REVIEW: "A Mother's Revenge"

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all moms are being treated like queens this weekend. If you're not taking your mother out to lunch this weekend, you can at least share a pizza with her and tune in to Lifetime Movie Network's Don't Messy With Mommy Weekend (hosted by Wendy Williams).

Last night, LMN premiered "A Mother's Revenge." Admittedly, I didn't see the trailer leading up to last night's debut. But ... I knew Jamie Luner was in this movie, and she's a sure bet in any Lifetime movie. And both she and the movie did not disappoint.

Luner stars as Jennifer, a devoted mother ... but not without a few issues. Among these is a strained relationship with husband Jason-Shane Scott. They both travel (separately)  to their daughter's (Audrey Whitby) graduation. Jennifer learns the hard way not to check her luggage at the airport. She picks up the wrong bag. And it's not just any wrong bag. It belongs to deadly killer Conner (Steven Brand), who has something very important in his bag. He stalks Jennifer and when he doesn't find his suitcase, he steals something important from her ... daughter Katey.

This begins a battle of wits as Conner taunts Jennifer over the phone and sends her on a wild goose chase to return his suitcase. Hot on the trail are cops detectives Ford (Gerald Webb) and Jacobs (Richard Louenello).

This is a solid action thriller that moves along fairly briskly. Credit the solid cast and veteran director Fred Olen Ray (a legend!) for keeping things interesting. Luner and Brand are particularly effective as adversaries.

Luner is no stranger to playing the concerned mother, but takes things up a notch in this movie. Here, she's pushed to her physical limits. Have you ever tried running through an airport with a suitcase?? Well, Luner sprints through baseball fields, subway stations, aquariums and busy streets with luggage in tow.

Brand is creepy as heck, mentally torturing the film's heroines yet maintaining a cool presence. He plays Conner as a calculated, calm and cruel killer.

The supporting cast is equally solid - Webb and Louenllo as the confused cops; Scott as the not-so-helpful spouse and Whitby as the helpless daughter. Complementing everything are the beautiful settings of Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls.

This movie was originally titled "Accidental Switch," which makes more sense than "A Mother's Revenge." With the latter title, I was expecting something a bit different ... like a mom going gonzo on the boyfriend from hell or something like that. Still, this is an effective thriller with enough twists and turns to keep longtime Lifetime fans entertained.

"A Mother's Revenge" airs next at 5 p.m. (CST), May 21 on LMN.

"A Mother's Revenge" - Directed by Fred Olen Ray; Starring Jamie Luner as Jennifer, Steven Brand as Conner, Audrey Whitby as Katey, Jason Shane-Scott as Richard, Gerald Webb as Detective Ford, Richard Louenello as Detective Jacobs