Psych: The Movie (2017)

_Psych the Movie_ is the perfect example of how to come out of hiatus after years off the air. It feels so good to see James Roday and Dule Hill back in style. It just feels so right. Unfortunately, Timothy Omundson suffered a stroke before filming began and was subjected to a short cameo but it still felt like the gang was all back together. As usual, _Psych the Movie_ is filled with all sorts of cameos from John Cena to Jimmi Simpson, who played characters in the show and it's a breath of fresh air to see them bundled into one. Essentially the film picks up a few years after the show ends and it's back on track again with Shawn and Gus's one slap wit banter that goes back and forth to their side conversations that leads to everyone else's distraction. It feels just like home. Hopefully this isn't the end for our fun and play friends as there's definitely enough here to warrant a sequel. And hopefully, the boys behind the typewriter agree.

The reviews for Psych: The Movie are mostly positive. I agree that it was a good reunion film, better than expected. It contains a lot of the things that made the TV series successful, but did not overdo them. It had a good musical score, which added to the story telling. Timothy Omundson as Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter had a stroke just before shooting began, so his role was reduced to a one-minute cameo. (Omundson was outstanding in the short-lived Galavant series.) All of the scenes between Dulé Hill as Burton "Gus" Guster and his real-life fiance, Jazmyn Simon as Selene, were well-written and hilariously performed. By contrast, James Roday and Maggie Lawson were reportedly dating during the entire run of the TV series, from 2006 to 2014. I always felt that their on-screen romance was forced by scripts. I never believed that their characters would be romantically involved. As the TV movie unfolds, their characters are still not married, and she is cold to him. Kurt Fuller as recurring medical examiner Woody Strode was funny throughout. They gave him a lot of good lines, and used him in scenes where you normally would not see him. Kirsten Nelson as Chief Karen Vick was given more to do than usual. Corbin Bernsen as Henry Spencer was used mainly for comic relief. Zachary Levi as Thin White Duke demonstrated that he is a good actor who can perform any role well. The dream sequence, written by James Roday, hilariously indicates that it's a dream. The script pays tribute to at least three celebrities who died recently. The use of Robert LaSardo as El Proveedor was inspired writing, and he gave an outstanding performance, the highlight of the TV-film. Surprisingly, the story did not unfold with the usual speech by Shawn Spencer solving the case. Juliet "Jules" O'Hara was more crucial to resolving things..An epilogue indicates that another Psych TV movie can be expected.

OK, maybe this one would be better titled a "bias" review. You see, the TV show had this thing where it made me laugh out loud at least once an episode. At LEAST. And honestly, there aren't that many shows that have really made me laugh out loud. And then, well, James Roday and Dulé Hill are just brilliant together, hands down the best comedic duo I've seen in a VERY long time. So...walking into this, well, I had high expectations and, I kind of already knew I was going to love it... Except...Timothy Omundson, breaks the heart about his stroke and he was missed, a lot, because, yeah, he was hysterical too. And, as in the the TV show, the only week part is really Maggie Lawson and that's not her fault, she just...the straight one. She does a good job, but with Roday and Hill sharing scenes with her, it's hard for her to get out of those shadows. Still, "Shawn stop talking," she has her moments. And the same pretty much stands for this movie as well. Everyone is hysterical, Roday and Hill play off one another to great effect, and poor Lawson is stuck playing it straight while Corbin, Fuller, and the rest get to ham it up until, well, until you're laughing. Really, they came back without missing a beat. It was like they were all made for their roles. AND...did I mention it was funny, like really funny? Isn't that the most important part? I laughed out loud again. It was hysterical, just like the show and...just reminded me how much I missed it. So funny that there were scenes you just had to rewind a few times. Just so funny and, with shows like this, that is all that matters. It was really like seeing old friends again.