Rita Kempley of "The Washington Post" called it "" but stated that "the concept is actually better for Stallone than the premises of his earlier awful romps, "Rhinestone" and "Oscar."" Clifford Terry wrote in the "Chicago Tribune" that the film "plays like an extended sitcom-perhaps four episodes of "She's the Sheriff"" and also that "About two-thirds into "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot," Sylvester Stallone actually delivers the title line. That's how numbingly awful this is. Give it half a star for being in focus." Michael Wilmington of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote that the film seemed like Stallone's response to Schwarzenegger's turn to comedies like "Kindergarten Cop" and added, "This is another 'high-concept' marketing hook job—a slick, slow-witted, shiny, 100% predictable movie—and the scriptwriters ... don't have anything richer on their minds than the usual feisty mother-son gags."