“If You Ever Want to Go to Spy School, I’ll Give You an Excellent Reference.” “And Give Up the Excitement of Life as a Bookseller?”
When I recorded the Mystery Woman movies off TV a while back, I hadn’t paid any attention to who was in them, so I was excited to see that Bruce Boxleitner was a guest star in Wild West Mystery.
It’s time for the annual Wild West Days in town. Samantha (Kellie Martin) is in charge this year, and she has pulled off a huge win. Clint Lawson (Bruce Boxleitner) and the rest of his co-stars from the TV show Red River Days have agreed to come to town for the event. An accident during the first show puts everyone on edge, but then someone is shot at the second one. While everyone thought at first it was Clint, it turned out to be Dogie (Joe Stevens), his double. The question quickly becomes, who was the intended target?
I’ve got to admit, I wasn’t sure how the Wild West was going to play into this one, but thanks to the TV show, it fits in perfectly. We get a few scenes in the bookstore, but most of the time we are out at the fairgrounds or an old saloon where the actors are hanging out.
The cast of a TV show being suspects in a murder feels familiar. After all, it makes for an easy group of suspects. But I quickly forgave the familiar set up as I got caught up in the story. It doesn’t seem to matter who the intended target was because just about everyone had motives and secrets to hide. The climax was a bit theatrical, but I enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, the movie does come with a high dose of Hallmark cheese. I think this shows that I haven’t gotten used to Hallmark movies but their production values have gotten better. The cheese is present in both the acting and the dialogue the writers give the actors to say.
I already talked about Bruce Boxleitner being in the film. I’ve been a fan of his for years, so getting to see him here was a treat. I also enjoyed getting to watch Barbara Niven. She’s been in a couple of different Hallmark movie franchises, so it was fun to see her in this earlier Hallmark role.
Once again, this is a movie that Hallmark mystery movies fans will enjoy. If that’s you, you’ll find yourself caught up in the twists of Wild West Mystery.
Nice review, Mark. I like a bit of Hallmark cheese. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the Hallmark cheese though this isn't my favorite series. A good guest star though makes a big difference!
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