTurkey bits are few and far between).

Cleo, Masters, and Chief Crawford know that if Jimmy goes to jail, B&S will be shut down and the community will riot.

Pamela Dobson plays the eponymous Jones, a 'Special Agent to the President', whose mission is the destruction of the drug trade in America. Statuesque, cultured, lethal, Jones keeps tabs on her home community while carrying the fight around the world. After destroying a field of poppies in Turkey with an estimated street value of $30 million (about $160 million in 2015) by a napalm strike, Jones earns the ire of "Momma" ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_Winters Shelly Winters]]), a domineering butch lesbian drug kingpin who operates in Cleo's hometown of L.A. Intent to draw Cleopatra into a death trap, Momma orders a shakedown on the B&S House - a community clinic where junkies can get clean, founded and run by Jones' lover Reuben Masters ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Casey Bernie Casey]]). When the [[BatteringRam shakedown]] uncovers drugs and [[FrameUp one of the ex-junkies is arrested]], Jones returns to set things right.

Meanwhile, when word gets out that Cleopatra Jones is returning, Doodlebug Simpkins ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Fargas Antonio Fargas]]), one of Momma's drug distributors, decides to quit and go independent, keeping all the drug proceeds for himself - instead of the "85/15...expenses from the 15" deal he has with Momma. He refuses her offer of 25%, and warns her that any threats against him will be met lethal force.

* GunsDoNotWorkThatWay: There is a InstantDeathBullet early on but otherwise these are avoided. One case of GunsAkimbo [[spoiler: Doodlebug's LastStand]] was due to the victim knowing it was an ambush, plus he was dazed by a car crash. The GenreSavvy assailants shoot the victim till he stops moving, then one investigates with a gun ready while other goons provide overwatch in case he's playing possum. The other time (also an ambush) Cleo uses it to create covering fire to protect an injured Masters and get close enough to the CoolCar to get a better weapon. She selects a [[MoreDakka Mac-10]] and rushes the building the shooters were on top of. She enters and avoids [[PaperThinDisguise an old man pushing an old woman in a wheelchair]] just as they are leaving. All three turn with weapons drawn, but of course the bad guys are too slow. Although both assassins are killed, it is easy to assume that each took several hits.

* DoNotAttempt: Some of the stunts - especially when people are dodging cars - look quite close even for stuntmen.

--> Racist Cop: You'd better get out of my way, '''boy'''. <gestures with gun>
--> Matthew <grins wolfishly>: Did he just call you ''Roy''?

* GunsDoNotWorkThatWay: There is a InstantDeathBullet early on but otherwise these are avoided. One case of GunsAkimbo [[spoiler: Doodlebug's LastStand]] was due to the victim knowing it was an ambush, plus he was dazed by a car crash. The GenreSavvy assailants shoot the victim till he stops moving, then one investigates with a gun ready while other goons provide overwatch in case he's playing possum. The other time (also an ambush) Cleo uses it to create covering fire to protect an injured Masters and get close enough to the CoolCar to get a better weapon. She selects a [[MoreDakka Mac-10]] and rushes the building the shooters were on top of. She enters and avoids [[IncrediblyObviousDisguise an old man pushing an old woman in a wheelchair]] just as they are leaving. All three turn with weapons drawn, but of course the bad guys are too slow. Although both assassins are killed, it is easy to assume that each took several hits.

* GunsDoNotWorkThatWay: There is a InstantDeathBullet early on but otherwise these are avoided. One case of GunsAkimbo [[spoiler: Doodlebug's LastStand]] was due to the victim knowing it was an ambush, plus he was dazed by a car crash. The GenreSavvy assailants shoot the victim till he stops moving, then one investigates with a gun ready while other goons provide overwatch in case he's playing possum. The other time (also an ambush) Cleo uses it to create covering fire to protect an injured Masters and get close enough to the CoolCar to get a better weapon.

Cleopatra Jones is a 1973 BlaxploiTation film.

* {{Squick}}: The climax is in a wrecking yard, and for the YouHaveFailedMe scene, a crane picks up a car and drops it into a machine. Crusher, right? Nope - it's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQf3gsZSTw car grinder]]. Fortunately the action is concealed by a rubber sheet dorr, but the output includes a silver finger ring among the scraps. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Some of the remaining hitmen are noticeably distressed]].

* StatuesqueStunner: Jones' ID lists her as 5'10", but Dobson was actually 6'2". Combined with Antonio Fargas' 6'1" and Bernie Casey's 6'4", co-star Brenda Sykes is positively waifish at 5'5".

* {{Squick}}: The climax is in a wrecking yard, and for the YouHaveFailedMe scene, a crane picks up a car and drops it into a machine. Crusher, right? Nope - it's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQf3gsZSTw car grinder]]. Fortunately the action is concealed by a rubber sheet dorr, but the output includes a silver finger ring among the scraps. [[EvenEvilHasItsStandards Some of the remaining hitmen are noticeably distressed]].

