Now for something a little special. For a movie based on a TV show to work, you have to hope it stays faithful to the source material. Luckily for Psych, it had it's creator Steve Franks and main star James Roday writing the screenplay for what is an enjoyable Christmas fest while staying funny with the made the show a huge hit over a decade ago. There are gags that you remember, the banter between the characters, etc... All while solving a crime, it still feels down to earth compared to most ultra serious crime shows.
It certainly gets a good start to laughing when Shawn Spencer (Roday) has to deal with three gangster type guys while looking for jewelry, which if you get a chance to watch it, you will understand if you've seen the show. Cue a chase scene and the fake psychic relying on his old pal Gus (Dule Hill) to help him out of a jam. However, the real plot begins after that when a group lead by the Thin White Duke (Zachary Levi) does real damage to the police partner of Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) that lands him in the hospital. What does Duke want? Is he sending a message to the San Francisco Police Department? Or is there something that Juliet knows that warrants going after the partner?
Without getting too deep ruining the film and its story, Psych knows when to let loose and when to be serious. It's still Shawn and Gus bantering with each other, helping out both Juliet and Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), the latter having a quite a bit screen time compared to the show. There are a number of callbacks to the show, especially with a big twist that you wouldn't think would happen. These guys know when to surprise people, and I find it to be really effective.
This isn't just Roday and Hill leading the way withe comedy. There is quite a bit from their coroner friend, Woody Strode. (Kurt Fuller) He is still the same kind of the character like he was when introduced midway through the show's run, especially with what happened after the events of the series finale. Like Vick, Shawn's dad Henry (Corbin Bernsen) has a bit of screentime as well when he wants to help his son and future daughter in law rid of Duke and his cronies. He also gets himself a few funny bits, typically jabs from Shawn. We also get a chance to see Iris, Vick's daughter. as a bit of a troublemaker who doesn't want Juliet to tell her mother of the petty crimes she commits.
With that being said, one of the major things with this film is the relationship of Shawn and Juliet. Things are addressed very early about whether they are getting married or not though both perspectives. Juliet doesn't want to rush things, while Shawn still holds on to the past of his grandmother's ring. Still, through thick and thin, they still love each other and will help themselves together as they looked for the bad guys. Shawn will always be by her side, even if it means facing death right in front of them. I wish I could say more things about this film, but it's so hard not to spoil the important moments. Really, they develop the characters well enough to show that they are there for each other and willing to take on evil.
Also, one of the morals is about doing the right thing. It's something you have to consider. These characters are detectives, even if some aren't qualified. Throughout Psych's run, Shawn relied on lying, even though his photographic memory and ability to find the details typically netted him the bad guys. I find it amazing that they are willing to flesh him out more, though we do see a few funny things with doing the fake psychic act. With Juliet, she is someone that has to make the hard decisions. It is something they do show throughout the movie. She is a by the book detective in the show. A few mistakes here and there, but she does not mess around with following the rules. Still, they develop her a bit more and you see how it is gnawing at her and seeing how scared she is. They don't overboard with anything sappy or over dramatic, and I think the ending will leave you satisfied enough.
There are nods to the 80s with some of the references. Outside of the crime, Gus has himself a relationship with a woman (Jazmyn Simon, Hill's real life wife) who really can't keep her hands off of him. It is cute, but funny considering his track record with women. Obviously, headlining the guest starring group is Levi as Duke. He is evil, but funny at the same time. There is a bit of shallowness, but Psych has always been known for making humor in dark situations regardless of the bad guy. Other notables are Ralph Macchio reprising his cop character from the show and some WWE wrestlers, one of which includes Charlotte Flair as one of the bad guys. One disappointing thing is not seeing much of Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), but the crew didn't have much choice. Omundson suffered a stroke before filming, but his character still served a big purpose for Juliet and her attempts to solve the crime. Other than a couple awkward moments, this is A plus material.
If you can find it on the USA Network during this month, this is a no-brainer. Watch it. It is exactly like the show. You are going to laugh your ass off with some gut busting moments. This is almost like they didn't stop doing the show, which I will be gladly anticipating another movie if they continue to do more with these guys. A great way to finish off 2017 for television and film.
Score: 9 out of 10
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