I'm going through the Perry movies and sometimes you get 10 star winners... and sometimes you get Sam Steele's Detective Agency. I'm guessing Des Moines and their film credit were seeking some kind of movie to make and this fell in their laps and "Yay, we get to be Hollywood for a month!" Can't blame them for wanting some movie action. But like most film grant movies, the money is in the tax breaks and not expected in real revenue. The script was fine for a kids flick but 90% of the acting was awful, the direction and edits, which usually make up for bad acting, was even worse than the acting, and the action was slow, as they were busy also trying to incorporate showing off some of Des Moines here and there. The soundtrack was cliché but fun, as it was cute how they played accordion music each time the French villain was on screen.
Not an enjoyable movie, as I had to fast forward through the tedious scenery and "action" scenes, but the story was passable for kid entertainment. The story was passable, not the acting. I can't imagine how even a child could enjoy the first receptionist's monotonous talking (even if it was supposed to be on purpose, it didn't deliver) or a news reporter that looked like she was hired from the casting couch. Katherine McNamara was very good and Darren Kennedy was almost decent, as well. Sorry, Fogle, not you, though...
But Luke Perry's gotta work and I'm sure the role paid the bills for him. Speaking of bills, he rightfully got a top billing credit out of the gig. This was fair because he was the biggest star in the film, though it was still awkward because if there's a title character, that person would usually get the cast credit. I don't blame Perry for taking on the film, he had a busy 2009, which is where I'm up to in following him. No projects he's done, though, are worth praising since 2007's John From Cincinnati or 2006's Windfall and nothing memorable that had real Perry fingerprints since Johnson County War and Jeremiah in 2002-2004. I see he did a lot in 2010 and I'll be checking those out next. Here's hoping...
