TEXAS KILLING FIELDS: BLAND WHODUNIT

Transplanted policemen have been a staple in movies for years. Take JAWS for instance. So it's not often that these sorts of films offer us little in the way of surprises when the theme is chosen. Such is the case with TEXAS KILLING FIELDS.

Brian Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the relocated police detective in question. Having moved to Texas several years earlier he is teamed up with local hot shot Mike Souder (Sam Worthington). The pair are asked to be involved by the local sheriff (and Mike's ex-wife) when it seems a serial killer is on the lose.

The area in question is a matter of debate as far as jurisdiction is concerned. But killers never seem to worry about jurisdiction, they just find a place to dump a body and carry on. This seems to be the case as the bodies keep appearing and police keep investigating.

Even though it isn't in Heigh's area, he continues to look into the gruesome murders which weigh heavy on his mind.

Mike has a different attitude. He advises Brian to ignore the murders and concentrate on problems in their own back yard. But when the killer sees Brian taking notice he takes the murders to the police, leaving them clues and taunting them so that they'll stay on the case.

While all of this is going on a young girl in the area becomes a problem as well. Her mother dumps her outside while she "entertains" some of the local fellas. Brian and Mike both show some concern for the young girl and take her home giving her mother a warning. But if she did that where would the movie go?

The cat and mouse game back and forth between the killer, the police and the young girl is slow moving at best. The terrain is boring beyond belief to look at. And the mystery isn't all that complex that we can't figure out who's behind it all with little exertion.

All of the main actors involved in this film deserve better material and fortunately they have been getting it. This may not be the worst movie ever made but it's not one that most people would seek out and rightly so. There are far more interesting and entertaining films and mysteries that offer clues in with better methods. If the shelves at the local video store are bare, then perhaps this movie would be worth checking out. Otherwise let it slide.

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