A 1994 American Action Comedy written and directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans that has an ex-cop-turned private detective (Wayans) looking for stolen money by a drug lord (Andrew Divoff). Shame used to be a drug police officer pursuing Mendoza, a drug lord with a penchant for violence and who has eluded authorities for years. They managed to track him down in Mexico with Shame's team of agents, but he faked his own death and a lot of Shame's unit didn't make it. Disgraced and angry, Shame left to become a private detective until one of his old partners, Sonny, resurfaces with news: Mendoza's alive with a new face and so is his ex-girlfriend, Angela (Salli Richardson Whitfield). If they track down Mendoza and Angela, they can close this case for good, so Shame and his secretary Peaches (Jada Pinkett Smith) start looking for Angela and Mendoza both to wrap up a case several years in the making.
The movie also stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Charles S. Dutton, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Chris Spencer, Don Diamont, Gregory Sierra, Kim Wayans, and Rene Hicks.
It was released on November 23, 1994.
Tropes for the film:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Shame sends Peaches out into town to dig for some information. She has to stop at the post office and chat up a guy with buck gold teeth and a Jeri curl who won't stop drooling over her. She asks Shame to help her out, but of course, given their relationship, he instead tells the guy "she's crazy 'bout you, bruh!" and leaves laughing at her misfortune as the guy redoubles his efforts to try and seduce her. Peaches simply tells him "don't make me use my stun gun" and then stomps off angrily.
- All for Nothing: Subverted. Shame does finally arrest Mendoza for his many, many crimes, but Angela shoots him dead before Shame could take him to jail. She almost shoots Shame, but Peaches comes in and rescues him instead. However, it does still have a happy ending since Shame was still technically hired to find Angela and so his "finder's fee" of the drug money is going to make sure he and Peaches are set for life.
- All Gays are Promiscuous: This trope is fully in play for Wayman and Bernard. Wayman comes on to Shame when he finds him in his bed and is soundly rejected, and Shame proceeds to insult him at every turn since he's homophobic. It's reinforced since a couple of scenes later, we find out Wayman has a white boyfriend named Bernard. Shame needs Wayman to tail Angela into her health club, so he then pretends he's gay and is Wayman's new boyfriend, slapping Bernard and insisting Wayman belongs to him. Bizarrely, Bernard slaps Wayman and then offers himself up to Shame in the future. More than likely, the contradictory behavior is a result of not really understanding gay men; Bernard should be angry at Shame for stealing his boyfriend, but he just blames Wayman and storms off. They get back together off-screen, though; Wayman and Bernard are seen at the club scene where Shame coincidentally has a showdown with Mendoza and his mooks.
- Artistic License – Physics: One that could send the Mythbusters into a frenzy, foaming at the mouth: Mendoza's henchmen manage to follow Angela back to her hotel, so Shame and Angela have to escape. They briefly fool the bad guys by pretending to be a hooker and her client, then escape into a Jeep. The thugs give chase and corner Shame at a dead end. Inexplicably, Shame guns the engine and the Jeep's entire front end magically is boosted up, rolls over the other car, and then back down it onto the street and they escape. The two bad guys in the car represent the audience—they both stare in total disbelief of what just happened to them. It is 100% physically impossible even with it being a Jeep, but the movie also lives off of
Narm Charm and Refuge in Audacity. - Author Appeal: Thankfully, both female leads are fleshed out characters instead of empty sexpots, but one can't deny that Keenen Ivory Wayans set himself up rather nicely to make out with two of the most gorgeous women of the decade. (Note: He wrote and directed the film as well as starring, so giving himself two love interests was naturally his idea.)
- B-Movie: The movie is happily aware of its status as a comedic B movie and leans into it completely, combining comedy with well-known detective noir tropes like the Femme Fatale and the Struggling Detective with a Dark Past.
- The Bad Guys Are Cops: Subverted. DEA agent Sonny turns out to be a mole for Mendoza, manipulating Shame to find Angela so she can't testify against him and then taking him out too so he can't chase after Mendoza now that he's stateside again.
