Off Season
Jennifer (Stefanie Powers) and Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) are in Australia on business but as per usual trouble is not far behind. Elliot Manning (James Brolin) who use to date Jennifer and has never forgiven Jonathan for stealing her has gone missing just as he was going to sell his game reserve to the Hart foundation and the Australian police suspect Jonathan may have done away with him. Knowing that Jonathan is innocent the Hart's set about uncovering the truth which leads them in to plenty of danger.
The previous "Hart to Hart" movie "Hart to Hart: Two Harts in 3/4 Time" understandably didn't feel right as it was the first movie following the death of Lionel Stander. In truth I was surprised that they carried on the series because whilst the stars were always Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner without Lionel Stander and his gravelly voice as Max it would always feel incomplete. Ironically the lack of Max is not the issue with "Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season" but distinct lack of ideas are. This 7th movie in the series quite simply relies on Powers and Wagner with a little help from James Brolin to carry it.
Now as I have mentioned in other reviews of these "Hart to Hart" movies you don't watch for the story but because you fell in love with Jonathan and Jennifer Hart when the TV series aired. But it has to be said that by this 7th movie the formula which has been used again and again is tired. The whole story of Jonathan finding himself in trouble and then together with Jennifer solving the mystery without a care in the world, laughing in the face of danger is simply corny. To establish how corny it is we have Emmanuel Yarborough as Tonga, Elliot Manning's heavy who basically comes across as a larger version of Odd Job from "Goldfinger".
But as with the other "Hart to Hart" movies what "Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season" has going for it is Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner who in many ways get better with age. The chemistry which they have has evolved from being purely flirtatious to fun in the way an old married couple know each other so well that they toy with each other.
What this all boils down to is that in many ways "Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season" proves that these "Hart to Hart" movies had run their course even before the sad passing of Lionel Stander. There is still some enjoyment to be had thanks to the chemistry of Powers and Wagner but beyond that it comes up short in pretty much every other department.
Tags: TV Mystery Movie Crime Solvers