* SquicK: The climax is in a wrecking yard, and for the YouHaveFailedMe scene, a crane picks up a car and drops it into a machine. Crusher, right? Nope - it's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQf3gsZSTw car grinder]]. Fortunately the action is concealed by a rubber sheet dorr, but the output includes a silver finger ring among the scraps. [[EvenEvilHasItsStandards Some of the remaining hitmen are noticeably distressed]].

* SQuick: The climax is in a wrecking yard, and for the YouHaveFailedMe scene, a crane picks up a car and drops it into a machine. Crusher, right? Nope - it's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQf3gsZSTw car grinder]]. Fortunately the action is concealed by a rubber sheet dorr, but the output includes a silver finger ring among the scraps. [[EvenEvilHasItsStandards Some of the remaining hitmen are noticeably distressed]].

* Squick: The climax is in a wrecking yard, and for the YouHaveFailedMe scene, a crane picks up a car and drops it into a machine. Crusher, right? Nope - it's a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQf3gsZSTw car grinder]]. Fortunately the action is concealed by a rubber sheet dorr, but the output includes a silver finger ring among the scraps. [[EvenEvilHasItsStandards Some of the remaining hitmen are noticeably distressed]].

Pamela Dobson plays the eponymous Jones, a 'Special Agent to the President', whose mission is the destruction of the drug trade in America. Statuesque, cultured, lethal, Jones keeps tabs on her home community while carrying the fight around the world. After destroying a field of poppies in Turkey with an estimated street value of $30 million (about $160 million in 2015) by a napalm strike, Jones earns the ire of "Momma" (ShellyWinters), a domineering butch lesbian drug kingpin who operates in Cleo's hometown of L.A. Intent to draw Cleopatra into a death trap, Momma orders a shakedown on the B&S House - a community clinic where junkies can get clean, founded and run by Jones' lover Reuben Masters (BernieCasey). When the [[BatteringRam shakedown]] uncovers drugs and [[FrameUp one of the ex-junkies is arrested]], Jones returns to set things right.

Meanwhile, when word gets out that Cleopatra Jones is returning, Doodlebug Simpkins (AnonioFargas), one of Momma's drug distributors, decides to quit and go independent, keeping all the drug proceeds for himself - instead of the "85/15...expenses from the 15" deal he has with Momma. He refuses her offer of 25%, and warns her that any threats against him will be met lethal force.

Pamela Dobson plays the eponymous Jones, a 'Special Agent to the President', whose mission is the destruction of the drug trade in America. Statuesque, cultured, lethal, Jones keeps tabs on her home community while carrying the fight around the world. After destroying a field of poppies in Turkey with an estimated street value of $30 million (about $160 million in 2015) by a napalm strike, Jones earns the ire of "Momma" (ShellyWinters), a domineering butch lesbian drug kingpin who operates in Cleo's hometown of L.A. Intent to draw Cleopatra into a death trap, Momma orders a shakedown on the B&S House - a community clinic where junkies can get clean, founded and run by Jones' lover Reuben Masters (BernieCasey). When the [[BatteringRam shakedown]] uncovers drugs and [[FrameUp one of the junkies is arrested]], Jones returns to investigate and set things right.

When word gets back that Cleopatra Jones is returning, one of Momma's drug distributors - Doodlebug Simpkins (AnonioFargas) decides to quit and go independent, keeping all the drug proceeds for himself - instead of the "85/15...expenses from the 15" deal he has with Momma.

Pamela Dobson plays the eponymous Jones, a 'Special Agent to the President', whose mission is the destruction of the drug trade in America. Statuesque, cultured, lethal, Jones keeps tabs on her home community while carrying the fight around the world. After destroying a field of poppies in Turkey with an estimated street value of $30 million (about $160 million in 2015) by a napalm strike, Jones earns the ire of "Momma" (ShellyWinters), a domineering butch lesbian drug kingpin who operates in Cleo's hometown of L.A. Intent to draw Cleopatra into a death trap, Momma orders a shakedown on the B&S House - a community clinic where junkies can get clean, founded and run by Jones' lover Reuben Masters (BernieCasey). When the [[BatteringRam shakedown]] uncovers drugs and [[FrameUp one of the junkies is arrested]], Jones returns to investigate and set things right.

* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: Master {{Bong Soo Han}}, a 9th Dan Blackbelt in Hap Ki Do, was the Martial Arts advisor for this film.

* StatuesqueStunner: Jones' ID lists her as 5'10", but Dobson was actually 6'2". Combined with Antonio Fargas' 6'1" and Bernie Casey's 6'4", co-star Brenda Sykes is positively waifish at 5'5".

!! Tropes present in Cleopatra Jones

Pamela Dobson plays the eponymous Jones, a 'Special Agent to the President', whose mission is the destruction of the drug trade in America, in some cases starting at the source. Statuesque, cultured, lethal, Jones keeps tabs on her home community while carrying the fight around the world. The opening scene is Jones arriving in a helicopter in Turkey and greeting a group of French officers and Arab dignitaries. After being shown a field of poppies with an estimated street value of $30 million (about $160 million in 2015), she orders it destroyed; the French officer orders a napalm strike.