Normally a movie about bounty hunters stalking and capturing criminal lowlife with lots of fighting and gunfire wouldn't be my thing, but I found 'The Huntress' to be a lot of...fun! Annette O'Toole and Aleska Palladino star as Dottie and Brandi Thorson, widow and daughter, respectively, of the late legendary bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson. When the two of them take over the franchise, daughter is all gung-ho and ready to find and take revenge on her father's killer. Mom, on the other hand, has been confined to the more domestic side of life all these years and she's not so sure she's cut out for the business, as she stammers and nervously fumbles with her gun while telling bail-jumpers they're being taken in to custody. The focus here, then, is more on comedy than action, but there is plenty of both.
The biggest asset this TV-movie has is Annette O'Toole, an excellent, underrated and often overlooked actress. Has she ever given a performance that wasn't first-rate? I haven't seen one. She, Palladino and Allana Ubach (one of their captures to whom a judge has given the Thorsons temporary custody) also make a pretty sexy trio, another reason to enjoy 'The Huntress.' The USA network is making a regular series out of this movie. Whether or not it is as successful as the film remains to be seen, but if there's any justice, let's hope it provides O'Toole with more visibility and lets more people know what a fine actress she is. Who knows, if the series is high-quality and it becomes popular, Dottie Thorson could become a career-defining role for her.
