Psych: The Movie

I was really excited to see Psych had been continued in movie form, and for the most part that excitement was justified. As with the brilliant TV series, the show is often wildly funny and the chemistry between Shawn and Gus is perfect.

The first half is everything I wanted it to be, but issues turn up after a while. The movie falls victim to the disease of guest-star-itis, squeezing in a bunch of unnecessary cameos of people I barely remember. And the final confrontation is an attempt to create something bigger and more exciting what the series did, and it falls pretty flat.

The movie also, for some reason, virtually ditches the psychic schtick that was such a big part of the series. There's almost none of that Shaun-sight thing where certain items are highlighted, and the only fake psychic-ing is unconvincingly shoehorned in.

The end result is something that is funny and likable but also unfocused and, even more than the series itself, very messy.

If you're a Psych fan then you should definitely watch this, and if you've never seen the series you should also take a look. But this movie does not equal the best episodes of the series.

It was such a delight to hear the Psych theme song again and see the wonderful cast, including James Roday, Dule Hill, Maggie Lawson, Kristen Nelson, Corbin Bernsen, and Kurt Fuller. The only one missing was Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) who actually did appear when Maggie contacted him by phone.

When the film begins, it is three years later, and the whole group is now working in San Francisco. Shawn (Roday) continues to search for the engagement ring he wanted to give Juliet (Lawson), Gus (Hill) has a beautiful stalker, and someone is out to get Maggie.

There are the usual one-liners, the singing in harmony, and some familiar villains, including a hilarious bit at the end of the film. There's a scene in a closed insane asylum and one in Alcatraz. All par for the course.

I really miss these guys. I think today we need to laugh more than we ever have, and the Psych group belongs on the landscape. Thankfully, I don't think this is the last time we'll see them.

OK, maybe this one would be better titled a "bias" review.

You see, the TV show had this thing where it made me laugh out loud at least once an episode. At LEAST. And honestly, there aren't that many shows that have really made me laugh out loud.

And then, well, James Roday and Dulé Hill are just brilliant together, hands down the best comedic duo I've seen in a VERY long time.

So...walking into this, well, I had high expectations and, I kind of already knew I was going to love it...

Except...Timothy Omundson, breaks the heart about his stroke and he was missed, a lot, because, yeah, he was hysterical too.

And, as in the the TV show, the only week part is really Maggie Lawson and that's not her fault, she just...the straight one. She does a good job, but with Roday and Hill sharing scenes with her, it's hard for her to get out of those shadows.

Still, "Shawn stop talking," she has her moments.

And the same pretty much stands for this movie as well. Everyone is hysterical, Roday and Hill play off one another to great effect, and poor Lawson is stuck playing it straight while Corbin, Fuller, and the rest get to ham it up until, well, until you're laughing.

Really, they came back without missing a beat. It was like they were all made for their roles.

AND...did I mention it was funny, like really funny? Isn't that the most important part? I laughed out loud again. It was hysterical, just like the show and...just reminded me how much I missed it.

So funny that there were scenes you just had to rewind a few times.

Just so funny and, with shows like this, that is all that matters.

It was really like seeing old friends again.

It was great to see everyone (almost) back together again but it just didn't do it for me. It honestly wasn't that funny like it use to be.

I went back and watched the entire series again before watching this. "The Movie" wasn't Christmas dinner but more of a real good, satisfying late night ham sandwich. Standard Psych interactions. Fun, some good lines etc. The more negative reviews, I get. The plot was thin and it lacked any dramatic moments. Psych has the ability to bring laugh out loud moments and move you to tears moments in the same episode. Few shows do it as well. This wasn't Yin/Yang good (I hope Ally Sheedy is in the next installment), nor as good as the Despereaux or Declan Rand episodes but itt was entertaining and fun. I enjoyed seeing Zachary Levi from "Chuck" although wished he was a client rather than a bad guy. My hopes is that the second movie contains both the humor AND the emotional drama of the better episodes.