Reviews

Series started off with a typical dark British conspiracy (for a population that seemingly loves big government in every aspect of their lives, their films and TV all seem to be about evil government conspiracies).

Still, the two leads gave me the impression that sooner or later it would turn into a cop buddy film.

By episode three, the implausible attempted hit on them proved my suspicion.

And coincidence builds on coincidence bringing these two guys together in the same case twice.

By episode 4 they get drunk before a stake out and while sleeping it off, allow the guy they are watching to get murdered. Any wonder why these guys are the B-team?

At least in most cop buddy shows and films they characters were competent. Not these two.

Yes, its great to have a UK cop show with someone who isn't a moody loner (Foyle, Endeavour, Morse, etc) straight out of a bad paperback series, but this is just silly.

As far as my Starsky and Hutch comparison...dark haired serious one, light hair fun "cute"one.

Also, in episode two, watch them jump and slide over the hood of a car during a foot chase.

Suddenly it's 1975 again. Only these guys ride bikes instead of a red and white Torino.

Okay, I'll say something I never thought I'd say about a Hallmark film.

It is sensual. Really.

Maybe it's because Ms. Elliot isn't trying to play the usual Hallmark virgin, or maybe its chemistry with her co star, but more likely it is because she creates a believable character.

Ella, her character is strong, driven and comfortable in herself, and it shows in her confidence and her new relationship.

At the end of the film, the way she looks at him, you have no doubt what is going to happen between them once the credits roll.

Well done.

Ben Hollingsworth does his best try breath life into the thankless "son trying to impress dad by not messing up the business" role. He succeeds, largely due to his chemistry with Elliot.

My only complaint would be the snobby/jealous/demanding boss who doesn't want to give our heroine a break. Yes, there needs to be conflict, but can't anyone come up with anything fresher?

There are a lot of Hallmark haters out there, to them I'd suggest looking beyond the tropes to look for the unexpected.

This film genuinely surprised me.

Many reviewers here seem disappointed that the film isn't a typical Hallmark film.

You know...perfect people overcoming odds to find love during the holidays...stories that have more sap than the Christmas tree.

Instead, we get a "Christmas Vacation"-like satire of the season.

The leading man is a obsessive architect enforcing far too serious neighborhood HOA holiday rules. Everyone is on board, albeit with an underlying current of passive aggression.

All is set for another perfect season until a new family moves in....and they have a reputation for creating over the top holiday displays.

Unlike most Hallmark films, here you have to actually listen to the dialog, or you'll be likely to miss a fun line.

It has a great cast... unlike many of these films, you may recognize some of the actors from other projects.

Lacey Chabert, the queen of Hallmark films, gets to expand her repertoire, stepping away from her usual ernest virgin role, to being a spectator to the suburban insanity. She probably has fewer lines than the rest of her co-stars.

Like the Chevy Chase Christmas classic (only without the swearing and Danny Kaye reference) it's about well meaning people's desire to create a memorable holiday....which gets out of hand.

It it possible the best Hallmark comedy ever.

I appreciate what the director and producer are trying to do here.

Really.

The director should remember that he's supposed to be trying to tell a story, not just amaze us with impressive vistas and shocking violence.

Well acted, but again, that and the photography can only go so far.

I might be more impressed if it was trying to be something new instead of channeling the Leone-style Westerns of 50 years ago.

Overall, the series, from the opening credits , music and overall style, seems old hat to those of use who have seen the originals.

You have to get to the final episodes before the character's motivation.

Just because you have 6 hours to fill, doesn't mean you have to use all the time allotted by Amazon and the BBC.

The great films in history generally got that way by telling a story (the director showing off his/her skills is a bonus), not trying to baffle the audience while using a recycled style any serious film buff has seen before.

Yes we have seen this story before, but a good cast and not too sappy writing lifts this above the usual romance trope.

The leads have real chemistry, Ryan Paevey is particularly good.

Excellent cast and good (not overly saccharine) script places this a couple steps beyond the usual Hallmark romantic comedy fare.

The leading lady looks a bit too glamorous to be a Montana cowgirl...but hey, it's a movie. Luke Perry does well as a "fish out of water" New York-based actor in the big sky country.

And it's good to see Matt Frewer as the country vet.

Sure, the "evil" real estate developer plot device is a bit stale..and a Hallmark staple, likewise the city slicker agent (and potential romance rival to the the leading lady) character is very predictable. Still, the rest of the script makes it easy to overlook those shortcomings.

Well worth your time of you're in the mood for some light fun.

I've loved Guest's films and have all of them on DVD. I've even seen a couple in theaters. Somewho I missed this one. Glad I saved my gas. Come to think of it, I should have waited for cable instead of renting it. My main problem was Fred Willard. Sure he was great in Fernwood 2Night, and earlier Guest films. But here he takes his TV host persona (already well used in "Best in Show" and does it to death. It's one thing to do comedy based on a reasonable satire or exaggeration of a topic. But here Willard is just plain stupid. Guest must have found it hilarious as Willard's screen time is far too long (probably by a factor of nine).

I wonder if Guest left so much of Willard in because he had so little good stuff to work with and didn't want to end up with a 30 minute TV sitcom episode. Or maybe Williard has something on Guest...of Guest owes him money :). After seeing this, I feel Guest owes ME money and two hours of my life back.

