The Defenders: Choice of Evils

Great cast, including E.G. Marshall in a reprise of his role in the 60's TV series, John Laroquette, Beau Bridges, Mark Blum, good premise, familiar territory--more than enough for a good-ole courtroom whodunit.

But this presentation begins to unnerve almost immediately. Martha Plimpton's upstart young attorney is so annoying, it throws the whole meter of the drama off the rails, time after time.

Her dialogue is so trite, so predictable, that it gives the viewer absolutely no room to let her character provide the conflict that's necessary to give the story some depth. Her delivery is so harsh you almost reach for the volume-down button every time she speaks.

Lack of subtlety, in the story, and the dialogue are really the major culprits, Even the scenes without Plimpton are cliché, and heavy-handed. Plimpton's performance is merely the cherry on top.

It's a real shame.