- Bald Of Awesome: Shame may be mouthy and irrational, but he actually is a competent private detective. The bald part kicks in after the second act where he decides to clean himself up to take care of business.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Played straight with the lovely Peaches, but averted with Angela. Peaches is sassy, but sweet and helpful. Angela is beautiful, but also cold as ice and willing to turn on anyone for money.
- Behind the Black: Peaches is trying to sneak her way out of the mall filled with Mendoza and his mooks, but she accidentally touches the fountain button near the food court, cluing Mendoza in to her whereabouts. Mendoza then grabs her and screams for Shame to reveal himself and he does...by sliding down a freaking tether from the upper floor and kicking Mendoza in the chest. The only problem is that Keenen Ivory Wayans is freaking six-foot-three and wearing a trenchcoat and a suit, so how in the hell did Mendoza not see him flying towards him on the tether?
- Better as Friends: Shame tries to use this excuse when Peaches asks why he's never expressed romantic interest in her. Naturally, she doesn't believe him.
- Big Damn Heroes: Peaches gets a truly awesome moment to save the man she loves right when Angela turns the gun on him. They have a cat fight, but Peaches ends up on top.
- Bullying a Dragon: After a particularly messy situation with Mendoza and his mooks, Sonny comes busting in Mendoza's crib during a party and screams at him in front of his men. Naturally, Mendoza gets quite angry and reminds Sonny that he's in his house all alone, whipping out a knife and putting it to his throat. Sonny calms down awful fast after that.
- Bury Your Gays: Despite the movie's, uh, rather poorly aged portrayal of gay men, it is nice to see that Wayman doesn't die in the club scene when Mendoza shoots at him. Shame tackles him out of the way and at first, he thinks he's been shot because he faints, but it turns out someone spilled red wine on him. His boyfriend proceeds to tease him about it, even asking the people around them to clap for the Academy Award performance.
- The Cameo: Keenen's sister, Kim, gets a cameo playing the store associate at a very snooty boutique where he notices that Angela is frequenting due to a particular fine fragrance she used to like when they were still together. He goes inside and gets a feel for the place, pretending to be a client, and then once he works out that he can't coax anything out of the store associate, he goes to a pay phone and calls the store, pretending to be a radio DJ that just announced she is a contest winner. The store associate falls for it and rushes out of the store to go collect what she thinks is prize money, so then when Angela returns and can't buy her fragrance, it allows Shame to tail her back to her hotel.
- Casual Danger Dialogue: Shame lives for this when he's out on a case. He's pretty much snarky at all times, but especially when he's in danger. The biggest example is in the finale when Luis siccs his attack dogs on him, but Shame uses the "sing James Brown songs" thing he got from Peaches and it soothes the dogs into not attacking. Shame then proceeds to do the following while still singing and dancing in front of the dogs:Shame: Now I want all the dogs on the left to go, 'ooh-ooh' and then the dogs on the right to wave their paws!
- Cat Fight: Peaches vs. Angela. It's brief, but vicious, and Peaches emerges the victor.
- Chekhov's Skill: Probably one of the funniest examples for the genre. Early in the movie, Shame makes fun of Peaches for reading a silly Inquirer-type paper. She tells him one of the things she learned in it is that dogs will not attack you if you sing James Brown songs to them. Lo and behold, in the finale, one of the henchmen unleashes some huge rottweilers that corner Shame and he starts singing James Brown, pacifying them. It's as hilarious as it sounds.
- Chase Scene: Plenty, as this is a B movie about a detective trying to catch his old foe.
- Chewing the Scenery: Due to their rather stereotypical writing, Wayman and Bernard are both extremely over the top characters and both performers turn in very hammy performances, but to their credit, they're both funny and memorable even if they're offensive by today's standards.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Peaches, but she's one of the milder examples. She immediately clocks that Shame is still in love with Angela and is offended he gets all "snazzy" for Angela, meanwhile she's had to look at him looking like a bum for most of the time she's known him.
