Paramount Presents #37 - Double Jeopardy (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Paramount
Release Date: January 17, 2023
Rating: R
Film: 4/5

Plot
Ashley Judd shines as an innocent wife convicted of murdering her husband, only to find out that he staged his death. Tommy Lee Jones is the parole officer hot on her trail after she skips town to find the man who framed her. Full of twists and turns, it delivers more than a double dose of suspense and action.

My Thoughts
I remember watching this film on DVD sometime in 1999 and enjoyed it, but it was never a film that I bought on Blu-ray or DVD for some reason. Here we are nearly 24 years later and Paramount is giving it the “A List” treatment as movie #37 in the Paramount Presents line, which means it gets a little extra love in the mastering process and should provide the best presentation possible.

The film itself is quite tense and enjoyable, even though I could remember the overall story arc of there it was going. I remember having a massive crush on Judd when the film first came out and I really enjoyed her work, but it’s Tommy Lee Jones performance that makes this worth watching. While he doesn’t break any new ground as an actor, I simply love his delivery and the character he portrays fits his personality.

The presentation is a mixed-bag. Although the film was supposed to get a new HDR treatment, I would be hard-pressed to pick out a scene that highlighted the technology. Furthermore, while the print is generally clean, longer shots looked a tad soft and very Blu-ray like in their appearance. Close-ups fared a bit better, but I wouldn’t say the 4K on this made a big difference in the overall presentation versus the included Blu-ray.

Like the video, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track is rather pedestrian. While dialog was always clear and concise, the presentation is very front loaded and rarely tests the dynamics of your sound system. While I’m sure it’s faithful to the original soundtrack recording, I can’t say that the remastered lossless mix adds much, if anything, to the original track.
 
Video 7.5/10 (AVC)

Audio 7.5/10 (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)

Special Features:

• Filmmaker Focus with director Bruce Beresford
• Alternate Ending
• The Making of Double Jeopardy Featurette
• Digital Copy
• UHD + Blu-ray

Conclusion
My wife and I ended up enjoying the film a lot more than expected. She actually wasn’t in the mood for this type of film, but she agreed to give it a try and actually had a lot of fun with it. There are some very tense moments in the screenplay—coupled with some head-scratching moments as well—but the sum of its parts makes it a great way to spend an evening on the couch. The performances are top-notch and while the presentation isn’t reference quality, it didn’t ruin the experience one bit with.

Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.39:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
SVS SB3000
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Paul Heroy]

Movies like this are why I can forgive her for being a massive Kentucky fan.  (Actually, I think it's really cool that she's a big sports fan and supports her school's team.)

[bmoney]

def remember this from my DVD days  thanks for the review.  now we just need The Bone Collector lol

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

Nice review Dave. We are in agreement regarding the overall presentation. You mention in the body that the is TrueHD 5.1 but, you list it as Dolby Atmos in the rating section. 


Regards,

[David Vaughn]

Greetings,

Nice review Dave. We are in agreement regarding the overall presentation. You mention in the body that the is TrueHD 5.1 but, you list it as Dolby Atmos in the rating section.


Regards,

Thanks Ralph...my template

[bmoney]

Oops Hahahah