Synopsis
After ex-con Joe Braxton violates his probation, he is given a second chance. All he has to do is drive a group of special kids across the country.
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Cast
- Richard PryorJoe Braxton
- Cicely TysonVivian Perry
- Ángel RamírezJulio
- Jimmy HughesHarold
- Edwin DeLeonErnesto
- Edwin KinterAnthony
- Tami LuchowLinda
- Janet WongAnnie
- Alphonso AlexanderMartin
- Kia CooperSamantha
Recommendations
- 75
Chicago Tribune
Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson star in a thorougly likable comedy about an ex-con and a schoolteacher who take a bunch of ghetto kids to a farm in Washington. Some foul language gets in the way of this being a film suitable for the entire family. - 60
Time Out London
A warm-hearted comedy involving a bunch of orphan kids promises neither a rewarding evening nor the best use of Pryor's considerable talent. The plotting is sloppy at times and this is undoubtedly a minor film, but its rewards are surprising. - 60
Variety
Bustin’ Loose is obviously a personal project for Pryor, who produced and wrote the story, which has admirable ambitions but is also the film’s greatest weakness. Still, Pryor is an infectious comedian and a master of body language, keeping the picture on the move with sheer energy. - 60
Washington Post
An inconsistent but good-natured ramble, Bustin' Loose looks like a secure investment for Richard Pryor fans. - 50
The New York Times
Bustin' Loose is not unbearable, though a soft-hearted Richard Pryor is not a terribly funny Richard Pryor. - 50
Newsweek
Bustin' Loose has a fair share of laughs, none of which is supplied by Tyson, who is totally wasted in an oppressively upright role and lacks the light touch that might have transformed it into something more quirky. For his first effort as producer, Pryor earns a mixed report. He's given himself a good showcase, but his gifts as a dangerous, subversive comic are undermined by his desire to make Uplifting Statements. [01 June 1981, p.91] - 40
TV Guide Magazine
Pryor--whose customary profanity cuts into the story's essentially sentimental nature--is able to energize the material, but in the end Bustin' Loose remains a minor effort from a major talent.
