This is the original movie pilot for the television series Forever Knight. I can't pretend that I know too much about the show itself or any of its similarities (or lack thereof) to Nick Knight as I honestly never tuned in. But, with my keyboard poised at the ready, I'll proceed cautiously forward to see exactly why this became a series...

Rick Springfield is Nick Knight (a fake name he uses instead of Jean-Pierre), a vampire detective who drives his 1959 Cadillac to a tanning salon three times a week but never gets a tan. Knight is on an especially tough case; four murders, all with very little blood left in their bodies. The first three were homeless people but the latest victim is a night watchman. The killer was actually after an artifact, a jade goblet, on display at the museum where the unfortunate watchman was working. While talking with Alyce Hunter (Laura Johnson), who was part of the dig where the goblet was uncovered, we learn that it is a cursed object. We also learn that it was used to drink the blood of human sacrifices. With the newspapers beginning to run with the stories of the vampire killer, Knights boss decides that one person working solo on the night shift isn't enough to get the job done. Enter Donald Schanke (John Kapelos); he is an abrasive and annoying pain in the butt and he is now Nick's new partner.

As it turns out, Knight has the same goblet in his apartment. He uses it for the same purpose, too. Being a vampire, especially one who works homicide, he suffers from some pretty heavy cravings. Break out a little of that blood he keeps stored away, pour it in his ancient coffee-mug, a few seconds in the microwave and... voila! No more urges to contend with. Now he can sit comfortably in front of his six televisions and watch the sunrise from a reasonably safe distance.

Finally, we get to see his dark side during a confrontation with a cracked-out psycho (carrying a shotgun) who has decided to get gonzo at the spa that our hero frequents. He has a hostage and it's up to Detective Nick to sort of talk him down. It doesn't go too well. Knight gets blasted and takes a header into the pool, which would normally be all she wrote, but not so here. Knight rises out of the water, fangs glaring, and kicks the crap out of the bad guy. The idea behind this whole set piece is fine but the execution leaves a little to be desired. While all of this is happening the seemingly random murders continue, this time it's two homeless people that Knight was friendly with, they are apparently killed by... ??

It's about time that I mentioned Lacroix. He is the one who turned Knight into what he now is... a long time ago. Knight spends his time making up for what he has done in the past by serving the people through his work on the local police force. He doesn't want to kill anymore. As a matter of fact, he wants to be human again. Tired of watching those he cares about grow old and die (and tired of living in eternal darkness) he's decided that if there is a way to give it all up and be mortal again then that's what he wants to do. The two of them believe that if he is able to get both goblets Knight will be able to undo what was done to him. Lacroix does not want that to happen.

Interestingly, Lacroix is not Knight's biggest worry, just a worry. Everything to do with Knight's vampire master seems played down a little; it's more of a subplot. Yes, there is a showdown between hero and nemesis at the end but this is not the main focus. There are some I'd-be-surprised-if-they-weren't-there romantic entanglements along the way and a few unexpected plot twists. Some of the attempts at light comedy work on minor levels while others fall completely flat. The one really interesting aspect of the story is watching Knight try to be as human as possible while attempting to fight his vampire nature. He's trusted his secret to a doctor friend in hopes that between them they might find a way to force Nick's humanity. More often than not the performances are on target but occasionally some actors slip into some pretty hammy melodrama, nothing too over the top but noticeable nonetheless. The movie as a whole is fair. It isn't a failure but it isn't quite a success either. It's one of those odd flicks that sort of floats in between, deep in cinematic limbo. Nick Knight (the movie) is constantly battling against itself; it gets involving but then becomes mundane. It has atmosphere but then becomes monotonous. It has originality but then falls into clichés... etc. etc. etc.

Littered throughout the film are several unfortunate transitional sequences that feature a fluffy, nearly unbearable, eighties pop-chart soundtrack. I personally would have preferred that they used a faulty jackhammer for ambiance, but they didn't. There's one musical moment that was good for a laugh, though. Lacroix uses a radio station to try to get Jean-Pierre's attention. The station is "KTDE - metal for the ages." After announcing some late night "lead" what do think gets played? You guessed it! Bobby Brown?!?!

Director Farhad Mann has worked in television before and since this project; shows like Max Headroom and V.I.P., for example. His big foray into theatrical features resulted in the unfortunate Lawnmower Man 2. You can take that information as either a warning or a recommendation, I guess it sort of depends on you. It comes down to this: The show got made and became a sort of cult-hit three years and several cast changes later. If you thought highly of the Forever Knight series then you'll probably have fun taking a look at Nick Knight to see how it all began. It may also hold some interest for fang-flick completists, eighties nostalgia buffs, and die hard Rick Springfield fans. For everybody else? Eh... catch it on cable if there isn't anything else on... maybe.

The full frame DVD has a nice, clean picture. It's sharp with solid colors. The sound is fine, though unimpressive and there are no extras on the disc.