This movie's title isn't totally uninformative. For instance, please consider its second letter "g": had its action been located in the Old West, the title might instead have been Fightin' Mad. Had its last three letters been capitalized, it might instead have concerned Good Folks struggling to overcome Mothers Against
well, something beginning with D. Delirium? Documentaries? Doofishness? I mention this mainly because no one except the bad guys get mad, and their fighting is more obligatory than because they're angry. Anyway, we shall now change from reviewing previously un-reviewed Westerns to reviewing a previously un- reviewed Canayjun (to pronounce the word properly). "And how is it, Marplot, that you know the correct pronunciation?" Because I spent eight happy years living in Canada, four of them in Real Canada, well to the north of the U.S. border.
Positives: The movie's sound quality is excellent, as is its Black and White screen resolution. The choreography of the fist fights is good. Of course, just as in Westerns' innumerable bullets being fired without hitting anything, here innumerable punches do little harm. The musical background is acceptable and not too obtrusive. The plot holds together and is somewhat interesting. The Awful Danger to which the heroine is exposed as the trailer rolls
quickly checks
no, this is not a Plot Spoiler: IMDb has already disclosed it
down the hill into the lake is quite well done, though one wonders how it managed to remain on that somewhat curvy dirt road all the way down. The destruction of an automobile is well rendered. The heroine is a convincing liar.
Negatives: The plot is incessantly interrupted by the Obligatory Comedy Relief, in this case Benny Rubin, Master of Many Dialects. In this case his dialect is a puzzling mixture of Swedish, Quebecois, and Bronx. He's by far the best actor in the movie, with the horse whom he gradually learns to ride coming in second. However, Benny does get in the way. IMDb labels this movie Action; a more appropriate label would be Spasmodic Comedy.
The film begins with Renfrew leading a substantial troop of Mounties as they ride slowly through the conifers and the movie's titles. Renfrew is singing. His tenor voice is pleasant. However, his songs are standard Roy Rogers / Gene Autry dreck. He sings three or four of these, repeating one at the end as the heroine gazes at him adoringly.
Regarding conifers: I'd hoped that this would an Artic Mounties movie, and that Renfrew would have a loyal sled dog named Werfner who would, of course, go Werf, Werf! Instead, though, he has a loyal sidekick who resembles him sufficiently that once in a while I got the two confused. Both are handsome and boring.
Overall: This film was produced by Criterion Pictures Corp.. A criterion is a standard by which to judge something. Here, my criterion is, Would It Have Been Possible To Watch All 54 Minutes Of This If I Hadn't Been Taking Notes? On that I give it a 5. Final irrelevant observation: the title couldn't have been Fighting Mothers Against Dyslexia, because they abbreviate their name as DAM.