"Bearcats!" was Rod Taylor's second attempt at a weekly television series. It centered on a pair of soldiers of fortune in the American Southwest circa 1914. That time frame gave the series a different flavor, being something other than a traditional Western, or yet another detective series set in the present. The concept appealed to Taylor when it was presented by series creator, veteran Hollywood writer/producer Douglas Heyes (who also had worked with Taylor on a "Twilight Zone" episode).

Taylor's character, Hank Brackett, is a former Army captain, a veteran of the Spanish-American War campaign in the Philippines. Brackett had left the Army and settled in the Southwest, where he became known as a troubleshooter.At some point Brackett saved the young Johnny Reach (Dennis Cole) from unjustly being lynched as a cattle rustler. Together they cleaned up a couple of border towns in self-defense, and eventually people started coming to them for help.

They had to get a bit mercenary about the jobs they would take and set their fee as a signed blank check. They would fill in the amount only after successfully completing their job -- the amount being determined by the degree of difficulty encountered. Their rationale was simple: If you could put a dollar amount on your trouble, then you didn't need their help badly enough.

Typically they worked for railroads, landowners or the government. As private citizens they were able to cross the Mexican border where normal lawmen or the military could not go.

The period during which "Bearcats!" was set allowed for the use of unexpected props in what was essentially a Western -- including machine guns and airplanes. In the first episode, they fought a bandit who stole an Army tank to rob banks. Another episode saw them fighting a group of Germans who were attacking Mexican villages dressed as U.S. soldiers, in an attempt to get Mexico to attack the United States, thus preventing America from joining the war against Germany.

Brackett was responsible for the clever plans the pair had to come up with to defeat their well-organized foes. As the younger of the pair, Reach would often do the more athletic stunts.

The main source of conflict in their relationship was a good-natured competition for some of the inevitably beautiful (and available) women they would meet in their adventures.

Taylor played Brackett with his usual light touch and charm. However, he could be tough and deadly serious if the circumstances demanded. Here's a guide to the series, which was produced by Filmways and Taylor's own Rodlor Inc.

Episode list: 0.1 -- "Powderkeg" -- April 16, 1971 In the series pilot TV movie, Brackett and Reach are hired by a railroad to rescue 70 hostages on a moving train. 1.1 -- "The Devil Wears Armor" -- Sept.16, 1971 A stolen Army tank is knocking over banks along the border. John Vernon guest stars. 1.2 -- "Ground Loop at Spanish Wells" -- Sept. 23, 1971 German soldiers -- dressed as American troops -- are raiding border towns to start a war with Mexico. 1.3 -- "Dos Gringos" -- Sept. 30, 1971 A Mexican Army assassin is out to kill a revolutionary who's raising money in the United States. 1.4 -- "The Feathered Serpent " -- Oct. 7, 1971 A group of would-be revolutionaries hold a town hostage. 1.5 -- "Hostages" -- Oct. 14, 1971 As revenge for his father's hanging five years before, an ex-convict kidnaps a priest and demands a town to hang one of its citizens. 1.6 -- "Conqueror's Gold" -- Oct. 28, 1971 A newspaperwoman hires Brackett and Reach to rescue workers being held at an archaeological site by bad guys seeking treasure. 1.7 -- "Blood Knot" -- Nov. 4, 1971 Tensions erupt between Brackett and Reach when oil well sabotage -- and murder -- erupt in a town wanting to destroy an Indian village. 1.8 -- "Assault on San Saba" -- Nov. 11, 1971 A German military intelligence officer takes over a Texas prison for recruiting saboteurs. The puzzle for Brackett and Reach: How to break into a prison. 1.9 -- "Bitter Flats " -- Nov. 18, 1971 Brackett and Reach take on a ruthless rancher when the son of a friend disappears on a secret Army mission. 1.10 -- "Tiger! Tiger! " -- Nov. 25, 1971 Brackett uses himself as bait to stop a saboteur who's destroying supply shipments. 1.11 -- "The Big Gun" -- Dec. 2, 1971 A renegade Army colonel steals artillery to destroy a convoy of explosives bound for England. 1.12 -- "The Return of Estaban " -- Dec. 23, 1971 Pilot Estaban (see Ground Loop at Spanish Wells) returns to help surprise a gang that's out to rob and destroy a mining town. Henry Darrow reprises his role as Estaban. 1.13 -- "Man in a Cage " -- Dec. 30 1971 Johnny must rely on a convict to help him save Hank and a gubernatorial candidate.

George Barris made two 1914 Bearcat replicas for the series...and a third that he kept for car shows. All three cars are now in private hands. One, the first car made and the primary car used in the series, is fully restored in its TV colors and is in my car collection. The other TV car is Unrestored and has been repainted from its original TV colors. The display car (never used in the series, but retained for many years by George Barris for car shows) is being rebuilt by a new owner.

For more information on the series and Rod Taylor, please go to an excellent fan site... at www.rodtaylorsite.com . In rely to rfrenzel2002's comment below that accuses me of Plagiarizing the material...I wrote the Bearcats! section for that site. It would be nice if he/she had checked before accusing me of "stealing" something I wrote.