There’s a new branded drug – Fatal Beauty – on the streets killing kids and junkies alike and a former junkie, present day cop Rita Rizzoli (Whoopi Goldberg) is on the case. Goldberg has always been a mixed bag for me. When first renting out her movies back in the days I never recall thinking, wow – Whoopi is in this movie, gotta see it now!

But, she has that ability to grow on you and when the end credits roll I found myself thinking that movie could’ve possibly fallen into oblivion without her giving to it that special edge.

There’s a lot of action and witty little incidents showing Rizzolli tightroping between being a no-nonsense cop and a woman in a male dominated profession. And to balance out that wittiness, there’s also a parade of absolutely inane one-liners and non-witty remarks. Tying baddies inside restaurant frigerators, breaking into Bel Aire mansions and kick yuppie bitch ass at tennis clubs – it’s all in a days work when you are a Hollywood Cop! Mind you, these remarks can be equally entertaining if you find the tacky value in them – and you should.

The movie is full of plot holes and inaccuracies, but if you are the kind of person to mind such things, you won’t probably find much to like here anyway.

80s-o-meter: 95%

Total: 76%