Columbo: Undercover

It seems that Peter Falk didn't mind veering from the "Columbo" formula from time to time, but the attempts weren't always successful. "Undercover" from season 12 is one example.

The big problem is that it isn't a script meant for Columbo, and very little was done to adapt it to our rumpled lieutenant. It begins in a precinct and concerns the hunt for pieces of a photograph, cut to resemble jigsaw pieces, that will tell the police where $4 million was hidden after a robbery six years earlier. When they are approached by the insurance agent (Ed Begley, Jr.) who couldn't recover the money, the captain says that Columbo and another detective (Harrison Page) can take it on.

It's not an altogether unsuccessful episode, but the beginning is offputting. It's not just the precinct set and a 67-year-old man getting permission from his captain, it's the fact that the dialogue and setup are just not the character in any way, shape, or form.

Later it becomes fun, when Columbo actually goes undercover as a low-life to track down the photo pieces and then as a Mafia godfather. Also, he has good scenes with the real-life Mrs. Falk, Shera Danese, and a fun scene with Tyne Daly, who plays an old hooker. However, this scene wasn't in tune with Columbo either as I don't think he would have kissed her on the lips.

Burt Young, who once played Columbo in Murder Can Hurt You - but the name was changed to Palumbo - is one of the people looking for the puzzle, and the absolutely gorgeous Kristen Bauer, now Kristen Bauer von Straten is Begley's girlfriend.

There is a little Columboism at the end.

I can't say I didn't enjoy this episode because it's hard not to enjoy Columbo and I always took him any way I could get him. I'm just disappointed that a little more effort wasn't put into the script -- it actually could have been a Movie of the Week with Falk playing a completely different character.

A 1994 Columbo story that goes out of its way, even by modern Columbo standards, to remove the entrenched shackles of the style and execution exhibited in the original series.

The puzzling plot involves a piece of a black and white photograph found at the scene of a double murder in an apartment. An insurance investigator later comes forward providing Columbo with a ripped piece of paper partly showing the names of people who possess the other pieces of the photograph, which when wholly assembled, will identify the whereabouts of a hidden loot stemming from a bungled robbery a few years ago.

Undoubtedly, plenty of energy and ambition was plunged into this Columbo adventure at the conception stage, but the plot's positive properties are undone by a script which drags it's revelations around with it rather mundanely rather than inserts them with conviction. Also, the characters also lack a certain lustre and fail to raise the profile of the whole episode.

Columbo's donning of disguises means that he is hardly in his trademark mac and for die-hard fans this is a little hard to stomach, despite Falk's obvious self-pleasure in diversifying his character on screen.

Not a total washout by any means and mildly entertaining in its own way, the identity of the culprit (revealed about 5 minutes from the end) is however unsurprising and moreover, there is absolutely no opportunity for a battle of wits between Columbo and murderer, which was the hallmark of the original series.

A warning to all fans of the old 70's Columbo series: extreme broad-mindedness (or amnesia) might allow you to partially enjoy this episode, but it simply builds up the plot and fails to sustain it's intensity.

This is definitely an original and different Columbo movie. Just like the previous "Columbo: No Time to Die", this movie its story got based on an Ed McBain novel. Not sure what the story was behind adapting these McBain novels, since its stories, atmosphere and settings have basically very little to do with the familiar usual Columbo franchise. Nevertheless, this is a movie that works out pleasantly because of its fine story.

Might be difficult to really see this movie as a Columbo movie entry but as a stand alone movie its simply a fine one. It's also a nicely directed movie, that has a totally different look from the usual Columbo movie entry and breaths a totally different atmosphere. It has a more theatrical- and professional movie look so to speak. Vincent McEveety was a director who tried out many different things for the Columbo series and he succeeds with this movie at were Alan J. Levi failed with his other Ed McBain adaptation "Columbo: No Time to Die".

It has a good detective mystery story, with a sniff of adventure to it, thanks to the whole jigsaw puzzle concept, that when put together shows the place were 4 millions dollars from a bank robbery-gone-wrong are hidden. The whole movie is about finding this pieces of the puzzle and the people that are holding them. At times the movie even has a touch of film-noir. It all sounds odd and out of place for a Columbo movie and yes it probably also is but nevertheless this concept, story and approach makes this simply a very fine and enjoyable movie to watch.

