Engaged to Kill (2006)

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

"Engaged to Kill" from 2006 is a Lifetime movie made in Canada, starring Joe Lando, Dominic Zamprogna, Maria Del Mar, and Katherine Isabelle.Based on a true story, the pediatrician wife, Abby (Del Mar) of a businessman Robert Lord (Lando) is kidnapped, and the ransom demand is a million dollars. Somehow overnight, Lord manages to get the money. He won't call in the police. Meanwhile, Abby Lord is assured by Sally (Daniella Evangelista), the girlfriend of her captor that all they want is the money; her boyfriend is taking her to Hawaii for their wedding. Abby realizes that she's going to be killed, even if Sally believes every word this guy tells her. When she sees a chance to escape, she takes it, but Sally is killed.The captor blames Abby for his girlfriend's death and moves in on the family, hurting their finances still more while he's seducing Abby's and Robert's daughter.All pretty obvious. I watched this because General Hospital's Dominic Zamprogna was in it, a few years before he joined the show. He does well as a real sleaze.I found this okay. I make fun of Lifetime movies, but they're a way to escape and relax. They're not hokey like Hallmark films, and though derivative and predictable, somehow you keep watching.

I probably should just desist from commenting on this flick. The few previous comments which commend it have high approval marks from those accessing them, except for the one from overseas, which was 0-for-11 previously.However, I caught this film on a Friday after a pretty hectic week, and with a busy weekend approaching, so just laid back for a couple of hours mid-day.I did miss the kidnapping portion, but not difficult to infer what had occurred there, and with other comments - and was understandable that family would be a bit spooked and on-edge following.Still, there wasn't a single character with whom I could empathize or sympathize, and the twerp who entered their lives as the obnoxious daughter's love interest (Nick) was too insipid for me believe him capable of his chicanery. The lead couple, including "Abby," who was commended elsewhere, were a weak pair.And the whole nonsense regarding the financial transactions, the compromising of the father's credit card via internet poker, the ease with which Abby's reputation as a physician was besmirched, was all presented on the level of the silliest of soap opera fare.The back-and-forth emotional exchanges among the family members, in every possible one-on-one combination, or en masse, were also on the level of those seen in the weakest "soap" episodes.The snail's pace with which the police finally got some hard information was unbelievable - even given the ineptitude of the cops on most Lifetime fare.By the time things got to the inevitable 10 minutes or so of climax and revelation, I don't see how anyone could possibly care.(If you wished to insert something illustrating an example of the word "schlep" in a time capsule for future generations, a DVD of this flick would suffice. These folks - without exception - schlepped around throughout this story, from beginning to end.)The only thing raising this presentation from 1* to 2 is that the quality of production was better than most.

Dr. Abby Lord is a pediatrician. Her husband Robert sells boats. They have a 19-year-old daughter Maddy who is in college and somewhat rebellious, and a 14-year-old son Corey who loves computer games.When Abby is kidnapped, the ransom is one million dollars. Robert will do anything to get his wife back, and that includes not telling the police--if he does, he has been told, Abby will die. Lester Denton can get Robert the money; Robert owns a business, the nice home his family lives in and even a vacation home, all of which he could lose if he can't pay back the money, but he is dealing with legitimate businesses, not loan sharks.We never see the kidnapper's face, at least not early in the movie. But his accomplice and girlfriend is a sweet young woman named Sally who is either too dumb to realize that what she is doing is wrong, or too dependent on her boyfriend to question his actions. Abby behaves admirably on learning Sally feels sick; as a doctor, she must put the patient's health above other concerns.Abby is released relatively quickly, but her nightmare is not over. Certain people are behaving suspiciously, and there are some genuinely scary moments. And then weird things start happening.Robert must work hard to get enough money to repay his creditors, and this means dealing with Crawford Blake, who was once his partner and is now his competitor.And Maddy has a new boyfriend named Nick, who is 25 years old. Abby and Robert have enough stress in their life without this.This was pretty good for a TV-movie. It was entertaining to watch the family's situation get worse and worse.I will say the actor playing the kidnapper did an impressive job, but I can't say who he is. Daniella Evangelista was so sweet and I hated that we didn't see more of her. And despite her rebellious nature, Katharine Isabelle's character was so easy to like. Plus she looked good topless, at least from the back. Shame on anyone for calling her fat (I can't remember now whether it was her brother or someone considering dating her).Maria del Mar played a strong character, but one that could be pushed too far. She wasn't superwoman. Plus she was as pretty as the daughter, and they looked so much alike.I was disturbed by Robert's anger toward his son in one scene. I suppose stress could be blamed, but it just seemed extreme.The V-chip rating was TV-14, with a V, though it needed an S too. My theory is that the sexual content was PG, though the violence wasn't that bad. Perhaps the logic in the TV-14 rating was that this was too adult, for other reasons.Overall, a good effort.

Though based on a true story according to the credits, this riveting thriller (not a mystery) contains a few fanciful elements. When Robert Lord's wife, Abby, is kidnapped, he quickly raises one million dollars for the abductors. He and his son, Corey, deliver the money to a specified location. The kidnappers consist of a pair of lovers, Crawford Blake and Sally. Obviously the entire ploy is Blake's idea. Naive Sally believes all the lies Blake has told her about using the money for a honeymoon in Hawaii after safely releasing Abby. Driving a van with Sally and a restrained Abby in back, Blake is on his way to find a convenient spot to kill Abby. Abby becomes sympathetic to Sally's plight, realizing that she is being used by Blake for his nefarious deeds. She is able to escape but in the process Sally is accidentally killed. Apparently, Blake really did love Sally for now, even with the million dollars, he plots Abby's demise getting close to her daughter, Maddy. Blake becomes engaged in order to kill.The story is well plotted, even becoming somewhat complicated at times. There is suspense and thrills aplenty provided by director Matthew Hastings that puts this made-for-TV film above the average. There is not much humor included that would have eased the tension somewhat which makes for intense viewing. Since it is TV, the commercials may actually assist in giving a break from the intensity of the drama.A major weakness concerns believability. Of modest means considering the life style presented, Robert Lord is able to raise one million dollars in just a few hours by putting his house, his cars, and his small business up for collateral. A close banking friend is able to swing the loan for him. When the friend disappears mysteriously, his character is virtually dropped from the story, almost as if his murder is not significant. There are also several other parts of the story that are difficult to accept as presented in the film.The movie closes with a clever line by Maddy. As Blake is being led away, she coldly looks him in the eye and exclaims, "Aloha!"