- The Commissioner Gordon: Shame's former boss hates his guts, but actually acknowledges that he was good at his job when he still worked with him. This comes in handy later when Shame needs someone to keep an eye on Peaches. He's right; Mendoza sends someone after her to use her for ransom. The only problem is he didn't know it would be Sonny. His boss also gives him a break at the end, given that the insane mall fight and damage is also coupled with the return of a missing witness in a federal case and the recovery of stolen drug money along with the fatal apprehension of a wanted criminal.
- Complete-the-Quote Title: "X is a low down dirty shame" is a common phrase in English, so that's where the film took its title since the lead character's last name is Shame.
- Crossdresser: Peaches' gay roommate, Wayman, also sometimes likes to crossdress. It's why Shame mistakes him for a woman at first when he wakes up in bed beside him.
- Da Chief: Subverted. Shame still interacts with his former boss Captain Nunez and he comes in handy in the third act. His men unfortunately die protecting Peaches, but he also lets all the property damage and murder go when he realizes Shame just cleaned up a huge case and exposed a DEA mole.
- Damsel in Distress / Damsel out of Distress: Sonny and Mendoza kidnap Peaches, but it wasn't smart on their part. She gives Sonny a run for his money trying to escape and almost succeeds, and then when she's being traded for Angela, she takes the gun Shame gives her and shoots the Mooks nearby dead before going on the run. Finally, she delivers the final beatdown on Angela for turning a gun on Shame.
- Dating Catwoman: Shame and Angela were an item back in the day during his investigation chasing Mendoza. It sounds as if Angela was Mendoza's main squeeze since she grew up an orphan and used to dream about being Cleopatra, meaning she likely was attached to Mendoza for his money. She and Shame seem to have genuinely been in love, but she hated being second to his job, so she ended up leaving him in the lurch after Mexico.
- Declaration of Protection: Surprisingly, it comes from Peaches, not Shame. Peaches is tasked with watching Angela while Shame is out investigating and she tells Angela she will drop her where she stands if she dares think of betraying Shame.
- Death by Materialism: Subverted. Angela luckily isn't killed, but she does get her ass beat by Peaches when she turns a gun on Shame, stating that she loves him, but she knows he won't let her keep the drug money.
- Sonny. He got back into this whole mess because he wanted the drug money Mendoza had hidden after he faked his own death. He turns on Shame, kidnaps Peaches, and almost kills Angela, but she distracts him long enough to pull out her gun and shoots him dead.
- Defective Detective: Since it's a B movie with homages to noir stories, Shame is a down on his luck private detective when the movie starts. We're introduced to him on a case and he does get his man, but he causes so much damage while apprehending his target that it negates the money the client was going to pay him, leaving him still broke and even unable to pay Peaches back the money he borrowed. Peaches is kind and takes it in stride, though.
- Dirty Cop: Subverted. Sonny is a mole working with Mendoza to find and kill Angela so she can't testify against him and to kill Shame in the process.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Twice. First, obviously, Shame can't resist making out with Angela and they almost have sex, but then Mendoza calls with news that he's kidnapped Peaches and wants Angela in exchange for her, which Shame angrily agrees to. The second is after Sonny corners Angela, she takes off her jacket, exposing her bra, and tries to seduce him so he won't kill her and take the money. It almost works, but Sonny knows damn well she's trying to play him. Too bad he's too slow on the draw; Angela pulls her small gun that was strapped to her back and kills him first.
- Exasperated Perp: Surprisingly, it's inverted. Shame tells Peaches to watch Angela since Mendoza wants her found and killed so she can't testify against him, so he stashes them at Peaches' place since the bad guys don't know where it is. Peaches tries to ignore Angela by watching TV, but Angela wants to go back on the run and she wants to find the drug money from Mendoza's Mexico score, so she starts intentionally insulting Peaches until she gets angry enough to kick her out of the house, if only to avoid getting in a cat fight. Peaches of course realizes she'll be in a world of trouble for letting Angela walk out and tries to go after her, but then Captain Nunez shows up and makes her stay put so he can confront Shame when he comes by later. Peaches lies to cover for herself when Shame returns, angry that she let Angela go.
