blanche-2 "Engaged to Kill" from 2006 is a Lifetime movie made in Canada, starring Joe Lando, Dominic Zamprogna, Maria Del Mar, and Katherine Isabelle.Based on a true story, the pediatrician wife, Abby (Del Mar) of a businessman Robert Lord (Lando) is kidnapped, and the ransom demand is a million dollars. Somehow overnight, Lord manages to get the money. He won't call in the police. Meanwhile, Abby Lord is assured by Sally (Daniella Evangelista), the girlfriend of her captor that all they want is the money; her boyfriend is taking her to Hawaii for their wedding. Abby realizes that she's going to be killed, even if Sally believes every word this guy tells her. When she sees a chance to escape, she takes it, but Sally is killed.The captor blames Abby for his girlfriend's death and moves in on the family, hurting their finances still more while he's seducing Abby's and Robert's daughter.All pretty obvious. I watched this because General Hospital's Dominic Zamprogna was in it, a few years before he joined the show. He does well as a real sleaze.I found this okay. I make fun of Lifetime movies, but they're a way to escape and relax. They're not hokey like Hallmark films, and though derivative and predictable, somehow you keep watching.

sol1218 ***MAJOR SPOILERS*** Supposedly based on a true story the made for TV movie "Engaged to kill" is so off the wall and unbelievable that, if in fact it did happen in real life, it goes to prove the famous saying that "Truth is in fact stranger then Fiction".The movie starts off with a run of the mill kidnapping of pediatrician Abby Lord who's kidnapper demands from her husband-luxury boat salesman-Robert a cool million dollars if he even want's to see his wife alive again. Not going to the police but going broke in rustling up the ransom Robert together with his 14 year-old son Corey drop off the cash, in an out of the way garbage can, in the designated spot that the kidnapper told him to. Whaterver believability the movie had up until then totally evaporated with the actions of both the kidnapped victim and the kidnapper.Abby, who was supposed to be released anyway, makes her escape from the kidnapper's trailer with the kidnapper's girlfriend Sally getting killed, by falling out of the trailer and getting crushed, in trying to prevent her from escaping. It's then that the kidnapper decides to get even not only with Abby but her entire family by secretly bankrupting them as well as causing Abby to lose her job at the hospital! This is all done by the kidnapper getting Abby's patients with the help of his accomplice-Sullivan- to accuse her of malpractice.****SPOILER*** It's when the kidnapper, whom were not supposed to know who he is, finally shows up on the scene it becomes obvious just what he's planning to do. Get in good by being Abby's daughter's, Maddy, boyfriend and destroy the Lord family from within! Of course this sleazy and smirking lowlife isn't up to accomplishing his mission by himself he has help in this mindless goon-Sullivan-that he hired to do most of the dirty, as well as murders, for him!Everything is so predictable, especially the identity of the kidnapper, that there's no suspense at all in the movie. The only thing that surprises you is just how ridicules the kidnapper was and how he was able fool, among his victims, anyone in the first place. I for one couldn't understand the attachment he had to his airhead girlfriend Sally since he used her, like he did everyone else in the movie, for his own advantage and nothing more. As for the Lord family it was only Abby who finally got the drop on him but not in her realizing that he was in fact the person who kidnapped her! But in Abby finding the smirking psycho playing- a game of internet poker- with her son's Cory's personal computer! The ending of the movie was a totally mindless confrontation between the kidnapper with both Abby and her daughter Maddy whom he planned to slice up and force Abby to watch bleed to death. It's then that the crazed lunatic for no reason at all, but just to show how crazy he is, dropped his gun only to end up getting clobbered, with a polo stick, and put to sleep until the police came to finally put him away!

Fieldsp341 I watch this movie each time it is repeated on Lifetime. I thought it was engaging to watch with all the ups and downs the family went through. I do agree however that some of the editing did not make sense, and some of the plot lines were left hanging. With this being a true story about Abby Lord, I felt the movie concentrated too much on the daughter and not that of Abby and family. I initially watched it the first time because Joe Lando (who played Sully on Dr Quinn) was in it. I recognized others in the movie as I watched it. The one who plays Nick was also in the movie Vampire Wars with Joe Lando. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes true stories with happy endings. It is no worse than any other made for TV movie on Lifetime, but better than some.

krorie Though based on a true story according to the credits, this riveting thriller (not a mystery) contains a few fanciful elements. When Robert Lord's wife, Abby, is kidnapped, he quickly raises one million dollars for the abductors. He and his son, Corey, deliver the money to a specified location. The kidnappers consist of a pair of lovers, Crawford Blake and Sally. Obviously the entire ploy is Blake's idea. Naive Sally believes all the lies Blake has told her about using the money for a honeymoon in Hawaii after safely releasing Abby. Driving a van with Sally and a restrained Abby in back, Blake is on his way to find a convenient spot to kill Abby. Abby becomes sympathetic to Sally's plight, realizing that she is being used by Blake for his nefarious deeds. She is able to escape but in the process Sally is accidentally killed. Apparently, Blake really did love Sally for now, even with the million dollars, he plots Abby's demise getting close to her daughter, Maddy. Blake becomes engaged in order to kill.The story is well plotted, even becoming somewhat complicated at times. There is suspense and thrills aplenty provided by director Matthew Hastings that puts this made-for-TV film above the average. There is not much humor included that would have eased the tension somewhat which makes for intense viewing. Since it is TV, the commercials may actually assist in giving a break from the intensity of the drama.A major weakness concerns believability. Of modest means considering the life style presented, Robert Lord is able to raise one million dollars in just a few hours by putting his house, his cars, and his small business up for collateral. A close banking friend is able to swing the loan for him. When the friend disappears mysteriously, his character is virtually dropped from the story, almost as if his murder is not significant. There are also several other parts of the story that are difficult to accept as presented in the film.The movie closes with a clever line by Maddy. As Blake is being led away, she coldly looks him in the eye and exclaims, "Aloha!"