Killer Instinct: From the Files of Agent Candice DeLong

This Jean Smart vehicle isn't half bad as representing real life FBI profiler Cancide Delong. Although this is clearly a made for tv movie, as a serial killer movie it makes the cut.

From the throwaway title ("Killer Instinct"), to the cookie cutter serial killer (how many of those are board enough with their usual prey to start hunting down FBI agents?), this movie is only just believable.

The problem is that I like Jean Smart, and this movie makes a nice counterpart to her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos (long before Charlize Theron got around to it) in the tv movie "Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story".

Not great, but not bad either and in the tradition of other made for tv serial killer movies, like "To Catch A Killer" with Brian Dennehy as John Wayne Gacy, "The Deliberate Stranger" with Mark Harmon as Ted Bundy, "Citizen X" with Jeffrey Demunn as Andrei Chikatilo or perhaps even more ex-police officer Ann Rule's "The Stranger Beside Me" starring Barbara Hershey.

Low on budget and production values, ok acting, but with a story at the heart of it that bleeds red.

A. Martinez is very good as fellow profiler who works with Agent Candace DeLong and Jean Smart as FBI Profiler Agent Candace DeLong, who must find a serial killer in Chicago before more women are murdered.

Robert Joy ( also a cameo in "Longtime Companion" c. 1989 and "Sweet November") is also good as Dr. Sutter; quite menacing as a fertility specialist expert who resents women, and feels he has the power to murder any women who are unfit mothers (according to his warped mind).

Basically a good suspense film, DeLong is a well known and prolific FBI profiler who is frequently consulted by Dr Park Dietz, the famed forensic psychiatrist. Recommended 8/10.

This is an utterly unrealistic representation of the FBI (an organization that eventually succeeds, despite itself). The plot events are contrived, the acting is hammy, the dialog is stilted, the characters are wooden. It's about as unrealistic as a film can get without entering the realm of animation. Over-the-hill actors and actresses doing their yeoman best to grab a few dollars for their twilight years. Do the world a favor: buy a copy of the tape (if it ever went to tape) and erase it. Then discard the tape. If you're Catholic, it might serve as remission for some of your more egregious sins. If you delight in crappy FBI-oriented films, take a look at Face/Off with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. Both Travolta and Cage duck under the table whenever anyone mentions the film--and they're right to do so.

I guess this movie is somewhat original: An FBI agent decides to retire, which results in her best friend nearly dying after accepting a ride from a serial killer (or at least I think these events are somehow related). So she decides to come out of retirement to tackle the case. But the movie is basically filled with two-dimensional characters, and a villain (or the criminal) that is not fleshed out, and that you don't really love to hate. Robert Joy may look like an ideal villain, but it's a different kettle of fish to portray one. The acting, story, writing, etc. isn't especially interesting. And as a result, there's very little suspense, and nothing feels truly at stake. This is a very mediocre movie.

I tuned-in to this film as a long-time A Martinez fan. His role as Cruz Castillo on Santa Barbara (SB) is my favorite. Although that soap has long-since ended, I keep hoping that he'll have the opportunity to work with his cast mate Marcy Walker again. They were the BEST as Cruz and Eden! Since SB, Martinez has played some great parts. I loved the "Cherokee Kid" which also starred Sinbad, and was sorry to see that his TV Show "For the People" did not last long.

Overall, I enjoyed "Killer Instinct" and felt that Martinez and Jean Smart (she's awesome) were a sassy pair. It was refreshing to see a strong, powerful lady in a Lifetime movie!