- Exit, Pursued by a Bear: One Mook is cornered and mauled by a pair of Rottweilers that Andre Shame sics on him.
- Fakeout Makeout: Shame and Angela slip past a couple of Mendoza's men by pretending to be a client and a prostitute kissing passionately as they walk by.
- Fanservice: There's some for everyone. Keenen Ivory Wayans is in great shape and has a couple of shirtless scenes. There's a scene where the camera focuses squarely on Jada Pinkett's Smith's lovely bum (though it's woven into the actual scene itself, not done flagrantly) and Angela is in tight fitting clothing and even a bra and tights in two scenes.
- Faux Affably Evil: Mendoza actually comes across as charming...until it's time to get down to business. Then he's utterly ruthless. He'll kill anyone who gets in his way, man or woman, and he'll probably be smug about it too.
- Faux Yay: There is basically a variation of this with Wayman and Shame. Shame spots Angela going into a womens' only health club where Wayman works. Wayman is allowed inside as an employee—and he's gay, so he's harmless to the half-dressed or naked women around—so Shame asks him to tail her and get some info. Wayman hates Shame as much as Shame hates him, so he says no, but then Wayman's boyfriend comes up since they're headed to lunch. Shame then pretends to be gay and calls his boyfriend a homewrecker, citing that they were in bed together the night before and Wayman belongs to him. The boyfriend buys the fake story, slaps Wayman, and storms off. Shame promises to call and tell him it was a prank if Wayman helps him, which Wayman reluctantly does. We do find out that Shame kept his word; the boyfriend is later in the club scene with Wayman, having mended fences.
- Femme Fatale: Angela, in spades. She is an extremely beautiful woman, but she's also incredibly selfish and is morally grey at best. She ends up being selfish enough to try to kill Shame so she can keep the stolen money and she kills Mendoza so he can't be a witness, but luckily Peaches comes in and beats the brakes off of her.
- Foreshadowing: Peaches warns Angela that if she betrays Shame, she'll drop her where she stands. When Angela turns on Shame at the end, Peaches kicks her ass.
- Friend on the Force: Shame's former boss Captain Nunez is your stereotypical Da Chief sort, but he does actually listen to Shame a few times and becomes the cavalry at the end fight at the mall. The cops arrive after the action is over, as per usual with this sort of noir tribute, but he also lets Shame off the hook for the violence and property damage when he realizes that Shame did him a huge favor uncovering Sonny as the mole, returning Angela into Witness Protection (and jail, since she killed both Sonny and Mendoza), and recovered the drug money that started this whole mess years ago.
- Freudian Excuse: Angela is so selfish and self-centered because she grew up an orphan and, according to her, "nobody ever did shit for me!" She is obsessed with getting or staying rich and will do anything to secure herself as much money as possible, even try to kill the man she loves.
- Gay Best Friend: Peaches' roommate, Wayman. Since Shame made fun of her, she plays a bit of a prank on him. She tells him he can sleep in her roommate's bed and that "girlfriend" won't freak out seeing a half-naked black man in the bed. Well, she was right—Wayman's flaming gay and feels Shame up. Shame wakes up upon realizing her roommate is male and Peaches has to talk him down. They do not get along after that, but Shame does save Wayman when Mendoza tries to shoot him.
- Give Chase with Angry Natives: Inverted; Shame interrogates a Latino crook, then lets him go... turns out they were backstage of a Skinhead rally.
- Gold Digger: Angela, and Peaches even calls her out on it when they are forced to interact with each other.Peaches: But I see through all that Maybelline and I know that you ain't nothin' but a gold-digging skank.
- Good Old Fisticuffs: How Mendoza and Shame decide to settle things in the end. Shame wins, but sadly Angela shoots Mendoza, then intends to shoot him, but Peaches rescues him instead.
- "Home Alone" Antics: The final showdown is at a mall, so after Shame fake-surrenders to bust Peaches loose, he sneaks around the mall dispatching the Mooks until they're all dead and then he confronts the one Mook who has an ax to grind and confronts Mendoza at long last.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Shame absolutely towers over the tiny little Peaches, his assistant and best friend.
