7/10
The Old 1960s Series Played for Camp
18 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
James West (Robert Conrad) and Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin) are brought out of retirement in this engaging, if very campy, TV reunion movie from 1979. West and Gordon battle Miguelito Loveless, Jr. (Paul Williams), who has imprisoned several European heads of state in a dungeon and replaced them with doubles. Loveless also has a nuclear bomb with which he's menacing the world. In an ending reminiscent of the old series, West and Gordon manage to foil Loveless and escape in a most improbable manner.

Fans of the original series will notice a few differences. First, West uses very few of his famous Secret Service gimmicks such as the pistol up his sleeve and the explosives hidden in his boot heel. Second, the dialog and acting are comedic and very broad, almost to the point of ridiculing the characters. Some of the situations presented are pretty ridiculous.

Familiar faces such as Skip Homeier and Harry Morgan appear as Secret Service agents, and the familiar train is of course present. The beautiful Old Tucson filming locations are a big plus as well. Conrad and Martin are good, but the film suffers from its campy approach. It's still enjoyable to see the old duo back in action after 10 years, so if you liked the original series, you'll like this TV movie.
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