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Illegal Tender

Play trailer Poster for Illegal Tender R Released Aug 24, 2007 1h 47m Crime Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
15% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Wilson De Leon Jr. (Rick Gonzalez) is a young man with a bright future; he is enrolled in college, and has a mother (Wanda De Jesus) and girlfriend who adore him. When an enemy from his mother's past tracks them down, Wilson and his mother must join forces to protect their loved ones and avenge the murder of his father.

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Illegal Tender

Illegal Tender

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Critics Consensus

Lackluster acting and a ridiculous plot make the over-the-top Illegal Tender an unrealistic bust.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Rechtshaffen The Hollywood Reporter An entertaining genre piece boasting a terrifically sinewy lead performance from Wanda De Jesus. Dec 12, 2007 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader More care seems to have been taken with the cut of Gonzalez's sideburns than with the shape of the story, and the hyperbolic soundtrack does most of the work of the mise en scene. Dec 3, 2007 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Unlike Black Snake Moan, Illegal Tender never transcends its cliches. Rated: 2/4 Aug 31, 2007 Full Review Andrew L. Urban Urban Cinefile Clearly aware of the impact of visual style on the narrative, Jonathan Ogilvie uses a stylised 1920 Australian setting for a love triangle that involves all the basic drivers of human frailty Sep 13, 2008 Full Review Louise Keller Urban Cinefile This is a story that sizzles with its themes of corruption, infidelity, racism and power. But there's a vital flaw ... Sep 13, 2008 Full Review David Cornelius DVDTalk.com There are so many chances for Illegal Tender to get things right that it's depressing to realize that it misses all of them. Rated: 2/5 Jan 28, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Danny V Horrible acting. Why didn't they move to another country or to LA since they had that much money. Smdh . Funny how they keep running into her enemies 😆. What a joke and silly movie. Extreme exaggeration Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/18/23 Full Review Audience Member This had to be one of John Singleton's worst films. The dialogue was painful. The acting was cringeworthy; even Rick Gonzalez who is usually an ok actor seemed like an amateur in this film. The story was wooden and not believable at all. How can you have a huge shootout in a wealthy district in Connecticut and not have the police there in seconds? This film was just all over the place and ultimately ended up nowhere. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Ben Watched this movie back in 2009 and man it was the shit! I rented it out from Hollywood videos and man the story overall is good. John Singleton did a good job with creating the characters to where you actually cared for them and it is fast paced but overall it’s a good flick to put time to watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/18/19 Full Review Audience Member Too many plot holes to count, unrealistic dialogue, and at times poorly acted. Just seems like an attempt to appeal to Puerto Rican audiences Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Terrible B movie. B movies don't have to be bad but this one was! The plot was terrible so many holes. The interaction between the characters were forced and not natural. The mom would have told the son what was going when growing up not let him try and defend himself in week! The characters didn't do things that happen in life . Like when you take pills to die you don't get into a tub with clothes on! No natural. Terrible movie. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Dania Ramirez's "acting" almost ruined this movie, so brace yourselves! Otherwise, interesting (occasionally scattered) plot. Rick Gonzalez is strangely intriguing.. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Illegal Tender

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Cast & Crew

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Franc. Reyes

Director

Rick Gonzalez

Wilson De Leon, Jr.

Wanda De Jesus

Millie

Dania Ramirez

Ana

Tego Calderón

Choco

Gary Perez

Javier Cordero

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Illegal Tender

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Movie Info

Synopsis Wilson De Leon Jr. (Rick Gonzalez) is a young man with a bright future; he is enrolled in college, and has a mother (Wanda De Jesus) and girlfriend who adore him. When an enemy from his mother's past tracks them down, Wilson and his mother must join forces to protect their loved ones and avenge the murder of his father.
Director
Franc. Reyes
Producer
John Singleton
Screenwriter
Franc. Reyes
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
New Deal Productions
Rating
R (Violence|Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 24, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.1M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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