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No consensus yet.
All Critics (21) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (3)
Uses gritty humor to polish clean the souls of a lot of likeable street people. Jun 5, 2008 | Full Review…
Uses gritty humor to polish clean the souls of a lot of likeable street people.
Variety Staff
Highly enjoyable. Feb 9, 2006
Highly enjoyable.
Tom Milne
A cheerful, somewhat vulgar, very cleverly executed comedy... May 9, 2005
A cheerful, somewhat vulgar, very cleverly executed comedy...
Vincent Canby
The screenplay and the direction juggle the characters so adroitly, this is almost a wash-and-wax M*A*S*H. Oct 23, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
The screenplay and the direction juggle the characters so adroitly, this is almost a wash-and-wax M*A*S*H.
Roger Ebert
Critics seemed to like this less than audiences; personally, I had a ball. Jan 1, 2000 | Full Review…
Critics seemed to like this less than audiences; personally, I had a ball.
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Car Wash marks the point at which defiant blaxploitation turned decisively into upbeat crossover entertainment. Aug 21, 2009 | Full Review…
Car Wash marks the point at which defiant blaxploitation turned decisively into upbeat crossover entertainment.
Rob Nelson
Norman Whitfield's great musical score is integrated into the movement of the scenes to give the film a funky rhythm. Jun 23, 2008 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Norman Whitfield's great musical score is integrated into the movement of the scenes to give the film a funky rhythm.
It was both a riot and surprisingly had something poignant to say about race relations. Jan 22, 2008 | Rating: A- | Full Review…
It was both a riot and surprisingly had something poignant to say about race relations.
Dennis Schwartz
Surprisingly good ensemble comedy with Antonio Fargas a standout. Aug 24, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Surprisingly good ensemble comedy with Antonio Fargas a standout.
Ken Hanke
Funny antics with great cast Jun 7, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Funny antics with great cast
Jon Niccum
There's no plot as such, just a collection of gags, issues and themes... May 24, 2003 | Full Review…
There's no plot as such, just a collection of gags, issues and themes...
Film4 Staff
One of the best of its ilk. Jul 26, 2002 | Rating: 3/5
One of the best of its ilk.
Scott Weinberg
Who knew that working at a car wash could be so much fun? Directed by Michael Schultz (Cooley High, The Last Dragon) from a screenplay by Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, A Time to Kill), this one day in the life of an L.A. car wash is a buoyant episodic comedy. It's hard to say who's odder, the employees or the customers. The multi racial cast has a relaxed, friendly presence that really serves these lighthearted shenanigans well. Most of the actors are not widely known but a couple big names do pop up. Richard Pryor appears briefly as Daddy Rich, a colorful reverend of The Church of Divine Economic Spirituality. He's supported by the Pointer Sisters, who break into a joyous song that almost has you wishing this was an actual musical. Comedian George Carlin has a running bit as a cabbie looking for the woman who stiffed him of his fare. The meandering storyline has no real focus, but it is a carefree diversion. This tone is decidedly upbeat. The writing is amusing and there are several hilarious lines sprinkled throughout. Many belong to actor Antonio Fargas as flamboyant Lindy who delivers his every line with a lot of sass. Want an example? When put down by militant black nationalist Duane, er uh excuse me, Abdullah Mohamed Akbar, he shoots back with one of the most memorable lines in the film: "Honey, I'm more man than you'll ever be and more woman than you'll ever get." fastfilmreviews.wordpress.com
Super Reviewer
Not quite what I expected from what I'd heard about it, but it's a good movie. It has some really funny scenes, and good music.
Take a whole bunch of lively characters, shove em in a bag, shake em up a bit and then dump em out in a car wash for a day, and this is what you get. Cracking good fun to watch, and of course a killer soundtrack.
A fine blaxploitation-era comedy, which juggles an amazing number of characters with almost no confusion whatsoever, with subplots and a jokes on as many different levels of appeal as there are characters. Lively and entertaining.
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