Stone dead

Prismark10

I have seen enough Jesse Stone films to realise that they are not very good. If I want fun there are always re-runs of Columbo or the Perry Mason TV films.

Once more with the long stares, sombre moody jazz music its a mission not to press the off switch. Even the dog looks miserable. The sight of catching William Sadler's name in the opening titles makes me persevere.

William Butler the son in law of the Town Councilman is the new police chief and he has arrogance and incompetence in equal measures. You can immediately figure that he is not long for this world.

Rose (Kathy Baker) finds Rutherford College student Cindy Van Aldan dead inside a car near Stone's house and it might be a drugs overdose. Stone who once arrested her feels guilty and wants to investigate the matter even though he has taken early retirement from the force.

In Boston, Captain Healy asks Stone to investigate the case of a black man who might be innocent of holding up a liquor store as the evidence seems questionable and the man is reluctant to give an alibi. Stone is prepared to help but wants to be deputized so he can have a badge.

He uses the badge to investigate Cindy's case who seemed to have dropped out of college, gone into rehab and then into a vice ring through a liaison with a Russian gangster.

Jess being more smarter then Captain Healy figures out why the black man is reluctant to give an alibi and then locks horn with the Russian pimp instead of taking Captain Healy's offer of help with the Cindy case.

Somewhere along the line he spends more time with his shrink, gets help from Geno Fish and borrows a car from ex-con Hast Hathaway and now getting involved in a relationship with his secretary who seems to be of mixed race.

Jess Stone is so down in the dumps that even his dog is ringing the Samaritans and barking for help.

As for the rest of the movie it drags along slowly in a predictable manner with a main plot,a side plot and a cast of recurring characters who presumably now just show up for the pay cheque and not the script. Incidentally Tom Selleck is credited as the co-writer for this film, a smarter man would had their name removed.

score 3/10

Prismark10 10 June 2014

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3031774/