User reviews

All right, all right, I was ecstatic as the next L&O junkie when I heard that Chris Noth would reprise his role as Mike Logan. I looked forward to this movie for months, lying to every friend, family member, and creditor I have that I was absolutely, positively, unavailable that particular Sunday night. I even told my roommate that he was going to have to live without the X-Files for 1 week.

Mulder and Scully, you never looked so good.

It wasn't that this was a bad movie. It's that it took the easy way out in many cases, which is something Law and Order never does. It was a paint-by-numbers cop drama, and didn't try to be anything else.

I won't spoil the plot by pointing out the various pointless twists--let's just say that anyone with a nodding familiarity with the genre will see the ending a mile away. What really struck me was how hard the writers were trying to make this a "one-lone-cop-against-the-bureaucracy" story.

That might have worked with brand new characters, but we've all watched Mike Logan, Lennie Briscoe, Anita Van Buren, and Jack McCoy for years. We know how they're going to react to situations and to each other. Logan's difficulties with McCoy in this film are plausible--they were never all that friendly during their one year together. But his confrontation with Briscoe seems forced, and the mutual animosity with Van Buren is way out of left field. Logan risked his career for her at one point--over Briscoe's objections. So how exactly does she label him "self-absorbed"?

All in all, it left a bad taste in my mouth. The characters and the actors both deserved better.

A few years after Chris Noth left the cast of Law & Order on television, he and Charles Kipps came up with the idea of a television special to reunite him with his audience. Chris is in a precinct in Staten Island, under the jurisdiction of Dabney Coleman, and with Dana Eskelson as a partner. He desperately wants to get back to his old territory, so he fudges the details of a homicide so he can crack the case and earn a transfer.

The opening credits will reassure you that all the Law & Order cast members you know and love join Chris Noth in the movie, but in reality, they have glorified cameos. Jerry Orbach has maybe eight minutes on screen, Sam Waterston and S. Epatha Merkerson probably have five minutes each, and Benjamin Bratt has less than two minutes. But it's still fun to see them—it wouldn't be Exiled: A Law and Order Movie without them! If you love the series—really, who doesn't?—you'll probably want to watch this TV movie. It's extremely similar to the episodes, minus the absence of any courtroom scenes. There's a murder, colorful suspects, snappy banter, and a few one-liners that make you groan and chuckle at the same time.

It's possible that when Chris Noth did Exiled he might have had some hopes of making Mike Logan the lead character of another police detective series maybe based in Staten Island. Of course his motivation for making a thorough going investigation of a prostitute murder which I can tell you most cops anywhere let alone New York City wouldn't have given five seconds of attention to that kind of homicide, was to get back to New York. And no doubt he feels the work will get him back to Manhattan where the action is.

Anyway the Law And Order cast of 1998 all got into the made for TV film including Dann Florek working the organized crime division before going to sex crimes for Law And Order: Special Victims. Even Ice-T gets into this film playing a pimp who looks real good for the prostitute murder until he gets killed. This all being way before he became better known as Detective Finn Tutuola in Special Victims.

Noth is doing his commuter thing on his way to work in Staten Island when he notices a female body wash up where the ferry is docking. It's a homicide and he asks his supervisor Dabney Coleman for the case. Anything better than breaking up bar fights which they do a lot of on Staten Island. He even gets Detective Dana Eskelson to help him out.

Exiled is a nicely constructed film, maybe too nicely constructed. By coincidence the story takes us to his old precinct which brings in all the familiar Law And Order regulars. It also serendipitously does go back to Staten Island to a noted crime family with Don Tony Musante and his mutant son Costas Mandylor. And as it turns out Eskelson happens to know the family, she and Mandylor grew up together.

It could have been a pilot for another Law And Order spin off, but things didn't work out that way for Chris Noth. He had to wait several more years to get back to Manhattan in Law And Order: Criminal Intent. Noth is now retired from the NYPD, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Logan surfaces as a private eye in another film or TV series. Noth goes back to him like Yul Brynner went back to The King And I.

If you can buy all the coincidences Exiled is not a bad film and it sure has a built in audience with all the Law And Order fans.

