The backstories of the girls display its uncertain balance of smarts and melodrama. Their reasons for a life of crime seem lazy or dramatic, or in Queen Latifah's case, an outlet of personality. The whole film features collisions of genre-revamping and strong characterization (Jada Pinkett's relationship with the banker, the girls acting like godfathers) and cliches (Latifah's last stand). Good, if uneven in purpose.
