Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Sony Movie •••½ Picture •••½ Sound ••• Extras None

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise stars Tom Selleck as the titular alcoholic, small-town police chief, the much-beloved protagonist of crime novelist Robert B. Parker. Selleck is just the right age to play a man struggling with inner demons - and with the knowledge that his best days are likely behind him. The actor rises to the occasion with a measured, understated performance that's sure to please longtime fans of the character. The script (co-written by Selleck) is as no-nonsense as the original story (which involves the murder of a troubled teen) and allows for the film's pleasingly brisk pace.

Image quality is quite good - sharp and clean enough, in fact, to show just how TV-movie production values continue to lag behind those of feature films. Color rendition has the somewhat pumped-up, digital look, but the enhanced colors work fine here, accenting the idyllic life of Paradise, Massachusetts and setting us up for a look at the dirt underneath. Ambient sound is fairly detailed, especially given the quiet and subdued nature of the film as a whole. No extras are included on this disc, but if you want to catch more cases, Jesse Stone: Night Passage is being released simultaneously, and Stone Cold is already on the shelves. [NR] English, French, Portuguese, and Thai, Dolby Digital 5.1; letterboxed (1.78:1); dual layer.

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