For those of you who are offended that this movie insinuates nothing happens on Staten Island--get over it-nothing does. I'm a NYC paramedic and I know of what I speak. Chris Noth played this character very realistically. I think Dick Wolf made good use of a great character and an excellent actor. I would also like to give kudos to the 34th Avenue Bowl in my old neighborhood. Chris, why didn't you tell me? We could have hung out! Jeanine

Law & Order fans will appreciate the return of Chris Noth to the setting, and also the slightly longer look at New York City, which obviously cannot be caught in the pacing of a regular episode. The film does seem to attempt to crowd in a few too many Law & Order characters from the period and the years previous to it, and sometimes the pacing is a little slow. Dana Eskelson is adorable as a Logan's partner, a detective who grew up around the Uzielli crime family, and takes this and her status as a woman on the force to mean she has something to prove. Ice-T is hilarious as an absurdly named pimp, but Nicole Ari Parker's performance as victim's sister and Logan's love interest is lackluster and unconvincing. All in all, this movie is not a waste of your time, if you are a Law & Order junkie like the rest of us.

My wife and I are rabid Law and Order fans, so when they reran this the other week on my day off, I was excited to see it for the first time. I think the series is generally as good as ever overall (some ups and downs), but I agree with several other reviewers here that the classic years were those with Chris Noth and Jill Hennessy.

I have to say, having skipped it when it premiered, I really enjoyed the film. I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to see the familiar settings with a new pair of eyes (Noth's), to the point that I could forgive it some character inconsistencies (e.g., I had a hard time recognizing Lenny Briscoe). It also explained for me where Profaci went (other than over to the Sopranos).

Some remarks on comments by other viewers:

1) The latina maid

The numerous cast changes this series has undergone has given ample opportunity to show that cops don't like having to work with new partners. Logan didn't know there would be a spanish-speaking maid, and he didn't know Rey, so why would he bring him along?

Also, I can't speak for New York, which I wouldn't be surprised to find has a realistic policy for dealing with multilingualism, but we must remember that the L&O franchise is overseen by Dick Wolf from Los Angeles. Here in Occupied Mexico, a shocking number of the non-latino minority (particularly cops) display what I can only describe as clueless pride in knowing NO spanish whatsoever.

2) Staten Island

Having never been there, I can't speak to the endless disdain other New Yorkers express toward S.I. as a boring backwater. It's immaterial to the plot, however. From early on in the movie, it's made clear that the reason Logan is working petty crimes is that in his banishment, HE WAS NOT ASSIGNED TO HOMICIDE. 'Kay?

If you are a huge Law & Order fan, I recommend catching this film when it comes around again. Otherwise, I don't know what your interest would be.

I'm not sure how captivating this movie would be for those who didn't love Mike Logan from the first 5 years of "Law & Order". I *think* Chris Noth did a brilliant job conveying Mike's sense of loss, despair, and alienation, but then again, I've missed him sorely from the series. But, even without that background, "Exiled" is a tightly-written and well-acted police procedural, tracking between Staten Island (the scene of Mike's exile) and Manhattan (his lost and desired home), and through the stormy emotional terrain of Mike's mind. The case -- a murdered prostitute -- is far less important than the things it leads them to: a sociopathic mobster and a crooked cop in Mike's old precinct, and even those aren't quite as compelling as the battle Mike fights with his own obsessive desire to get back to his old way of life. In the end, that desire demands more than Mike could ever have dreamed... and the end of the film is painfully real. The Staten Island Ferry visually dominates the film, as is appropriate, as it symbolises Mike's in-between state. And the contrast between the suburban streets of Staten Island and the city (especially for those who remember the episode "God Bless the Child" and Mike's comments about small-town policing) were well done. In fact, the movie was filled with resonating triplets: Staten Island-the ferry-Manhattan; Cragen-Stopher-Van Buren (Mike's bosses); his three partners (past and present); the three women (the wife, the victim, the sister)... and these added to the depth. In short, this is far, far more than a long L&O episode.

This was like fan fiction. Same characters we all know and love but none of the quality of the television show. The dialog was flat, several scenes were repetitive and didn't further the plot in any way, and the cinematography was not at all like any of the other Law & Order shows. Even edited down to one hour this would have been one of the most lame Law & Order episodes ever. I have to wonder if the writer had even seen the show before churning out this drivel. The actors did the best they could with what they had, but this was a stinker from the very first scene. It does not follow the traditional L&O format- no incident before the opening credits, no whump whump, no investigation then trial and the music isn't even the same. Very disappointing.

