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The Mighty Quinn (1989)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.4/10
Reviews Counted: 17
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 3

A deft hybrid of laughs, espionage, and music, The Mighty Quinn is a smart, pleasant entertainment that offers an early example of Denzel Washington's onscreen magnetism.

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0

A deft hybrid of laughs, espionage, and music, The Mighty Quinn is a smart, pleasant entertainment that offers an early example of Denzel Washington's onscreen magnetism.

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Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 5,892

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Movie Info

Xavier Quinn (Denzel Washington) is police chief of a tiny Caribbean island. Quinn's efforts to straddle the fence between the local blacks and the moneyed whites have lost him the respect of both groups. When a murder is committed, Quinn suspects that the killer is Maubee (Robert Townsend), a notoriously elusive criminal who has become a folk hero to the locals. Despite various political pressures -- and the fact that he and Maubee were childhood friends-Quinn vows to solve the murder, and, if

R, 2 hr.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

Directed By: Carl Schenkel

In Theaters: Feb 16, 1989 Wide

On DVD: Feb 6, 2001

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

The Mighty Quinn Trailer & Photos

Cast

Denzel Washington
Xavier Quinn
Robert Townsend
Maubee
James Fox
Elgin
Mimi Rogers
Hadley Elgin
M. Emmet Walsh
Miller
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Lola Quinn
Art Evans
Jump
Esther Rolle
Ubu Pearl
Norman Beaton
Governor Chalk
Alex Colon
Patina
Tyra Ferrell
Isola
Keye Luke
Dr. Raj
Carl Bradshaw
Cocodick
Henry Judd Baker
Nicotine
Bobby Ghisays
Pater
Charles Hyatt
Security Guard
Peter Lloyd
Groom
Cedella Marley
Eliza
Rita Marley
Wedding Singers and Ban...
Bernie McInerney
Dr. Stuhlberg
Ron Taylor
McKeon
Fitz Weir
Athens
Christopher Meredith
Wedding Singers and Ban...
Wallis Nicita
Bob Andy
Raisen
Erica Aquart
Bride
Rowan Byfield
Blizzard
Kenneth Casey
Phylo
Ronald Goshop
Fudge
Baldwin Howe
Bim
Cathi Levy
Secretary
Fred Lloyd
Pilot
Michael London
Preacher
Renee Menzies McCallum
Maid
David McFarlane
Henry
Calvin Mitchell
Apollo
Nabbie Natural
Turtle
Sharon Marley Prendergast
Jody
Oliver Samuels
Rupert
Deon Silvera
Beautician
Dennis Titus
Percy
Clive Walker
Bartender
David R. Ellis
Jersey
Michael Edward Rose
Wedding Singers and Ban...
Dallas Anderson
Francis
Marie McDonald
Jax

Critic Reviews for The Mighty Quinn

All Critics (17) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (3) | DVD (1)

[Washington] gives the kind of smooth, funny, laid-back performance that could help make him the first black matinee idol since Sidney Poitier.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

With Fancher's dialogue and Washington's comedic timing, The Mighty Quinn is more fun than a cabana full of bananas.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post

| Comment

Rita Kempley

Washington Post

Top Critic

The Mighty Quinn is a spy thriller, a buddy movie, a musical, a comedy and a picture that is wise about human nature. And yet with all of those qualities, it never seems to strain.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Pleasing comical murder mystery that takes place on a small Caribbean island.

May 9, 2009 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

An award-worthy performance by Washington

October 26, 2008 Comment

Clint Morris

Tsunami Magazine

The colourful locale -- it was shot on the northeastern coast of Jamaica -- spices up the formulaic screenplay, which contains sentimental twaddle about identifying with one's culture.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

A terrific mystery with a Caribbean beat; Denzel Washington needs to do more movies like this.

January 14, 2003 Comment

Rob Vaux

Flipside Movie Emporium

Engrossing mystery in a unique setting

October 10, 2002 Comment

Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

The film has the unmistakable (or maybe only semi-mistakable) feel of a television pilot.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews

| Comment

Mark R. Leeper

rec.arts.movies.reviews

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Mighty Quinn

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The smooth and charming Denzel Washington plays a Caribbean cop investigating a murder that his childhood friend Maubee (Robert Townsend) may be implicated in. Townsend plays the role of a carefree individual who does just what he pleases and mostly the wrong side of the law and is constantly laughing at strait laced

April 2, 2011

Deb S

Super Reviewer

Very entertaining, good performances by Townsend and Washington. Good ending.

December 31, 2009

Chosen 718

Super Reviewer

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