▁the ▁score ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Box ▁office ▁James ▁A ubre y ▁later ▁claimed ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁M GM ' s ▁most ▁successful ▁releases ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁after ▁Sh aft ▁and ▁Sky jack ed . ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁caused ▁the ▁share ▁price ▁of ▁Art ist ▁Entertainment ▁Complex ▁to ▁rise . ▁Barry ▁Sand ler ▁says ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁prof itable ▁and ▁proved ▁luc r ative ▁for ▁him . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁Roger ▁Gre ens p un ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote ▁that : ▁ ▁Jer ro ld ▁Fre ed man ▁has ▁directed ▁" K ansas ▁City ▁Bom ber " ▁with ▁an ▁eye ▁to ▁hard - h itting ▁action ▁and ▁g uts y ▁detail . ▁But ▁I ▁don ' t ▁think ▁his ▁eye ▁is ▁really ▁sharp ▁enough ▁or ▁fast ▁enough ▁or ▁even ▁wide ▁enough ▁open . ▁His ▁roll er - g ames ▁scenes ▁seem ▁authentic ▁but ▁rather ▁un ex c iting ; ▁and ▁his ▁major ▁sty list ic ▁contribution ▁is ▁to ▁indul ge ▁a ▁pen chant ▁for ▁zoom ing ▁his ▁camera ▁back , ▁leaving ▁characters ▁tra pped ▁behind ▁windows ▁in ▁pret ent ious ▁and ▁often ▁lud ic r ous ▁dram atic ▁isol ation . ▁... ▁The ▁film ' s ▁one ▁incred ible ▁performance ▁comes ▁from ▁Hel ena ▁K ail iani otes , ▁as ▁Jack ie ▁Bur d ette . ▁Sl ouch ing ▁sull en ly ▁in ▁door ways , ▁st aring ▁m ood ily ▁into ▁space , ▁cad ging ▁bo o