I've been a Chris Noth Fan for a long time, and was very upset when he left LAW & ORDER. Mike Logan was a quirky, individualistic character who always left you wanting more. What a treat that Mr. Noth and co-writer Charles Kipps finally told us what happened to Logan after he was banished to Staten Island. In addition to being an enjoyable, fast moving mystery, there was always the underlying angst of Logan's boredom. I'm reminded of the phrase "Be Careful What You Wish For...You May Get It." Logan got what he wished for: He returned to the 2-7, and the Homicide work that he loved, only to find out that you can't go back again.

I'd enjoy seeing a sequel, to find out how the character resolves this.

Good Work, Chris Noth!

I admit, having two hours to kill on a winter afternoon puts you in the mood to curl up with a blanket and watch a good crime drama. "Exiled" has its high points, but unless you're an enormous fan of Mike Logan (and I know lots of people that are) this one isn't going to tempt your taste buds much. It follows his "exile" from Manhattan to the outer district, and his attempt through a homicide case to get back into the big leagues, with run-ins with former associates along the way.

Having seen many, many L&O episodes, enough to know the characters pretty well, I felt a lot of them were spot on. Logan's relationship with Lennie seemed plausible after the time the two spent together. I also wasn't nearly as disapproving of his scene with McCoy as others have been -- I felt Jack was the same as usual, a little frustrated with being bullied and not terribly pleased to see Logan again. The hatred Van Buren seemed to have for him was off, but I have to say the bright moments in the script are woven between the regular L&O gang (namely Lennie and Jack's three and a half minute appearance in a mental arm wrestle against Logan's demands that a task force be put into place to solve a crime) and the sadder situations ... a scene close to the end dealing with the crooked cop angle.

It wasn't a total waste of time, but nothing I would go to any lengths to see again.

I am glad Chris Noth is back on "Law & Order" (Criminal Intent)... This made for T.V. movie was very entertaining!! Dealing with the real life habits of mob related criminal activity fortified this NBC Special movie tremendously!! Chris Noth was in virtually every scene in this special presentation, I think it is because the television audience really likes the character Mike Logan on "Law & Order"!!! Chris Noth does an excellent job as a straight forward detective who has the challenge of bringing down crime in his blood stream!! Mike Logan is tough and likable, and this special made for T.V. movie was identifiable with all who remember him on the early days of "Law & Order" ... I give this movie a thumbs up, and I think that "Law & Order" has never been quite the same without Chris Noth!! He and Dennis Farina are my favorite characters on the series!! I recommend to everyone who likes "Law & Order" that they see "Exiled" .. I think the lack of scruples with the underworld takes on a peculiar dimension with this movie... Chris Noth is great in "Exiled" and cameo appearances by many of the "Law& Order" cast contribute to this movie as well!! I give this NBC made for T.V. movie a resounding approval.. Perfect 10!!

On the surface this has all the ingredients of being a fairly impressive TVM since it's directed by Jean De Segonzac who's best known for his work on gritty TV dramas like OZ and HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET and does contain several well known names in the cast like Sam Waterston , Ice-T and Tony Musante . The basic bones of the story featuring a dead prostitute along with a subplot involving a bent cop on the inside does sound interesting but to be blunt EXILED is very disappointing

Much of the blame lies at the feet of the director De Segonzac . This type of story should mirror his previous work , it should be dark and bleak but for whatever reason everything is filmed in broad daylight which means there's a lack of atmosphere . Mind you night filming is expensive so perhaps the director didn't have much of a budget to work with in which case it's someone Else's's fault . I should also point out that despite the premise the story plays out in an entirely boring manner which could cure mild insomnia

It's not the fault of anyone from this movie but when EXILED was broadcast on my regional ITV station this morning we had to endure superimposed sign language ! I kid you not and I hope to never see this kind of distraction ever again

I thoroughly enjoyed "Exiled--A Law & Order Movie" (NBC, 11/08/98). Detective Mike Logan was one of the main reasons Law & Order had 5 golden years in its early history. Actor Chris Noth portrayed Logan from 1990-95 as a complex character with a number of admirable qualities mixed with a few interesting flaws. Logan was intelligent, determined and intensely passionate. He also displayed a sense of humor that made gritty homicide work easier to cope with for himself and his fellow officers.

The intention of the movie was to provide a vehicle for Logan's return to homicide after being put on domestic cases. He was sent to work on Staten Island after he understandably punched a council-man on the courthouse steps following a murder trial. Whether he will return to Manhattan remains to be seen.

Actor Chris Noth has been interviewed by many publications since his contract was not renewed in 1995 by the show's producer, Dick Wolf. Perceptive readers were able to gain some insight into Noth's resilience during that time and his involvement in various other projects. Interviews published in 1998 have revealed his reasons for filming "Exiled," and his hopes for a few more films about Det. Mike Logan since a large number of fans continue to be vocal about his untimely departure from the weekly drama on NBC.

Remembering Mr. Noth's goals for the film helped me understand and appreciate it even more. I watched it to see Det. Logan's character developed the way Chris Noth felt it should. Many facets of Logan were ignored during 1990-95 by "Law & Order's" producer. Even so, Mr. Noth was still able to skillfully flesh out the one-dimensional role he was given into a likable, complex, interesting man that would prove to be a drawing card for the drama during its first 5 years. "Exiled" further developed Logan during its 2-hour format. Credit for the consistent popularity of Detective Mike Logan belongs to Chris Noth.

I'll watch Chris Noth's version of what a skilled homicide detective is like over Dick Wolf's any day.

Chris Noth better get his head straight if he is to continue to write scripts. There are eight million stories in the naked city, and that includes Staten Island. And as an actor that wants to keep playing a cop,he better learn some Spanish so when he comes across a witness or perpetrator that speaks little or no English, he can show the viewer that he is the smart sleuth he portrays himself to be.

I was thoroughly satisfied with this m-o-w. As a rabid "Law and Order" fan, I knew the backstory of Mike Logan and his exile after smacking a N.Y. Councilman on the steps of the Hall of Justice. I enjoyed the nuanced performance by Chris Noth, the twists of the plot, the humorous one-liners, the trance-y music by Mike Post, the balance between action and intimacy. Hope to see more of this story line in future "Exiled" episodes!

I enjoyed the Movie and was glad to see Chris Noth as Mike Logan again! I wish that his character would be brought back to us as a regular cast member!

My name is Mike Logan, I am the best part of Law&Order...I completely dominated this wonderful two hour special of Law&Order entitled "EXILED" I was incredible in my acting performance and I look FANTASTIC!!...Many people want me back on Law&Order.. However, I am a sensational success on the hit series "Sex and the City" as well!! I am doing hit movies and I love being a huge and immensely popular actor in one of the biggest Television series in all of the history of NBC's history and all other networks as well!! Law&Order has done a great deal for me, however I have made significant contributions to the success of Law&Order as well!! When you are 6'4" and you are loved by women and admired and respected by men due to your great looks and wonderful personality, you are cast as the highlight in a Law&Order television special....Exiled was my show...nobody else seemed to spark the television audience nearly as much..."Exiled" was great, because I was great!!!...Of course, Chris Noth is way too modest to say all of these things...but he should...So I will say it for him...I loved Chris Noth in Law&Order "Exiled" just as I thought that he was without question and effortlessly the best part of Law&Order as well!!!

Mike Logan (Chris Noth) is back in this Law & Order television movie.

Exiled to Staten Island after hitting a politician in the Law & Order series. Logan wants to get back to his old precinct in Manhattan investigating murders.

He feels a little lost and restless in Staten Island.

Finding the mutilated body of a prostitute sends Logan back into Manhattan.

Logan gets close with the dead woman's sister. He crosses swords with a gangster and finds himself searching for a crooked cop.

Slightly grittier than the normal Law & Order episode. There has more earthy language and scenes in a strip joint.

Several Law & Order characters show up for a few scenes such as Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston.

It's nothing too exciting and is a little bit bloated. There is an obvious new face at the police precinct who might just be the crooked cop.

This does feel like a pilot for a television spin off based on Mike Logan.