It has really story that could had also been used for a successful full length theatrical released movie, having many big names in it. I must say that perhaps it would had been better all together if it indeed got made that way. Not that it's a bad movie right now but it would had worked out better all if it featured some original and fresh character and wasn't a part of the Columbo franchise, with Peter Falk in it as the famous police lieutenant. The story doesn't always connect well with the character and the movie also has some weaker, slower moments in it, when Lt. Columbo goes investigating and interrogation his suspects in his trademark own manner, which again, doesn't always correspond well with the style and atmosphere of the entire movie.

Because of that for a part of the movie Lt. Columbo also needs to go undercover (hence the title; "Columbo: Undercover"), it means that Peter Falk's role is also different from any other thing he has done in any other Columbo movie. Guess he really enjoyed playing in this one! You could say that Columbo is not himself during this movie and he spends halve of the time pretending he is an Italian gangster. So no trademark Columbo moments really in this movie, which might disappoint you when you're expecting simply a Columbo movie like any other, that follows the usual successful formula and has all the familiar ingredients in it.

There is also a load of some good and well known actors within this movie. Ed Begley Jr., Burt Young and Tyne Daly all show up. It definitely gives the movie something extra and they also really did one fine job playing their roles. Same also goes for Harrison Page, who I liked as Columbo's partner in this one. Sort of a shame and perhaps a missed opportunity that he didn't got featured in any other later Columbo movies.

Really different from any other Columbo movie you'll ever see but it all works out fine and makes this a pleasant, different, Columbo movie experience.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Even though the majority of people find the new (1989-2003) Columbo movies inferior to the classic episodes from the 1970's, I actually find them usually to be on par with the originals. For one thing, the newer episodes have much better production values; the cinematography and original musical scores are often striking and skillfully done. That being said, this particular "new" installment was a disappointment for me.

The premise of the movie is certainly intriguing - two men are killed in a seedy apartment and one of them has a jigsaw like piece of a picture. This leads Columbo into a complex mystery which involves finding the many pieces of a photograph that reveals the location of $4 million worth of stolen loot. This money was attained from a heist many years ago, where all four of the robbers were shot to death after they had already hidden the cash. Columbo then goes "undercover" to try to gain all the pieces of the puzzle from many different colorful characters before someone beats him to the punch.

The plot originated from an Ed McBain novel (Jigsaw) and it is an odd choice to mold the Columbo character into a seemingly unrelated novel. This results in a drastic change from the usual Columbo formula we all love and the results are lukewarm. While it was nice to see Peter Falk exercise his acting range in this movie by playing many different characters while undercover, the movie doesn't have the essential ingredient that made the Columbo franchise successful in the first place - the cat and mouse game. Without this dynamic the movie's momentum drags and by the end of the movie when the villain was revealed I really didn't care much. The "who-dunnit" aspect was not strong enough for me to care and the killer was not convincing nor exciting enough for this movie to be a success.

Some bright spots of the episode was the brilliant (but much too short) performance of Tyne Daly as the pitiful, sleazy ex-hooker Dorothea McNally. The scenes between her and Peter Falk crackle with electricity and their one scene together is the highlight of the movie. The musical score by Dick De Benedictis has a film-noir sound to it and adds to the atmosphere of the movie. The cinematography is uncharacteristically gritty and dark for a Columbo movie - which commonly focuses on the life of the rich and elegant.

Overall, this was an enjoyable but mediocre Columbo entry. Still recommended despite its shortcomings.

I reasonably liked Undercover, but I can think of better and perhaps more interesting episodes. My complaints are some moments where the script, while mostly amusing and fun, loses lustre especially towards the end, the last 15 minutes doesn't hold that many surprises and feels unsatisfying and while Ed Begley Jnr is good actually I found the character underwritten. However, it is beautifully filmed with a fitting score and an intriguing, well paced and fun story. Columbo is different to how he's usually written, but Peter Falk puts his versatility to the limit and is as always entertaining. The support cast manage to be more memorable than Begley, with Tyne Daly just as good as with her performance in the Columbo episode A Bird in the Hand, Burt Young is amusing but faring best is Harrison Page who is a delight as Columbo's partner. Overall, entertaining and solid if not one of the better episodes. 7/10 Bethany Cox