This Jessie Stone story has literary back-up by Robert B. Parker (the creator of Jessie Stone.) It's a mystery which Parker might have embraced, but he would have spiced it up a good bit more. This ninth movie is more of a swan song with deep character looks at the main character, Jessie, and his demons (booze and loneliness.) Unfortunately, the other unusual character cast is either left out, or truncated. Only one of PPD's characters (Suitcase Simpson) appears a couple of times, and Jessie's best buddy, the Boston homicide chief is nowhere to be see. In a smooth and heartfelt twist, Jessie's dog (Reggie,) has died and left a hole in Jessie's soul. In an interesting screenwriting twist, we learn just how big this hole is as the camera pans in on the dog's headstone. To add heart-tugs, a new dog comes into Jessie's life and makes it's appearance in almost the exact manner as Reggie did several years back. This interplay between deeply troubled man and a deeply troubled dog may be the best part of this story. The actual mystery is a cold case, where almost everybody thinks the case is "solved," even when the man accused of the killing admits to the first three gruesome killings but refuses to take credit for this fourth identical killing. Jessie, bored with the lack of high profile crime in Paradise after Hasty Hathaway's hasty retreat, goes looking for cold cases to work in Boston. With the homicide chief away, he works a sweet deal with an old love interest, Internal Affair's Sydney Greenstreet (what a wonderful shout out to the Dashall Hammett and the Maltese Falcon.) This time Sydney is all business and no romance, keeping Jessie on a short leash. The story, written by Tom Selleck and Michael Brandman, is a smart and savvy mystery, with a twist that probably would make Parker smile if he was still alive. The problem lay in the ending. It's too quick, from the moment the killer is identified to the moment he is dispatched. It works, but it could work a lot better. Perhaps producer-actor types are not the best writers. With that said, if this is the biggest knock on Tom Selleck, we can forgive him. His acting and character portrayal is flawless. I just hope it's not the last movie in the series! It would be great to bring Hasty back for a finale and get the whole gang of regular players back for one last moment in Paradise. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I have all the prior Jesse Stone movies and have liked all of them. This is the final in the series and it was TERRIBLE. It was like they knew it was the last in the series and each character was just going through the motions. The writers had each character saying their characteristic line....like Dr. Dix, the shrink, he says," It's been 2 years. Why is this so hard?" And instead of solving one more crime in Paradise, he has to go on Special Assignment because he Cleaned Up Paradise so well. The final mystery doesn't really get going until close to the middle of the movie, so it doesn't take that long to solve as it was almost immediately evident who the murderer was. Just Terrible writing and directing. In short, save your money.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This purchase marked my collection of the last movie in the Jesse Stone series with Mr. Selleck. Each story builds slowly but steadily, using great photography and superb acting by an all-star cast, to show depth of character, emotion and scene. Dialog, while essential, is spare and lets the actor use their talent to present their character in a complex setting that allows the audience to interpret the emotions and story being presented in their own context. I have watched each of these stories several times before I purchased copies of my own. I hope to see number ten shortly.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I have all of the Jesse Stone DVDs. I love Tom Selleck as this flawed character and enjoy the well written story lines. I always watch for the re-appearance of the main characters from Rose, Suitcase & Dr. Dix to seeing what the villains, Hasty and Gino Fish are up to? In this 9th film of the series, I really missed Capt. Healy and Reggie, the Golden Retriever. Hopefully, I will be able to watch Jesse Stone DVDs 10,11,12... and warm up to the new characters that were introduced in Lost in Paradise.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I think it is every bit as good as the other films of the series. Joe The Dog was Reggie, and passed away in real life. However, regarding the movie, I hopefully look forward to more in the Jesse Stone series. I love the story line, and the characters are most engaging taking me to a sense of reality, even the adolescent actors. I wish they were closer in time sequence, but the anticipation is good for me. I found the DVD an excellent value, and is a treasured part of my extensive collection.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs