Hunter: Back in Force

If you’ve been anxiously waiting for Lt. Rick Hunter to return to action in his trademark plaid sport coats and leatherine elbow patches, merry Christmas. The second of two made-for-TV movies signaling his return, Back in Force sets the stage for the ongoing Hunter series, airing Saturday nights on NBC. So back comes Fred Dryer with Stepfanie Kramer (in all her MILFy hotness) by his side, ready to ward off any “who’s that detective in a skirt” comments. The choreographed action, the grim dialogue, and the dastardly villains (Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds makes a startling appearance) mirror the sensibilities of the original ’80s show—only now, Hunter’s hair is three shades grayer and his chase scenes are inexplicably missing. Hunter fundamentalists will enjoy the stick-to-the-basics attitude, and some might admire the lack of irony in such an aggressively outdated project. We just won’t watch it. (Even though we already did.)