Review of They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) by Bill T — 28 Jan 2008

Tibbs is a bit of a fun movie, but not so fun movie that it becomes incredibly entertaining. It can be easily summarized as Sidney Poitier makes a cop exploitation movie, his way. Which can only mean while we get SOME elements of the genre, it's all done TASTEFULLY, there's SOME violence, but not overly gratuitous, some nudity, but it's not exploitational.

So you know? It's certainly ENTERTAINING, but not overly great as far as Poitier movies go. Martin Landau is along for the ride, chewing up the scenery as usual. Finally, this movie shows some rather LAX police work happening.

Poitier wanders in to a pool hall full of big beefy guys all by himself?Sloppy investigative work, but the biggest thing happens in the end, when Tibbs gets the bad guy, takes him to his car, with no handcuffs, and just LEAVES HIM ON THE SIDEWALK when Tibbs calls into the station, therefore enabling the bad guy to, you know, wander off.

Pretty curious movie.