- Human Shield: Shame manages to track Mendoza down at a club and when he finally pulls a gun on him, Mendoza puts his gun to the head of the cute girl he's with, insisting he'll kill her if Shame doesn't back off. This pisses Shame off, but he ultimately lets Mendoza go so he won't kill her.
- Important Haircut: Shame finally shaves his head and stocks himself up with better weapons and whips out his Cool Car to confront Mendoza and his men in the second half of the film. It seems to imply he's now much more focused and confident in his abilities, whereas before he was down on his luck and unsure of himself as a private detective.
- Interrupted Intimacy: Shame and Angela are about to reignire their old flame when Mendoza calls and tells him he's kidnapped Peaches and wants to exchange her for Angela. Shame agrees, but engineers a double cross that prevents Mendoza from getting his hands on either woman nor him.
- I Surrender, Suckers: Peaches fake-surrenders when Sonny kills the cops watching over her and then kidnaps her to take back to Mendoza. She then hits him and runs, hurting him pretty badly in the process and almost getting away, but Mendoza cuts off her escape. Sonny is so enraged he tries to throw her and Mendoza laughs and stops him.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Angela gets her comeuppance big time, and with maximum irony. In the finale, she shoots Mendoza dead, undoing all of Shame's hard work and sacrifice, and then turns the gun on him, claiming he'd never let her have all the drug money and she's obsessed with being rich. Peaches then kicks her ass and Captain Nunez's men arrest her. It's after this point that we find out that since Sonny hired Shame, then Shame is entitled to a "finder's fee" of the millions of dollars, so if Angela had just kept her mouth shut and gotten back with Shame without trying to kill him or Mendoza, then she could have testified, been done with her legal obligations, and been happily ever after with Shame with the finder's fee he decided to keep. Instead, she's now going to jail for murder, attempted murder, and is back to being broke, her one worst fear.
- Last-Name Basis: Nobody calls Shame by his first name, only the last, and it seems to be his preference.
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Shame and Mendoza discard their handguns and decide to settle things with fisticuffs. But naturally, once Mendoza starts losing, he whips out a knife to try and even the odds in his favor, but Shame puts the final ass whupping on him instead. Too bad Angela wants the drug money and then kills Mendoza before Shame can take him to jail.
- Like an Old Married Couple: Peaches and Shame have this dynamic. They tease each other constantly and bicker, but it's very clear how much they care about each other and they do hook up at the end.
- Lock-and-Load Montage: Used to demonstrate that Shame is back in a good head space when he not only equips with weapons and his nice car, he shaves.
- Love Confession: Peaches adorably confesses that she loves Shame right before the big climatic battle in the mall. Amused, Shame repeats it back to her, but does also mean it just as sincerely. They become a couple by the end.
- Magic Plastic Surgery: They don't show us what he looked like before, but it is mentioned that Mendoza got plastic surgery to look different so he could return to the states and go back to running the drug trade.
- Male Gaze: Intentionally invoked when one night, Peaches asks Shame why he's never expressed romantic interest in her. He cites that they have nothing in common, but even she doesn't believe him. He points out that "one thing has grown since you were a teen" and she smirks and flips him off before walking off while wiggling said body part.
- There is plenty aimed at Angela, but it's no surprise since the actress is gorgeous.
- Married to the Job: Angela cites this as one of the reasons she left Shame; he was a cop married to the job and she was always having to be second best in his life. She does love him, but it's just not enough to sustain the relationship.
- The Mole: Sonny is a fellow DEA agent who asks for Shame's help with his old case, bringing him into it to finally catch Mendoza. Well, it turns out the whole thing was a set up. Mendoza wants to come back to the states, but knows that Shame will chase him to the ends of the earth if he finds out he's alive, so he intentionally has Sonny find him so he can find Angela, then get him killed and resume business. Shame figures it out and Sonny stupidly falls for Angela's Femme Fatale routine and ends up shot to death.
