The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play

Just catching up with these later Rockford Files TV movies, after seeing the entire original series (again) from start to finish. They're a reasonable panacea for "Rockford withdrawal."

The plot of this one is interesting, but the storyline is a little far-fetched. Jim's nemesis Captain Doug Chapman is doing something that would violate all sorts of departmental protocols, not to mention drive the district attorney into a tizzy. So we'll just suspend disbelief.

Great to see Marcia Strassman (the former "Mrs. Kotter" from the '70s sitcom), in a smart, snappy role. It's also interesting to see the regulars from the original series nearly 20 years on. Both Beth and Dennis have apparently had their teeth capped, and Chapman seems to be sporting a hairpiece now. And then there's Angel - if you disliked him in the original series, that dislike will continue. A necessary evil to move the story along, just as before.

In the end, the character of Jim Rockford is a mellowed version of his earlier self, which is to be expected. The smart-aleck quips are still gold, he still lives in a trailer right next to the shore (though upgraded to a double-wide), and he's still driving the Firebird. He also has a pickup truck, which I imagine was Rocky's, though a much newer model (in contrast to the Firebird). I would imagine that's a sentimental connection to his father, which he keeps driving as some sort of tribute. It's not really explained, but that's the impression I get.

Worth watching for TRF fans; just don't expect the same exact vibe as the original series.