The film is fast-paced and if the action isn't genuinely thrilling, it's got inadvertently comedic verve to it, especially when it comes to Shelley Winters who is operating at 100 here. Tamara Dobson is excellent in her portrayal of the titular character, and her strong performance is rivaled wondrously by the batshit insane depiction of Shelley Winters' Mommy. Winters' character is arguably one of the more weakly drawn characters, but her commitment to go all in pays off nicely. She really pops off the screen, gnawing all the scenery with her dial turned all the way to 11. She really adds a lot of campy levity to the film, which seems to be having a blast at every turn.

The film is a little less reliant on the soundtrack than most blaxploitation films, which only speaks to its strengths as a film, but the musical sounds that accompany Cleopatra still make an impact when it counts. The song “Theme from Cleopatra Jones”, which is one of our favorites, emphasizes the fantasy of erotic pleasure for men: “You’re so sweet and strong…/Touch me like the desert wind.” In the theme song, the lyrics depict the threat and thrill of her exotic beauty: “You take my pride and you throw it up against the wall/You take me in your arms, baby, and bounce me like a rubber ball…/ Dontcha know that it hurts so good.” Cleopatra is usually adorned with furs and eye make up, which in one hand can represent animalistic sexuality, and on the other, it underscores racial difference and the departure from the traditional long hair as a sign of white, feminine sexual beauty.