MatchMaker Mysteries: The Art of the Kill

This movie series is great. I love seeing Bruce Boxleitner (Scarecrow and Mrs. King). He is the best mystery solver ever. Danika McKellar (Wonder Years) and Victor Webster (Continuum) make a great team.

I wish I could like the Matchmaker series but this is the last one I'll probably watch. I know some people like Danica McKellar but I find her acting style extremely annoying. In every role she is perky to the point of making me nauseous with all her eye widening and grinning and high pitched voice. Her posture looks like she's deliberately trying to thrust her chest out while sitting, standing and walking. That may be her natural posture but it looks unnatural. And her talking the killer out of shooting her is ludicrous. The entire matchmaking plot line is boring unless you're a fan of those reality dating shows. I've always liked Victor Webster but he's yet another Hallmark leading man who acts like he's not remotely physically attracted to his leading lady. The supporting cast is no better with the exception of Bruce Boxleitner. You can tell he's an experienced actor and he acts very natural in his role. The rest of them ham it up so badly they could be served as Easter dinner. I don't understand why Hallmark sticks with this series. They've done such a great job with the Mystery 101 and Teagarden series as far as casting and plots. It's as if they've assigned their "B" team to this series.

And I think it's about time Hallmark considered creating a mystery series with older leads like Boxleitner. There are plenty of experienced actors who could do a great job with that and I, for one, would like to see Hallmark diversify the age group of their leading actors. I'm betting a large part of their audience is over fifty.

Museum director Lucia Ricci (Aliyah O'Brien) discovers her colleague's body just before the opening of their new exhibit, Mythical Etruscan Lovers. The good doctor was instrumental in bringing the ancient statues to the museum and was continuing his research when he was felled by the cyanide-laced commemorative cookies. Television matchmaker Angie Dove ends up in the middle of the investigation, having accompanied her dad, retired police detective Nick Columba, to the museum for an unrelated matter that same day.

Decent Hallmark mystery, if a little formulaic but that's expected. It's a light fun mystery with a lively performance by Danica, who sort of lights up the proceedings. Victor Webster is a grounded foil, who keeps asking what's she doing at the crime scene.

Standard Hallmark mystery formula but the acting is so bad it doesn't even rise to their low quality standards. I realize they have programming hours to fill but they would probably save a lot of money by using local theatre groups instead of these yokels. I feel sorry for Bruce Boxleitner. He must owe someone a favour to be associated with this drivel.

This entry in the Matchmaker Mystery Series has our intrepid Miss Dove helping her retired detective father solve a petty theft at the Museum where they find a body.

Enter our handsome detective who in the process of solving the murder is continually running in to his favorite matchmaker Miss Dove, who always seems to be there first.

Poisoning, pendants, bakers and book lovers. A mystery is solved and another successful match is made.

And it is not a date, just donuts in this formulaic Hallmark Mystery Movie.

Easy, breezy and feel good. While this is not my favorite hallmark mystery series (that is reserved for the big three Aurora Teagarden, Murder she Baked and Mystery 101) it is better than a lot of other stuff on tv.