Mike Hammer 11
Uninvolving murder-mystery.
- It starts off with Mike trying to save a model from a fire and failing. He then takes on the case of finding out who killed her and why.
- Turns out her father was a master counterfeiter and the murder might have been an attempt to bring him out into the open. Or something.
- There are quite a few twists and turns in the story and, after a while, it is genuinely hard to care. Especially as we get further and further from the dead model (which was our original hook).
- Part of the problem is the casting of Shannon Tweed as the dead girl. We see her picture everywhere and - having seen her name in the opening credits - we know that she isn’t really dead! And when the script reveals her to be alive in the final act… all element of surprise is gone.
- The opening paints Mike in a heroic light: taking on a case with no client just to see that justice is done, etc. But, as soon as it switches to being a story about ‘perfect’ counterfeiting plates it seems less interesting.
