Line #40 Film/TheLastChanceDetectives


1	[[quoteright:264:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/last_chance_detectives.jpg]]
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3	''The Last Chance Detectives'' is a series of UsefulNotes/{{Christian\|ity}} DirectToVideo movies, and later a {{Radio}} series, created by Creator/RobertVernon and produced by Focus on the Family in the mid-1990s. The series followed four young preteen sleuths who solved mysteries in the fictional desert town of Ambrosia, UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, while at the same time, learning various lessons from Literature/TheBible. As of 2011, three episodes of the video series have been made.
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6	!!Tropes:
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8	%%* TheAce: Mike, since he's the main character.
9	* AnAesop: Since this a Christian series, the main children characters invariably learn lessons from the bible.
10	* AlliterativeName: Winona "Winnie" Whitefeather.
11	* BigBad: Karl Von Paris in "Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa", Dan Plummer in "Legend of the Desert Bigfoot", and Josh in "Escape from Fire Lake".
12	* BigNo: Mike does one of these while lost in the desert in "Escape from Fire Lake".
13	* CoolOldGuy: The old man who finds one of the one hundred-dollar bills that Mike left behind in "Escape from Fire Lake".
14	* CoolPlane: Though despite not being capable of flight anymore, the B-17 that Mike and his friends use as their headquarters would count.
15	* CryingWolf: In "Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa", Mike, Winnie and Spence do not believe Ben when he claims that he saw a UFO in the desert.
16	* DangerousWorkplace: The rock quarry where Mike and co. follow Jake the dog when he's on the scent of the bigfoot in "Legend of the Desert Bigfoot". [[spoiler:Later on, Mike and Dan Plummer then confront each other on the main structure of the quarry in the climax.]]
17	%%* DeadpanSnarker: Winnie, as well as Ben.
18	* DisappearedDad: Mike's dad was listed as "Missing in action".
19	%%* DisneyDeath:
20	%%** Ben in "Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa".
21	%%** Sheriff Smitty in "Legend of the Desert Bigfoot".
22	%%* EvilAllAlong: Dan Plummer
23	%%* EvilLaugh: Von Paris again, as well as Josh.
24	* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Mike is Choleric, Ben is Sanguine, Winnie is Melancholic, and Spence is Phlegmatic.
25	* GentleGiant: The big gorilla that the gang encounter in "Legend Of The Desert Bigfoot" is gentle.
26	%%* GotVolunteered: Inverted in "Legend of the Desert Bigfoot".
27	%%* HeroicDog: Jake does have his moments sometimes.
28	* KickTheDog: This was how Jake was treated by his previous owner in "Legend of the Desert Bigfoot". The bank robbers also scared him off with a gunshot in "Escape from Fire Lake".
29	* KidDetective: The main characters are four pre-teen sleuths.
30	* LastPlaceYouLook: Used in "Legend of the Desert Bigfoot", with the walkie-talkie that got pushed off the counter into a plastic tub of water by accident.
31	* LocalHangout: The Diner run by Mike's grandma is where everyone hangs out.
32	* MacGuffin: The jade figurine that Josh and Seth steal in "Escape from Fire Lake", which Mike then takes from them.
33	%%* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Seth, in "Escape from Fire Lake".
34	* AMinorKidroduction: In the beginning of "Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa", Mike is first shown as being 6 years old, then after the first 5 minutes, he is shown as being around maybe 11 or 12 years old.
35	* NoodleIncident: Sheriff Smitty once mentions to Ben about a time that he (Ben) told him (Sheriff Smitty) that an old lady was being robbed by a prowler, [[spoiler:when in actuality, it was the old lady herself crawling into the window because she was locked out of the house]] in "Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa".
36	%%* ProductPlacement: Shows up pretty often.
37	%%* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Sheriff Smitty.
38	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Winnie is the only female member of the Last Chance Detectives.
39	* StuffBlowingUp: In the beginning of "Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa", a plane explodes in mid-flight.
40	* TitleDrop: Mike and the others often mention themselves as the Last Chance Detectives.
41	* TrailOfBreadCrumbs: The money trail that Mike left for the police to follow in "Escape from Fire Lake". [[spoiler:Mildly subverted after that that the robbers found the trail and discovered Mike in their getaway car.]]
42	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The jade figurine that Mike took from the bank robbers in "Escape from Fire Lake" was last seen when he unwittingly left it near the den of a rattlesnake while putting on his jacket. When he was about to reach for the figurine, the rattlesnake bites Mike, causing him to fall over the edge of the cliff that he was sitting on. The figurine was then never seen again after that, though it was mentioned by the bank robbers when they confront him about it.
43	* WouldHurtAChild: Played straight by most of the antagonists with the only exception being Seth, who actually tries to help Mike when Josh dumps him in the desert.

Context Film / TheLastChanceDetectives