George Peppard is good as Vince Newman, a grim L.A. detective who's somewhat unorthodox but also incorruptible. When he and his partner Garry (Roger Robinson, "Willie Dynamite") attempt to get the goods on a crime kingpin (Louis Zorich, "Fiddler on the Roof"), the bad guys try to get the hero out of the way by framing him for possession. But Newman is not to be denied in his quest for justice, or his determination to find out who on the force set him up.
Working from a script by Anthony Wilson, debuting feature director Richard T. Heffron ("Futureworld") gives us a fairly basic theatrical version of what a person might see on a TV cop show of the era - albeit with stronger violence. We've all seen heroes like Newman since - bachelor loners who are unambitious in their private lives. (TV dinners are the mainstay in Newmans' diet.) The nice touch in "Newman's Law" can work as a fore-runner to "Lethal Weapon", in that a contrast is provided between the two partners; Robinsons' character Garry is married and a father, and he's more of a stable influence. But he's very loyal to his partner, and only begins to get irked when Newman suggests that *he* may be the leak in the department.
The story is certainly quite watchable, and Heffron keeps it moving forward more than adequately. The excellent score is by Robert Prince ("Squirm"), and the impressive cinematography by Vilis Lapenieks, a TV veteran whose credits include 'Kojak' and 'Toma'. The main draw is a large supporting cast full of familiar faces: Eugene Roche ("Foul Play") as Newmans' boss, Gordon Pinsent ("Away from Her") as the district attorney, Abe Vigoda ('Barney Miller') as a mafioso, Michael Lerner ("Barton Fink") as the D.A.'s associate, Victor Campos ("Scarface") as a uniformed cop, and Mel Stewart ('Scarecrow and Mrs. King'), David Spielberg ("Christine"), Teddy Wilson ("Cleopatra Jones"), Kip Niven ("New Year's Evil"), Richard Bull ('Little House on the Prairie'), and Stack Pierce ("Vice Squad"). The radiant Marlene Clark ("Ganja & Hess") is cast as Garry's wife. Through it all, Robinson exudes confidence and reliability, while Peppard is given one touching character detail in that he visits an invalid father in a nursing home.
While room is left for some humor, overall the effect of "Newman's Law" is a sober one. Wilson, Heffron, and company aren't afraid to have things end badly for any of their characters. And the action scenes are capably handled, with the standout being an assault on Peppard that turns into a shootout inside a department store.
Six out of 10.
Working from a script by Anthony Wilson, debuting feature director Richard T. Heffron ("Futureworld") gives us a fairly basic theatrical version of what a person might see on a TV cop show of the era - albeit with stronger violence. We've all seen heroes like Newman since - bachelor loners who are unambitious in their private lives. (TV dinners are the mainstay in Newmans' diet.) The nice touch in "Newman's Law" can work as a fore-runner to "Lethal Weapon", in that a contrast is provided between the two partners; Robinsons' character Garry is married and a father, and he's more of a stable influence. But he's very loyal to his partner, and only begins to get irked when Newman suggests that *he* may be the leak in the department.
The story is certainly quite watchable, and Heffron keeps it moving forward more than adequately. The excellent score is by Robert Prince ("Squirm"), and the impressive cinematography by Vilis Lapenieks, a TV veteran whose credits include 'Kojak' and 'Toma'. The main draw is a large supporting cast full of familiar faces: Eugene Roche ("Foul Play") as Newmans' boss, Gordon Pinsent ("Away from Her") as the district attorney, Abe Vigoda ('Barney Miller') as a mafioso, Michael Lerner ("Barton Fink") as the D.A.'s associate, Victor Campos ("Scarface") as a uniformed cop, and Mel Stewart ('Scarecrow and Mrs. King'), David Spielberg ("Christine"), Teddy Wilson ("Cleopatra Jones"), Kip Niven ("New Year's Evil"), Richard Bull ('Little House on the Prairie'), and Stack Pierce ("Vice Squad"). The radiant Marlene Clark ("Ganja & Hess") is cast as Garry's wife. Through it all, Robinson exudes confidence and reliability, while Peppard is given one touching character detail in that he visits an invalid father in a nursing home.
While room is left for some humor, overall the effect of "Newman's Law" is a sober one. Wilson, Heffron, and company aren't afraid to have things end badly for any of their characters. And the action scenes are capably handled, with the standout being an assault on Peppard that turns into a shootout inside a department store.
Six out of 10.