Customer Reviews

Jesse Stone 4-pack DVD Bundle (Stone Cold / Night Passage / Death in Paradise / Sea Change)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a fan of the Hercule Poirot, Mrs. Marple, Inspector Lynley mysteries these are just as fine - just superb. Selleck is superb at playing so low key a character, a man so hurt and humbled, on a wholly different plane than he had previously lived, and trying to hold off succumbing to an addiction while holding down a very responsible position. His humility really seems the key to his efforts to help those similarly humbled by crime.

Each of these is a wonderful moody mystery, with a wonderful setting, fascinating plot, aptly non-show-offy dialogue, good supporting cast, with some of the greatest acting by Selleck you'll see in this country. It's VERY worthwhile to rent - better to buy. You'll be very very happy with the result.

As written by Robert B. Parker, Jesse Stone is not always admirable in his actions. He still has to fight the battle with booze, which he so clearly enjoys. As his advisor/shrink, William DeVane cuts him no slack and does him no favors. Having had an alcoholic brother who relapsed so many times that one of those had to become his last, I see Stone fight the battle and see similarities to my brother such that it appears inevitable that Stone will eventually meet the same bad end.
Further, Stone allows himself to be controlled by a manipulative ex-wife who, beyond her looks, does not appear to have sufficient redeeming qualities to put up with her. He allows her to keep him from going on with his life by the vague and slim promise of their possibly getting back together.

Selleck has done a superb job of showing us that Stone is a complex character, neither hero nor anti-hero. Some of the stories rely too heavily upon his "cop-instincts" for smelling out bad guys when insufficient information is given. I had read all of the books from which these movies were made and a comprehensive treatment of the content of the books would have taken 3-4 hours. I, for one, would not have minded the full treatment.

As made for TV movies go, these are about as good as you will find.

David Blocher

They are well written, well acted dramas with excellent supporting characters and best of all, the perfect leading man in Tom Selleck. I highly recommend for anyone who wants their whodunits with a little substance. A must for any Tom Selleck fan - he is like a fine wine that just improves with age.

I just finished watching all five movies but I couldn't really find a reliable recommended viewing sequence and the slipcases don't reveal much either. This series is somewhat odd anyway because the individual movies were not produced/released in sequence. I recommend viewing the series in this order to more-or-less keep the time line straight.

Night Passage: Jesse Stone moves from Los Angeles to Paradise, Massachusetts after he and his wife divorce and he is terminated from LAPD for drinking on the job. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because the main "bad guy" is looking for a police chief that will turn a blind eye to corrupting in the city.

Stone Cold was actually filmed first in the series but the time line occurs after Night Passage so it makes more sense to watch Stone Cold after Night Passage.

Death in Paradise: "Suitcase" is shot in the line of duty.

Sea Change: "Suitcase" is still in the hospital at the beginning of the movie. Any further details might spoil the movie.

Thin Ice: The city council forces Jesse Stone to take a leave of absence without pay. In the final scene, Jesse is on a bus presumably leaving town.

I bought this set for a gift for my daughter and her husband. We all like Tom Selleck a lot, and love his movies, especially his westerns, but also his Jesse Stone movies. We find them very entertaining, and Tom`s acting is always superb!! I hope Tom keeps making movies for a long time - I think he`s the best!!!!

The best cinema is dependent on creating characters that you care about. This series does it in spades. Selleck creates a character that I'd love to know. The acting is good, the stories are entertaining, and somewhat twisted. My family loved each one of them.The plots are a well developed if not a bit predictable. I found something unexpected in each one of them.
I own these movies..

I've read a LOT of the Spenser novels and ALL of the Jesse Stone novels. These movies disappointed me. The movies resembled the books in name only. Whoever directed these movies took a lot of liberties. They do not follow the story lines at all. I am surprised Robert B. Parker allowed his work to be butchered like this.

I don't watch a lot of network TV, so I didn't find out about this series until I discovered them at my local video store. What a find! They don't have the quick pace of most TV movies, or shows but they are very engaging. There isn't a whole lot of blood, nor shootm up bang bang, but interesting life experiences of a small town police chief who came from LA, where he was a detective. The stories are excellent, as is the acting.

As a longtime fan of Tom Selleck (Quigley Down Under) I find his portrayal of Jesse Stone is right on. I realize Jesse is younger in the books but Selleck has him pegged. How about coupling Jesse up with Sunny Randall or Spenser in a mlovie?

Unusually entertaining DVDs - this character is perfect for Tom Selleck and he plays the part very well.