- Mook Lieutenant: There is a particular Hispanic/Latino Mook that Shame starts to bully for information about Mendoza. This culminates in the final act where the Mook tries to sic some rottweilers on Shame since Shame got him beaten up and nearly killed by a bunch of Nazis (It makes sense in context, we promise) but Shame narrowly avoids being mauled to death by singing James Brown songs that soothe the dogs. He then dumps a bunch of discarded food onto the Mook and the dogs instead maul him.
- Mooks: Since this is a 1994 film, Mendoza has a whole mess of henchmen around for Shame to beat up. They're also pretty ruthless; early in the film, one of them asks a hotel attendant where Angela is staying. The guy nervously tells him they can't disclose that information, so he then slams the poor guy's head into the counter and breaks his nose. The attendant then reluctantly tells him her room number.
- Motive Rant: When Shame confronts the mole Sonny in the climax, Sonny launches into one of these. It turns out he wanted to take the drug money and split it with his whole unit. He asked them first and they said only if Shame was in on it. Shame was a do right guy and would have said no, spoiling Sonny out of millions, so he later teams up with Mendoza so he can get rich.
- New Old Flame: Shame tracks down his ex-girlfriend Angela to be a witness for after they catch Mendoza. She has been ducking him for years, but since he knows her habits, he manages to trick her into leading her to him. They briefly rekindle their romance, but Shame can't let her keep the stolen money, so she eventually betrays him.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Shame and Mendoza decide to fight like men, unarmed, so there's an end brawl in the final act between them.
- Noodle Incident: The background between Sonny, Shame, Mendoza, and Angela is told through dialogue rather than shown, so some details the audience isn't aware of, but we do know whatever happened in Mexico was bad. Shame still seems sore over it and so does Sonny.
- Official Couple: Peaches and Shame by the end.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: It's doubtful that Peaches is the character's real name. We as the audience infer it's her nickname.
- Out with a Bang: Sonny corners Angela in the mall during the climactic shootout and catches her when she accidentally overturns a barrel, revealing her hiding spot. Sonny is about to shoot her when she removes her jacket, exposing her bra, and suggests that instead of killing her, he sleeps with her instead. Sonny briefly considers it, but he's too smart and knows she's trying to trick him. Too bad for him that she's faster on the draw and whips out the gun clipped to her bra and kills him. She even taunts him when he's lying there bleeding out, no less.Angela: Stupid motherfucker. Coulda had you some pussy before you died.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Peaches is an absolute hoot. Unlike many of the comic relief examples from this era, Peaches is actually a plot-relevant comic relief character, is actually funny, and actually manages to escape the bad guys, then hold her own in a fight with Angela, saving Shame's life.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Peaches can't hit Sonny hard enough to knock him out, but she does actually hurt him. She also kicks Angela's ass when she turns on Shame.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: It's not at all unusual for the time period, but Shame's homophobia is very blatant. He never utters any slurs, but he is disgusted and disdainful of Wayman. The saving grace is that it doesn't stop him from saving Wayman when Mendoza tries to shoot him at the club.
- Pun-Based Title: Naturally, the movie's title makes use of the main lead's last name being Shame.
- Rags to Riches: Angela grew up poor as an orphan, so she is absolutely obsessed with having wealth. She likely became Mendoza's moll just so she could be financially stable and live in total leisure, even though she was obviously sleeping with a monster.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Sonny and Angela both get their comeuppance for betraying Shame. Sonny ends up shot to death by Angela and Angela ends up arrested after receiving a beatdown from Peaches, as promised.
- Rich Bitch: Angela. She openly sneers at Peaches and even compares her to a dog. She has no regard for anyone but herself, happy to use Shame to get Mendoza's drug money stash and then quickly abandoning him as soon as she gets a chance.
- Romantic False Lead: Angela. For a while, it seems like she and Shame might get back together. She asks him to run away with her after she finds Mendoza's big drug money stash, but right before anything can happen, Mendoza calls to reveal he's kidnapped Peaches and wants to exchange her for Angela. Angela again suggests that they just take the stolen money and run, but Shame angrily tells her he'd never abandon Peaches just for a fuck on a beach and some extra cash, instead going through with the exchange but with a double cross planned.
