Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star

COLUMBO AND THE MURDER OF A ROCK STAR is a pretty good entry from the second incarnation of the raincoat-wearing sleuth. It features Dabney Coleman (Wargames) who offs his cheating partner in an ingenious way, only to perplex the cops by offering a cast-iron alibi and a seemingly obvious suspect.

Sometimes these later stories can feel a little strained due to the lack of enough plotting to sustain a 100-minute running time, but that's not the case here. The murder is a complex one that takes plenty of interesting preparation, and there are various twists and turns thrown into the case to keep the viewer's attention right until the end. There's the occasional continuity error (such as the placement of a champagne bottle, which I was convinced had some relation to the plot) and unbelievable moment, but it's not enough to detract from the experience.

Peter Falk is in fine form, although I was sad to see his comedy routines are limited to the single highlight, involving a funny fish tank contraption. Still, Coleman makes for an effectively grumpy villain, and the novelty of a Little Richard cameo can't be ignored. Falk's wife, Shera Danese, appears for the fourth time in the series. There's even a role for '70s actress Sondra Currie, playing virtually the same character she did in Policewoman.