Mind Prey (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

D.J. Caruso

Writers (WGA):

John Sandford (novel)
Adam Greenman (teleplay)

Release Date:

22 March 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Plot:

John Sandford's computer program developing detective, Lucas Davenport (Eriq LaSalle) is brought to tv...

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Heavy Rain | Child Molestation | Wig | Forensic Evidence

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Eriq La Salle	...	Lucas Davenport
Titus Welliver	...	John Mail
Sheila Kelley	...	Andi Manette
Kenneth Welsh	...	Tower Manette
Nicole Ari Parker	...	Weather Karkinnon
Luis Guzmán	...	Det. Black
Judy Reyes	...	Det. Vega
Linda Thorson
Christopher Cousins
Jayne Eastwood	...	Police Chief Roux
Maria Ricossa	...	Nancy Wolfe
Bill MacDonald	...	Det. Sloan
Jody Racicot	...	Det. Greave
Jennifer Podemski	...	Gloria Crosby
Anais Granofsky	...	Ice

Also Known As:

John Sanford's Mind Prey (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Artistic Butchery

If you are a fan of John Sandford's awesome Prey novels, you will NOT like this movie. Even though I don't consider myself a purist, Eric LaSalle has taken way too many liberties in adapting this great novel to suit his needs/wants. (I thought I saw him name somewhere as a Producer).

If you haven't read any of Sandford's books, start now. Don't let the disappointment of this Hollywood-ized version lead you to believe that Sandford is just another hack.

The only two characters in the TV movie that even closely resembled the picture I had in my mind's eye are Bill MacDonald as Detective Sloan and Jayne Eastwood as Police Chief Roux and their characters were barely developed to the point where I could like them as much as their parchment-dwelling counterparts.

One of the reasons I like the characters in the novels is that they are real. LaSalle's Lucas Davenport is just another TV cop who is Superman - doing everything himself, surrounded by cops who would be lost without him.

In case you hadn't noticed, I didn't like this movie. Within the first five minutes, I was tempted to turn it off. Then, I decided that I wanted to write this review, so I struggled through it for the sake of 'knowing what I was writing about.' If you are tempted to see this as a re-run, don't. Get the book. Better yet, get Rules Of Prey (the first of nine Lucas Davenport novels by Sandford thus far) and start the journey the right way. Hmph.