Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf

Ian Buchanan stars as a smug, self-satisfied man named Sean Brantley who is co-owner of a successful men's magazine called "Bachelor's World", with him as the chief bachelor, though his partner Dian Hunter(played by Deidre Hall) owns majority stock, and wants to sell out to a wealthy British businessman who will shut Sean down, so an elaborate scheme is devised that makes it look like Dian was murdered and replaced before she arrives at the airport on her flight to London. Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk) is asked in on the case by old friend Chief Superintendent Durk(from earlier episode 'Dagger Of The Mind') and is convinced it's murder, but after the vast estate is turned upside down looking for her corpse, Brantley benefits from all the free publicity it provides, which of course is no accident... Outstanding episode is the best of the revived series, and a highlight of the entire series, with an ingenious, lively script that inverses the traditional formula on its head most effectively, leading to a perfect "Gotcha" ending. A delight from start to finish.

"Columbo Cries Wolf" is an episode that involves a Playboy-like magazine and the disappearance of its publisher. Now this SHOULD mean that the police would investigate....their Missing Persons unit. However, being "Columbo", our favorite homicide detective was assigned the case. Like nearly every episode of this long-running series, there are plenty of red herrings and twists....and the less said about them here the better, as it would clearly spoil the suspense.

This episode is so clearly 1990 in style....with some outrageous fashions and music. But it's also a show clearly trying to bring sex into the show in order to boost ratings....with tons of beautiful women in various states of dress and undress.

So is it any good? Yes, though I didn't love this one. One reason was Ian Buchanan's accent...which seemed to come and go. At times, he sounded like a typical American and other times he sounded like the Scot he is. This is especially noticeable in a scene inside the limo with Columbo....and I am surprised the director didn't spot this and re-shoot the scene. Another was that where the body would ultimately be found and how was clearly telegraphed...too much so. Still, it is entertaining and worth seeing.

PLOT: The majority owner of a popular men's mag (Deidre Hall), the kind with layouts of alluring women, disappears when she travels to London. Columbo smells murder and zeroes-in on her womanizing partner (Ian Buchanan), as well as his latest model-trinket (Rebecca Staab).

COMMENTARY: Who cares if the two guest-stars are soap opera actors? This is one of the better latter-day installments. The plot follows the Columbo formula up until the last act and then pulls the rug out from under you.

I thought it was good up to that point with an interesting murder scenario that includes an element of the original Columbo movie "Prescription: Murder" (1968), but the unexpected twist takes it to the next level, even though it's pretty preposterous. Entertainment is the name of the game and this episode delivers.

It's perhaps the best showcase of beautiful women in the show's history, rivaled only by the outstanding "Now You See Him" (1976). Rebecca Staab is a highlight as Tina. You might remember her as Jerry Seinfeld's winsome redhead girlfriend in the episode "The Pledge Drive" (1994).

The movie runs 1 hour, 35 minutes.

GRADE: A-

I must say I was shocked at how many reviewers gave this a fine rating. And I say this as one who does not despise every episode from the later Columbos. Despite the overall downgrade in quality, and the ridiculous and failed attempts to change the formula in many, I still think there were quite a few superb episodes, including the two with McGoohan, the Faye Dunnaway and Dabney Coleman episodes, the one with the dental filling, 'R.I.P Mrs. Columbo,' and the very last episode - just to name a few. However, this one, like most of the others that changed the formula, fails miserably in my opinion. Basically, it is extremely good in the final fifteen minutes, and downright awful for the first 75 - when one is suffocated by dreadful soap opera acting, endless shots of bathing beauties, and the kind of infantile detective work that one finds in a typical cable channel movie of the week whodunit. Only when all this is mercifully gone, is the great Peter Falk allowed to shine again. Moreover, the entire plot and sleuthing in the first 75 minutes have no connection whatsoever to the Columbo style, and the clues he discovers are downright childish by his standards - such as the creamer clue upon which he builds his entire case. Basically, it is nothing more than a bit of good luck that any lousy detective could fall into, w/o requiring any of the Columbo ingenuity and brilliance to notice or decipher. When you stick to the formula, even if the actors and script are mediocre, you can at least enjoy Columbo and his inimitable acting and comments. In this film, you have neither. Just look at the list of 'Quotes.' There is not even a single line worth repeating. Likewise, no dog, car or raincoat jokes to laugh at. Humor in this flop amounts to Columbo getting splashed with water, or sitting in a limo with 6 bimbos. God have mercy on me.

This installment of '90s Columbo isn't half bad if you can overlook some corny dialogue and stilted acting delivered by soap opera actors (a very attractive Deidre Hall and a sufficiently oily Ian Buchanan) in bad clothing and repeated scenes of cheesy photo shoots designed as fillers for this 120 minute format. I really think that the newer shows would have benefited from a 90 minute format, tightening up the story lines. Peter Falk is still great and easily out-acts anybody he shares a scene with. Older of course but still wonderful. I just really miss big name guest stars as villains. I would love to have seen Elizabeth Taylor and other classic stars. These lesser known actors just don't bring the omph. A huge part of the fun of vintage Columbo were the big name villains. The menacing music also added to the atmosphere and tension where most of the music in the newer installments is just plain bad. All in all, this is certainly not the worst among the newer Columbos.It actually got better as it went along. The plot entertains and surprises....with a cool twist at the end.