The Commander: Blacklight (2006 TV Movie) User Reviews

Good crime drama, good acting

[chrichtonsworld · 7/10 · 10 July 2006]

The story was fun and exciting for a crime drama! I am not going to give away the plot because that is the point of movies like this one. I have to mention Yorrick van Wageningen who plays a dutch cop assisting in this case for certain reasons. He is part of the reason this story stays exciting providing humor and charm. Amanda Burton (the commander),the main character doesn't do much in this story. But the chemistry between Yorrick and her was great. The other actors make their part believable. There is a hint of graphic violence to make your skin crawl. This movie provides enough to get you entertained but could have been better if the psychological aspects were deepened more. This series shows good promise and can become a great one if they pay more attention at the psychological themes.

Lynda LaPlante at her most inconsistent

[ikanboy · 6/10 · 11 September 2012]

The Commander is a British Police series done by Lynda LaPlante, whose speciality is strong women with major character flaws. Amanda Burton plays one of these and she has plenty of warts. She's a sexually aggressive woman with a penchant for men who she, as a police chief, should know better to keep away from. She's not as tough as Jane Tennyson, and although able to avoid being bullied by her fellow male cops she never seems to be able to get their respect, due perhaps to the fact that she starts off by bedding a murderer. In this episode her team is about to blow the investigation of the murder of a girl by presuming too quickly that the killer is an escaped lunatic, despite the fact that we all know he's not for about a day before they do because the team ignores all the evidence to the contrary. Along comes a Dutch detective with clues a plenty but with the personality of a golden labrador on speed. Knowing the Commander we immediately wonder how long before she's bedded him! As with earlier episodes the plot is never vetted for holes, and is made most ludicrous by an embarrassing turn by the "lunatic" who would most likely be "sectioned" by NIMH for insulting the mentally ill. And he was so good in "Brideshead."

more of a police procedural

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 4 March 2016]

The corruption is no longer the story. DI Carol Browning is gone. This is much more of a standard police procedural. Commander Blake's goddaughter Sadie Carr is murdered while out nightclubbing. Escaped psychiatric patient Reginald Aitken is caught with the body. DCI Mike Hedges quickly assumes that Aitken killed Carr. Police detective Eric Van Hauten arrives from Amsterdam investigating similar murders. Hedges rejects the outsider until he can no longer ignore new evidences.

Blake is pulled back from the dark side but she is still terribly flawed. Hedges continues to be close-minded. Van Hauten is interesting but maybe over-acting a little. There is plenty of over-acting in the Aitken character. He mutters, hangs upside-down like a bat, and walks like a monkey. In total, he's a caricature of a psych patient. Overall, this is a functional standard police procedural with extremely flawed characters.

Blacklight

[goldmonarch · 9/10 · 18 February 2007]

Outstanding group of actors in this series. Amanda Burton always at her best. Blacklight series was the first time I had ever heard of Yorick van Wageningen who played the role of DI Van Hautin from Holland. Now here is a wonderful actor with great abilities and appearance before the camera. I certainly would like to see more of this young actor in USA/Canada. After watching the Blackdog series, I wondered what Lynda LaPlantes' next exciting series would be and she did not disappoint me at all. Both Blackdog and Blacklight had exciting story contents. Lynda certainly does pick her cast very carefully and precisely. Cannot say enough good remarks about the cast in both of these series.