PLOT:
Sheba Shayne (Pam Grier), a tough-talking Chicago private eye, returns to her Kentucky roots to help her father fight a hostile business takeover. But when the mob brutally murders him, Sheba must battle evil crime lord Pilot (D’Urville Martin) to reclaim her family’s honor and get revenge. Armed with curve-hugging outfits and shiny firearms, this lady killer takes her vendetta to new depths, setting sail on the high seas.
REVIEW:
Quentin Tarantino once said that Pam Grier may have been film’s first female action star. With films such as Coffy, Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, andSheba, Baby,I don’t think there can be any doubt that she is definitely at least one of the first. Unfortunately, though, this isn’t her best work.
What did I like?
Action. Say what you will about the film itself, there is no denying that the action here is totally awesome. Pam Grier really knows how to kick butt. One has to wonder why she was never chosen to be a Bond girl, though.
Pam Grier. Nothing more need be said.
Story. Sometimes the most basic of plots, such as a revenge story about a chick coming back to get revenge for the death of her father, works better than complex, confusing, convoluted plots.
What didn’t work?
Cast. As gorgeous ans Pam is in this flick, she and the rest of the cast just don’t cut it. They’re acting is beyond horrific. I can’t tell if it is them or the way this was written, but it is bad…real bad.
Curves not on display. It is no secret that in the 70s, Pam Grier was cast for her curvaceous bod. Unfortunately for us, though, most of her outfits in this film, with a couple of exceptions, don’t accentuate those assets. On top of that, she doesn’t disrobe like in her other films. Such a disappointment!
Sheba, Baby is not one of Miss Grier’s finest works, but it is a fun little blaxploitation flick, if you take it for what it is. I don’t recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good crime or revenge flick, but it is worth recommending in general, despite it being one of the worst acted films I’ve seen in quite some time. If you’re up for it, give it a shot.
2 3/4 out of 5 stars
