Columbo: Ashes to Ashes

There is no doubt that Columbo's star Peter Falk loves this character. He always takes him out of the closet in a manner of speaking. Peter Falk would be knighted if he was a British actor but since he is an American actor and icon, we'll take him the way he is. I remember watching this episode with Golden Girls' star Rue McClanahan as the gossip columnist Verity Chandler. Of course, Patrick McGoohan has often been associated with Columbo whether he is directing, writing or starring. There is something addictive about Columbo. He doesn't dumb down the role or the characters. He learns just as well as we do. He is quite the detective. He always gets his man or woman and I just adore Columbo. He is always worth watching. He mixes humor and seriousness with the most serious crime of murder. His job might be murder but it sure is fun watching him get the man or woman to be caught. Even then, you kind of feel sorry for the criminal for his actions. It' the Columbo touch that you pity the criminal and love the detective.

Although "Ashes to Ashes" is not one of the best "Columbo" episodes, it is all the same a solid episode, especially when you consider that during this period the show was often hit or miss. It does have some flaws here and there. Like many of the latter day episodes, it does seem to be a bit long and slow at times. Columbo himself also seems to be a bit slower in his actions and words as well. Also, I was able to guess more or less what would prove to be the downfall of Patrick McGoohan's character in the first ten or so minutes of the episode! But McGoohan does prove to be a pretty good opponent - he comes across as smarter and craftier than the usual suspects that Columbo dealt with over the years. And while this episode is longer and slower than other episodes, I can say that it's never boring. Fans of the show should be fairly satisfied with the end results.

Don't really know why but out of all Columbo movies this is the one that always sticked most into my mind. I think this is mostly due to Patrick McGoohan's presence, who only a few years prior to this movie impressed with his role in "Braveheart" (how did he not won an Oscar for that?).

Like many Columbo movies before, this one got also directed by Patrick McGoohan, who also once again plays the killer of the movie. Most of the McGoohan Columbo movies are some really classy made ones, that are well directed and also better than the average Columbo movie entries. You can say that a McGoohan Columbo movie is always something special, even though not all are quite as good, such as for instance the failure "Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore". It wasn't the last movie McGoohan would direct for the Columbo series but it was the last Columbo movie he played in.

As a matter of fact this also as of yet is the last movie McGoohan has appeared in. He did some voice-work after this movie but he psychically hasn't appeared in a movie ever since. He's still alive and kicking though, so he might once pop up in a movie again, though I assume that he is enjoying his retirement. He always had some good interaction with Peter Falk within the Columbo movies, probably also due to the fact that they have been close friends for years. Peter Falk also must have felt at ease with McGoohan behind the cameras, who in return also gave Falk lots of room to play around. This really shows within this movie.

Besides Peter Falk and Patrick McGoohan, the movie also features the great Rue McClanahan, as the movie its victim. She plays a very typical role, which has become sort of her trademark, ever since her "The Golden Girls" role. It also features some other fine actors in supporting roles, such as Richard Riehle, Sally Kellerman and Edie McClurg.

It's a movie that sticks nicely to the usual familiar Columbo movie formula. It has a nice typical murder-mystery story, although Columbo murders never really have been a 'mystery', since we always know from the beginning on who got killed by who, how and why. The story by the way also partly got written by McGoohan, so this really is 'his' movie. It isn't the most fast going Columbo movie but it nevertheless always is a good and interesting to watch, since the story progresses nicely and the movie features some nice characters and actors that are portraying them.

8/10

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I'm a great Columbo fan and Ashes to Ashes certainly didn't disappoint me in any way, shape or form. Peter Falk, as usual is splendid as Lt. Columbo. Patrick McGoohan, as stern and sometime wry undertaker Eric Prince, plays his role precisely and believably. He had played in previous Columbo movies. Rue McClanahan plays gossip columnist Verity Chandler with such magic and charm that we want to see much, much more of her. Sally Kellerman plays Liz Houston convincingly. Along with the rest of the actors in this wonderful movie, the viewer will not be disappointed at the end of the movie. If you adore mystery and Columbo, this movie is for you! It's to be noted that it's not just the main actors that make this movie work. All actors play their parts exceptionally.

A tremendous cast, by latter-day Columbo standards, including Rue McClanahan, Sally Kellerman, Edie McClurg, Richard Libertini, Aubrey Morris, and Ron Masak have a field day chewing up the scenery in clever scene after clever scene. Legendary tap dancer Arthur Duncan even shows up to add the proper element of theatre d'absurd to the proceedings. The dialogue is well-above average in the cleverness department as well. The twists and turns are ingenious. McGoohan has a field day as director and actor. The last line puts the proper icing on the cake. This is one of the very best of the latter-day Columbo movies.