Revenge

In spite of some obvious flaws, notably an over-the-top villainess (whom I still found myself rooting for), this film kept my total attention from start to finish.

Negative note: why does anyone cast Anthony Michael Hall as anything other than a corpse in a box?

The storytelling is good, the direction crisp, and Alexandra Paul is a pleasant surprise to me (sorry, I never watched Baywatch or Melrose Place - to me, Tom & Jerry cartoons had much greater entertainment value. Hey, what can I say? I'm a guy).

My recommendation: kick back, relax and enjoy. It's better-than-average entertainment, and didn't strain my aging brain cells. And Alexandra is very easy on the eyes.

At the start of the movie, Philadelphia police detective Laura Underwood helps deal with a domestic dispute. She shows the type of cop she is--in real life, what she does wouldn't be proper procedure. Instead, the scene is more of a fantasy for abused women.

Laura doesn't want to go to her 10-year high school reunion. but she may have to; two of her male classmates have died from falling off tall buildings. She is the one who makes the connection between them, and because there were two similar deaths, foul play may be involved.

We already know the murderer is a beautiful blonde (who may be wearing a wig; at the very least it couldn't be anyone's real hair color). What we don't know is who she is or why she is killing. Or who will be next. We learn all of this as the cops do, and it's interesting to watch the process. We do see very brief flashbacks of a violent past event as the murders take place. The event is later shown in its entirety, and while well done, it's quite disturbing.

Brian is Laura's former boyfriend, and he wants a future with her as well. Tom, Gary, Ron and Scotty are some of Laura's classmates. Kelly organized the reunion and is entirely too cutesy for this type film. Jimmy is another of the detectives, and I couldn't help thinking of him as being like Jimmy Olsen, since Laura reminds me of Lois Lane. Not Erica Durance's or Teri Hatcher's, necessarily, but just the general image of the tough but attractive career woman with brains and skills for investigating.

Alexandra Paul is certainly pretty, and she looks good in shorts or a short dress. She has some good moments as an actress here, but I wouldn't say she shows consistent talent.

Michelle Johnson gives the standout performance here, deceptively sweet at first, in a manner similar to a hooker or stripper, before she reveals her true intentions. She doesn't come across as really wacko, but she is a pleasure to watch, in a demented sort of way.

Vlasta Vrana also gives a good performance as Laura's partner. At least I think that's what he is. He is so much older sometimes I thought he was the chief.

There are some boring romantic scenes, but the primary plot provides quite a bit of excitement, especially toward the end. At the same time, there's nothing really special here. And real cops probably would have had an easier time catching this troubled woman.

The violence isn't graphic, though one scene shows quite a bit of blood. It's that past event that led to what we see that would be the biggest reason for parents to be concerned. At the same time, this is fairly tame for a murder mystery.

I've seen better mysteries, but this isn't bad.

Fallen Angel tries to be a "serial killer thriller" but it just ends up being as flat and limp as a wet noodle. Michelle Johnson plays Vicky Mayerson, a serial killer who's determined to kill every man who picked on and assaulted her one fateful night long time ago, when she was still in high school. Former Baywatch babe, Alexandra Paul, plays Laura Underwood, a detective who's out to bring Vicky to justice. This film's plot has the general outlines of a potentially good crime drama but where it goes wrong is in the specifics of execution, namely, in writing, directing, and acting. The dialogs of this film are incredibly cheesy and at times borders on camp. For example, in one scene a detective says concerning a victim who died while having sex, "I guess he was coming while he was going." Ah...yeah. Whatever. Another example: In a ten year high school reunion a woman says to a fellow graduate, "Like, it's been ten years!" Exactly. That's why they call those things ten year reunions. Also, the acting in Fallen Angel is either way over done (i.e. egregious overacting, e.g. Alexandra Paul, Michelle Johnson), or just plain flat and without any emotion (e.g. Anthony Michael Hall--who appears to be under heavy sedation throughout this film). I didn't care about any of the (poorly developed) characters in this film and I really didn't care whether they lived or died. The serial killer is dumb and her victims are even dumber. As I see it, this film would have worked if it had taken a "no-holds-barred-campy" approach. Instead, this is a dull and languid film that is self- deluded into thinking that it is exemplifying fine cinematic art. The killer in this film offers advice to her victims just before she finishes them off: "Never trust a man after midnight."

During the ten years that followed her successful debut as a hot teenager in "Blame It On Rio" opposite Michael Caine (1984), Michelle Johnson didn't seem to get lucky on any role she landed (including her double role in the not-so-cool thriller "Body Shot"). Then she got married to baseball star Matt Williams in early 1999 and was given another chance in "Fallen Angel" (aka "Revenge"). However, don't expect to find a sexy, curvy Michelle Johnson who once feasted your eyes and captured your heart in "Blame It On Rio". I first thought this was an erotic thriller myself. But Vicki Mayerson's bitter revenge is totally different from Jennifer Lyons' dangerous seduction, so to say. Nonetheless, director Marc Grenier deserves all the credit in making this B-thriller surprisingly entertaining. I enjoyed its good screenplay and cinematography, plus some nice acting by Michelle Johnson and (oh yes, believe it or not) Alexandra Paul (the Baywatch girl). Furthermore, since "Fallen Angel" aka "Revenge" has its plot based on the animosity of a young girl who survived a teenaged gang's careless prank, the flashbacks are well calculated to gradually unravel some dark secrets that lead to a dramatic and believable ending. Not a waste of time, compared to many senseless flicks that are labeled "thrillers" out there.

Reviewer Chris had it about right, it's ok but about the level of a network TV movie. It's about being double-crossed by your spouse, and moves along ok, without any real plot twists. If you're usually happy with TV movies you'll probably like this, but if you're looking for more, skip it. -Bob