What Did You Expect?

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is not an Oscar caliber film. It's not Citizen Cane or North By Northwest. We've all seen Stallone in far better pictures, but this movie was not aiming to be Rocky or Cliffhanger. It's a silly comedy about a cop whose pushy mother comes to visit and ends up helping him solve a case. It's cute, and has some good, funny moments as well as some genuine heart. This alone affords it a little respect.

Hollywood releases dozens of schlock films every year and even the worst ones tend not to generate the hate this movie has. What the heck did you people expect anyway? Stallone had done comedy before and Getty was primarily known for The Golden Girls sitcom. So what gives? Is it the title? Is it seeing an old woman with a gun? Or is it really that people think this is the dumbest thing they've ever seen, leading them to demand to have (oh so originally) "two hours of my life back?"

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is not high-concept, but it isn't low-brow either. It's escapist fun. Nothing more, nothing less. Enjoy it for what it is and don't be such snippy little judges.