Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes

It's easy to see why Famke Janssen is such a terrific actress, and has a loyal set of fans - not only the compassion she gives her characters, but right from the beginning she was, and is, a glamorous and talented actress, as seen in this, one of her earliest performances as Dr. Sara Lee Jaffee in "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes".

Never having seen the first three "Relentless" films is not an issue if you watch this film before the others (or don't even bother with the others), as the films are linked (as far as I can tell, after all, I've only watched #4) by Detective Sam Dietz. In "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes", Dietz and fellow detective Jessica Parretti get involved in a homicide case which leads them to Dr. Sara Lee Jaffee, a psychologist who has an (off screen) history with Dietz. From here on in, a bizarre series of events follows as Dietz and Parretti try to solve the case, while Dietz also deals with his now teenage son who is doing some growing up. As the plot thickens and Dr. Jaffee's connections to the murderer are revealed, the final climatic showdown is a thrilling and tense tear-jerker.

While "Ashes to Ashes" (which gets its name from the climatic finale) is a great, often quirky, film, it is certainly not without it's faults. The production values seem quite low, and there is a Telemovie quality about it. Also, Leo Rossi isn't the most appealing of all heroes. He seems to rely more on his comic skills, which at times are just not funny, although perhaps those who have seen the previous three films might be able to appreciate his character more. Colleen Coffery is undervalued as Jessica Parretti, but she has some good moments. Christopher Petit (RIP) takes over the role of Dietz's teenage son, Corey, and hottie John Meyers has a small role as a murder suspect.

But of course it is Famke Janssen who is the real reason anyone would watch "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes" as she proves why she has always been such a terrific actress, even in her early films. Her character of Dr. Sara Lee Jaffee may not be as high-profile as Jean Grey or Xenia Onatop, but she is a fun character, and the ending is very sad. For fans of Famke in particular, "Ashes to Ashes" is certainly worth a watch.

'Ashes to Ashes' brings the 'Relentless' series to a close. One last serial killer to catch, more family drama and Dietz's everlasting quest to get laid. Somethings never change, I suppose. This time a romantic interest is tied to the case, killer allowing Dietz to have a clouded mind and be conveniently be one step behind with a suspect in plain sight.

A deranged loon is murdering women in ritualistic fashion. The first victim was a patient of the attractive Dr. Sara Jaffee (Famke Jensen). Det. Dietz (Leo Rossi) sees this as an opportunity to have sex and help the case secondly. When more victims turn up and they're all tied to the psychiatrist, it's obvious she knows more than what she's saying from a mile away. Lastly Dietz has to repair the relationship between him and his now teen son Corey (Christopher Pettiet).

Each entry in this series has had it's quality ultimately decided by the cast and what they do with the killer. We don't get much depth to the psycho and there's no big name like Judd Nelson or William Forsythe playing him to bail them out. Loring Pickering as Dietz's new female partner is decent. Rossi is still Rossi. Famke Jensen isn't reason enough to check this out no matter what others may lead you to believe.

'Relentless 4: Ashes to Ashes' sticks to their stock one note premise, but goes out on a low note. There's some dumb moments, cheap jump scares in this last entry. The romantic subplot is horrible and the ending isn't much better, but you get a conclusion to the man you've been watching for four films who hasn't always been the most likable guy.

The first movie was mediocre

The second movie was great

The third movie SUCKED

And the fourth (and probably final) entry? It's okay. It doesn't have a strong mystery (and direction) as part two, but in every department, it's a BIG improvement over part three. Has some interesting scenes - my favorite is the scene when Rossi, looking at the clues of a murder scene, completely misreads them but still gets on the right track to the killer!

I thought it actually had a sense of realism, although the ending was contrived. Still a good story. I'd like to see the other relentless movies, but they don't appear to have the same cast.

Veteran L.A. homicide detective Sam Dietz (series star Leo Rossi, in excellent form) is once again working the case of a serial killer. Here, his partner is a sexy young woman appealingly (and sassily) played by Colleen Coffey. And the killer is a p.o.s. who's targeting the patients of a psychiatrist, played by Famke Janssen (Jean Grey in the "X-Men" franchise). The victims may have something in common, but the psycho always changes the method of murder, utilizing "death rituals" from different cultures. And Sam must also deal with a rebellious teen aged son (Christopher Pettiet) who disrespects him.

Written by Mark Sevi, and directed by Oley Sassone, "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes" (the fourth and final entry in this series) doesn't do much to stand out from the very large pack of "Cop vs. Killer" movies that are out there. There are certainly some interesting touches, particularly a development late in the game that gives Dietz an entirely new perspective. Also, there is quite a bit of banter between Dietz and his partner, and one can't help but be amused as he doesn't even try to hide his attraction to both her and the shrink.

The scenes with the son are some of the meatier in this series, and under-appreciated character actor Rossi makes the most of the material. For whatever flaws he might have, Dietz IS dedicated to his job and is trying to do the best he can as a single father.

The movie is noteworthy for being a very early acting credit for former model Janssen, her second feature in fact (albeit a straight-to-video one). She is VERY easy to watch, and, like Rossi, has some effective moments as a character who is hiding some big secrets.

The supporting cast also includes John Scott Clough as the killer, and he just can't compare to William Forsythe in the third movie or even Judd Nelson in the first (at this time, this viewer hasn't seen the second entry in the series). He's creepy, all right, but he's not in their league. Fellow character actor Ken Lerner, who previously played one of Nelsons' victims in the first movie, returns to the series in a different role (the coroner).

Ultimately, this is quite routine but is at least watchable, if you are a die hard fan of this genre.

Six out of 10.