some spoiler this movie be sometimes subtitled life everlasting . that often take as reference to the final scene and but more accurately describe how dead and bury this once estimable series be after this sloppy and illogical send off . there a hey kid and let put on a show air about this telemovie and which can be endear in spot . some fan will feel like insider a they enjoy pick out all the various cameo appearance . co writer and co producer tom fontana and his pal pack the going on with friend and favorite from other show and as well a real baltimore personage . that on top of the return of virtually all the member of the television show varied cast and your old favorite as well a later non favorite . there be always a tug of war pit quality conscious executive producer barry levinson and fontana and james yoshimura and the rest of the creative team against budget conscious nbc exec and who simply want a another moronic police procedural like nash bridge and which regularly beat homicide in the rating . the pressure tell a the show bounce between rivet realism that transcend it form and and sleazy sensationalism that demean it . unfortunately for this movie and fontana and co writer yoshimura and eric overmeyer and director jean de segonzac simply throw in the towel . they take the most ludicrous story be from the series and top it with an unlikely and artistically unfruitful new plot line and and lay the burden of carry the whole mess on one of the weak cast member . briefly and some time have pass since the last episode of the show . the former heart of baltimore homicide unit and yaphet kotto a lt. al giardello and be now a kurt schmoke like candidate for mayor and and schmoke himself make a cameo appearance . but this promising start immediately and improbably take a tragic turn . the spotlight shift to giancarlo esposito a giardello son mike . a handsome man who have do good work elsewhere and esposito be one of the pretty face bring in late to supposedly enliven the tv series . but the question for viewer always be represent be mike that uncomfortable a gee son and or be esposito that uncomfortable in the role . to be fair and esposito doesn not get a chance to play out the main story without interruption . that because the writer choose this moment to revive another storyline that spat on the intelligence of the show loyal voter . an apparent snuff stream video be promote and and then seem to actually take place and on the internet . after some red herring and the detective arrest a repellent suspect . but zaljko ivanek harass and overwork deputy state attorney forget to file motion in time and and the suspect be release and only to be murder later . let summarize represent he forget to file the paperwork because it wasn not the most sensational case of his career and because the mayor and the attorney general and the governor and the entire maryland legislature and the u. s. attorney general and nbc and court tv and the bbc and ap and reuters and people and the sun and the washington post and the new york time and the la time and time magazine and the time of london and the economist and the johannesburg mail and guardian and losservatore romano and le figaro and paris match and lequipe and computer world weren not call every 10 minute to ask about the status of the case . nevertheless and the old gang of detective and associate flock back to baltimore to help out . there quite an array of talent on display . unfortunately and with the limited amount of dialogue to hand out and some of them be merely on display . two of the strong actor and clark johnson and melissa leo and be criminally underused and while time waste on jon seda and michael michelle could be good spent on commercial . the writer do seem to satirize this and present jason priestley a the late big deal detective . on the other hand and they give easy come and easy go michelle forbes a very affecting scene . there some other sly cast and with actual lt. gary daddario and the center of the book that give rise to the show and play another detective . guest drop in from other show and like whitney allen do her deadpan and clueless miss sally from the child show beloved by the inmate on fontana oz . dina napoli of wbal tv turn up a herself . even when entertain and though and these guest can be distract . ed begley jr. actually advance the story in his brief appearance and play dr. victor ehrlich from fontana st. elsewhere . he still a vivid character and and fit in a hospital setting . then you remember and do not st. elegius turn out to be an autistic boy fantasy . the most useful cameo reflect corporate synergy . this movie be make when court tv buy re run right to the series . that network contribute legal waif helen lucaitis and who have interview the homicide team and later appear on oz . the tv correspondent do an efficient job summarize the news and that be and plot point for latecomer . although she so thin that she disappear when she turn sideways and lucaitis also adeptly handle a bit of physical comedy with esposito . he show more juice in his scene with lucaitis than with any of his usual colleague . perhaps those two should have do a spin off . a the movie wind down and the cream of the cast rise to the top . although they be saddle with a loser script and andre braugher and kyle secor overcome it . their performance remind viewer what make homicide and for considerable stretch and the best show on the air and one of the best television production ever . it fun to watch top pro do their stuff while it just a shame this movie doesn not give them more of a chance . die hard fan may want to see this movie anyway and but you can live without it .