Lauren Staton is a classy lady far too classy to put up with the betrayal and two-timing of lover Nick Franco. With the help of another of Nick's lovers (Lisa) she kills Nick and sets up a great alibi. When Columbo starts sniffing around the case though Lauren decides it is best to stick close to him and starts flirting with him. Columbo is very taken by her but knows that something is up and struggles to reconcile his feelings with his belief that Lauren is not as innocent as she appears.
As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Knowing this ahead of time won't ruin anything for you; it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually simple enough for the series to do the business although I have had my fingers burnt with some of the "new" Columbo's. This one came to me with an Emmy to its credit and I had some confidence that it would be quite good. In some respects I was right but the script was a gamble that didn't totally come off. It is a switch to the usual cat'n'mouse stuff to add a flash of romance but the problem is the character of Columbo.
Columbo's boyish affection for Lauren doesn't totally ring true. There is an element of it where he knows he is being played but is also semi-playing her as well, but the script doesn't bring out this uneasy mix very well it tends to be one or the other. The mystery itself is OK but I felt it was placed behind the central relationship and it didn't seemed to move forward as well as the better stories (even some of the modern ones). Falk tries hard to keep Columbo within his normal boundaries but he can't manage it mainly because he doesn't quite know what Columbo is meant to be feeling throughout. Dunaway is better as she seems to have more of a grasp on her character and she does tend to overshadow Falk somewhat unfortunately damaging their chemistry somewhat. Support is fairly unmemorable but not terrible, although I didn't like the fact that we had so many scenes with the bar owner where Columbo hangs out.
Overall this is a good try at something different and, although it is quite good, it doesn't quite hang together as it should. The romance is a nice change from the usual hunter/hunted chemistry but I wasn't totally convinced by it all the time. Worth seeing because it is different but it is not quite the Columbo I love and what it tries to do is not enough to replace what it doesn't do.
As with many TV film series (such as Perry Mason), if you like one or two of them then you'll pretty much like them all. This entry in the Columbo series pretty much follows the usual formula we know the killer and the "perfect" plan but then watch Columbo follow his hunch and gradually starts to pick holes in the story he is told before eventually finding enough to prove his suspicions. Knowing this ahead of time won't ruin anything for you; it is simply what happens in all the films. With this strict adherence to formula it is usually simple enough for the series to do the business although I have had my fingers burnt with some of the "new" Columbo's. This one came to me with an Emmy to its credit and I had some confidence that it would be quite good. In some respects I was right but the script was a gamble that didn't totally come off. It is a switch to the usual cat'n'mouse stuff to add a flash of romance but the problem is the character of Columbo.
Columbo's boyish affection for Lauren doesn't totally ring true. There is an element of it where he knows he is being played but is also semi-playing her as well, but the script doesn't bring out this uneasy mix very well it tends to be one or the other. The mystery itself is OK but I felt it was placed behind the central relationship and it didn't seemed to move forward as well as the better stories (even some of the modern ones). Falk tries hard to keep Columbo within his normal boundaries but he can't manage it mainly because he doesn't quite know what Columbo is meant to be feeling throughout. Dunaway is better as she seems to have more of a grasp on her character and she does tend to overshadow Falk somewhat unfortunately damaging their chemistry somewhat. Support is fairly unmemorable but not terrible, although I didn't like the fact that we had so many scenes with the bar owner where Columbo hangs out.
Overall this is a good try at something different and, although it is quite good, it doesn't quite hang together as it should. The romance is a nice change from the usual hunter/hunted chemistry but I wasn't totally convinced by it all the time. Worth seeing because it is different but it is not quite the Columbo I love and what it tries to do is not enough to replace what it doesn't do.