- Sassy Secretary: Peaches could easily be the poster girl for it. She is loaded with sass, but is actually funny and sweet and turns out to be a huge asset in the field in the finale, saving Shame's life.
- Sealed with a Kiss: The movie ends on Shame and Peaches making out as the cops clean up the epic mess from their battle.
- Shout-Out: It's brief, but Shame mentions after waking up with Wayman—a gay man he thought was a woman because he was cross-dressing—he then says, "I'mma just pretend I didn't wake up in The Crying Game."
- Slashed Throat: The reward for one of the Mooks that fails Mendoza. He slits the guy's throat open right next to Sonny. It's so casually done that Sonny is visibly horrified witnessing it.
- Smug Snake: Mendoza taunts Shame throughout the entire movie, even during the final fight before Shame gets his second wind and starts kicking his ass.
- Tagline: "He's armed and dangerously funny.".
- Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Shame is very sarcastic, and Keenen Ivory Wayans is also 6 ' 3 ''.
- Too Dumb to Live: Sonny almost gets fileted when he stupidly barges into Mendoza's house during a party to berate him about sending his sloppy men out after Shame. Sonny's bravado quickly disappears once Mendoza's men close in around him and he realizes he's all alone in dangerous territory. Mendoza quietly tells him to rethink his attitude while holding a knife to his throat and Sonny relents, simply asking him to be more careful and let him handle things before Shame catches on.
- Tranquil Fury: Mendoza doesn't yell very often. Most of the time, he's in a state of quiet rage when confronted by Shame or Sonny.
- Ungrateful Bitch: Angela shows her true colors at the very end of the film, deciding to kill Shame because he won't let her keep the stolen drug money that they have seized from Mendoza. It's especially stinging since she had been on the run until Shame found her and if she had just cooperated, she could have testified to close the case and then be put in witness protection for the rest of her life. Now she's going to going to rot in jail for the murder of Sonny and Mendoza and the attempted murder of both Shame and Peaches.
- The Vamp: Angela. She is devastatingly beautiful, but she's also in it just for the money and is even willing to kill Shame to keep it once she thinks she has it.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Early in the movie, it's established that Shame is either afraid of dogs or just doesn't like them (Peaches teases him about jumping up on a table when a tiny dog unexpectedly came around), and so guess what happens in the finale? The Mook that Shame had previously tortured for information brings along some attack dogs, but luckily Shame believes Peaches' silly article about singing James Brown to keep attacking dogs at bay and it actually works.
- Would Hit a Girl: Sonny and Mendoza. Sonny betrays Shame to get him killed so he can keep a cut of Mendoza's big score, so he kills the police officers watching over Peaches, then tells her to come along. She begs for him not to hurt her and he listens at first...then Peaches hits him and runs. She damn near escapes, but Mendoza cuts her off. Sonny then goes to literally throw her against the wall out of pure frustration, but thankfully Mendoza stops him. Mendoza uses the girl at the club with him as a human shield against Shame and then tells who he thinks is Angela that he's going to rape and murder her. Lucky for her, it was a ruse.
- You Have Failed Me: Mendoza has one of these moments with a Mook that blows part of their operation, so he slits his throat right in front of Sonny to prove a point.
- You Wouldn't Shoot Me: After Shame has been running around beating up criminals and causing massive amounts of damage, his former boss comes in to bring him in for an arrest. Instead of arresting him, Shame gives him an abridged version of what's going on with Mendoza and tells him to put Peaches under protective custody for the next few days. When he goes to leave, his ex-boss holds him at gunpoint and doesn't even faze Shame.Captain Nunez: Shame, you walk out that door and I'll shoot ya!Shame: (visibly annoyed) Yeah, yeah. Do me a favor—put Peaches in protective custody for 24 hours. (he exits)Peaches: Why you let him go?! You're just gonna let him trollop around—Captain Nunez: Hey, hey, hey! Now you, I will shoot. Get dressed and let's go.
