"The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer" is a made for TV movie starring Stacy Keach. Keach had already played Mike Hammer in several TV movies as well as the TV series. This film came out at the beginning of season three of the show. Interestingly, it's directed by Ray Danton...a smooth, handsome actor who often played crooks in the 1950s and 60s.
When the story begins, a mime is entertaining kids...when suddenly he takes off with one of the little girls. In the process, her father is murdered by the mime's accomplice.
A short time later, they're filming a movie in New York...right outside Mike's apartment. He goes down to watch...and again the mime shows up and steals a kid. But this time Mike gives chase--shooting the mime and rescuing the child...but the crooks get away. However, later their car is recoved and the dead mime is found in the trunk*. The child happens to be the daughter of a famous actress and she hires Mike to be the child's bodyguard as they head back to Los Angeles. Once there, however, the child IS kidnapped...and Mike tries to stop them but it's done by a team...a very well trained team operating with military-like precision. So what's next? Well, a lot!
Like with the show, though the series is set in the 1980s, Mike looks and dresses like he came out of about 1950. And, like previous incarnations of Mike Hammer, Stacy Keach's is quick with the gun and his fists. So, it's consistent with Mickey Spillane's version...though it was toned down a bit for TV (with less puking and blood). But, like Spillane's stories, there are LOTS of bodies and lots of clever dialog.
So is it any good? Generally, it's very good. The plot is interesting, the acting very nice (particularly by Keach) though I think Ms. Hutton's acting was either poor or appeared poor due to bad editing. In one scene, she's crying...then INSTANTLY she's not. Odd...and probably due to editing. It also features some amazing and insane stunts...such as the one with the helicopter! Overall, well worth seeing...and it's the sort of movie that'll make you want to see the show...which is why they made the movie in the first place.
*If you look at the mime when they open the trunk, you can see the 'dead' guy move slightly!
