James Berardinelli said that if "Set It Off" owes any debt to films, those films are "Thelma & Louise" and "Dead Presidents", rather than "Waiting to Exhale." He stated that "a freshness and energy in the way director F. Gary Gray attacks this familiar material that keeps "Set It Off" entertaining, even during its weakest moments" and that "[the concept of four black action heroines makes for a welcome change in a genre that is dominated by: (a) rugged white males with a perpetual five o'clock shadow, (b) rugged white males who speak English with an accent, and (c) rugged white males with the acting ability of a fence post." Berardinelli added that although "film doesn't get off to a promising start" and "[the first half-hour, which details the various characters' motives for becoming involved in a bank robbery, is unevenly scripted," and that some aspects of the plot are contrived, "nce the setup is complete, however, things shift into high gear. The remainder of the film, which includes several high-adrenaline action sequences and some slower, more dramatic moments, is smoothly-crafted. There are occasional missteps, such as an out-of-place "Godfather" parody, but, in general, "Set It Off" manages to rise above these."