Genres

Visitors Review

stevekelner 2013-05-13 23:09:21

Uncredited use of another script

Large swaths of this movie, starting with the plot and includingword-for-word blocks of dialog, come out of the movie Twelve O'ClockHigh, which appears to be uncredited, at least here. The setting hasbeen changed from an American Army Air Force base in England in 1942 toa Chicago police department, but the essence of the plot -- new leadercomes in to turn around an organization that is falling apart -- is thesame. Unfortunately, most of the drama and insight was lost in thetranslation, producing scenes that simply don't make sense, or mess upthe intent of the original. Whereas a key element of Twelve O'Clockhigh is about the high toll of warfare even on those who think they aredoing the right thing, this movie boils down to "Suzanne Pleshette istougher than everyone else." There is a deliberate contrast andparallel between the first leader (Gary Merril) and the second (GregoryPeck), but this movie basically begins with Suzanne Pleshette takingover, thus eliminating any sense of commonality under fire. Go seeTwelve O'Clock High instead -- it's based on the true story of GeneralFrank Armstrong, and was well and thoroughly researched.

Gary Parkinson 2013-05-13 07:43:04

LA law

A well-respected police officer is assigned to an LA precinct stuffed fullof the usual movie cliches (drugged-up gangs, dope-peddlers, hookers andtheir pimps, gypsies, tramps and thieves). That's the thanks you get fordoing a good job: you get a harder one to do. Setting about tidying up theshop in her usual fashion, she is dismayed when one of her closestcolleagues is mysteriously shot dead while on duty. And when she checks outthe murder, following a lead through the victim's girlfriend (a hooker, ofcourse), she finds the usual wall of silence, corruption and conspiracy onefinds when enmeshed in a thoroughly average TV movie.