What do you get when you take the director, cinematographer, and editor from the academy-award winning film Driving Miss Daisy, throw in the writing team who gave us The Rock, and spice it up with solid performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd? You get a fairly predictable formula film with occasional splashes of creativity and brilliance.In fairness, some of the predictability of this film is not the fault of the director, but the marketing people. Roger Ebert has criticized the production company for giving too much away in the previews, and on this point he is absolutely right. In the off chance that the reader has not yet seen the previews, I will keep the plot synopsis to a minimum. Ashley Judd plays a mother and wife who is framed for a murder. Most of the story line involves her attempts to right wrongs done to her as a result of this injustice. The specific formula is three parts The Fugitive, two parts Sleeping with the Enemy, and one part each of An Innocent Man, Deep End of the Ocean, and Shawshank Redemption.There are some innovative plot twists, but what makes the movie most worth seeing is the outstanding performance by oft underrated Ashley Judd (A Time to Kill, Norma Jean and Marilyn). She is clearly the driving force behind this film, and she rises to the occasion showing real range and an ability to get more meaning from a raised eyebrow than some actors get in an entire film. Tommy Lee Jones reprises one of his best roles by playing a near-clone of his role as U.S. Marshall Girard in The Fugitive. This character is a little more multidimensional, but it's still a character we know--and love. There are also some nice small performances from a grab bag assortment of supporting players.Besides some really good performances, the real strength of this film is solid cinematography. There are some nice innovative visuals at key points in the film and the visual elements help us stay engaged. The greatest weakness of the film is probably the plot itself. The story idea has some real potential, but the writers appear to have difficulty avoiding the cheap cliché in structuring the plot, so that in the end, we have a story almost worth telling that is fairly well told.

Even though I found the whole path of this one, predictable (I made what was coming next) I still found this movie, entertaining as f..k. If not in the hands of two great actors, Judd, so believable and engaging to watch here, while Jones does solid as always, this movie could of well shrunk. I did find it, so predictable from the start, I'm not surprised, Bruce Greenwood, a really good actor, who always delivers (can't believe he was in 87's flop, The Bikini Shop) didn't wear a sign, saying "I'm the bad guy". Judd who plays a lot of strong independent characters, yet gives us another, of a woman framed for the murder of her husband (Greenwood), where foul plays involved. After doing her time, a six year stint, which is lessened, by working off her remaining three at a halfway house, run by a cranky, hardfisted ex lush (Jones) she sets off on a path of revenge to make wrongs right: find Greenwood and get her son back. She can actually kill Greenwood in cold blood, as she's already been convicted once already of killing him, where prefore, to her doing her three year parole stint, wearied down, she had finally, falsely convinced to killing Greenwood. Could this double jeopardy law really be possible in reality? Is this just American Law? If it is, Judd should of carried through, and killed the fu..er. I would. Like other movies, at that speech near the end, you really savor these vengeful moments with ecstasy, where villain and victim meet, as you really think what he/she, put her/him through, where the total lack of feelings from these scumbags who cause havoc, and misery in peoples lives (again note, Judd's so believable acting of emotions) is sickening. There is a kind of down note to Greenwood's fate, where dying instead of suffering, is an injustice, that really sucks, where if the other had happened, that again, would of been another painfully predictable, if cliché'd moment. Great Saturday Night viewing pic, you must watch if only for the captivating Judd, yeah, and to a smaller extent Jones.

(Originally reviewed: 12/01/2017) Ashley Judd stars in an at times unbelievable yet entertaining little thriller. This is the first time I have seen her in a lead role and I must say she handle's herself pretty well. Tommy Lee Jones is of course also in this picture, nobody knows this kind of role quite like him, he plays a similar role to the one he played in films like The Fugitive and U.S Marshals, only this time he's not in charge of the investigation. The rest of the cast do their parts quite well too, even her husband (Bruce Greenwood) who may come off as a prize jerk. The story may not be original as we have all seen many thrillers where someone is wrongly accused and goes to prison and then wants his or her revenge, but it all depends on its entertainment value, it's quality or if the acting is good, and here it's fairly good and rather entertaining. There a few noticeable flaws however, such as its lack of originality, the usual predictable clichés and ridiculous twists that I for one couldn't really shout genius at, with the exception of one rather decent one towards the end involving an exchange sequence. Also most of us have gathered that you should not turn your back after you have just blackmailed someone for a lot of money, there hardly going to be fine with it. Overall though, I enjoyed Double Jeopardy, it's fairly well crafted and well aware of its purpose; on this note it succeeds.

The Always Watchable Ashley Judd and the Sometimes Watchable Tommy Lee Jones are Teamed Up in this "The Fugitive" Lite Film, but Bruce Greenwood Almost Walks Away with the Show. It is a Mildly Entertaining Piece of Fluff that Never Gets too Gritty and Keeps Things in a Brightly Lit Atmosphere.The Movie Looks Good with Slick, Sharp and Colorful Scenery, but the Plot, Oh My That Plot, is so Contrived it is Criminal. The Clichés Pile Up Like Felonies and it has been Pointed Out that the Central Conceit, Title of the Movie, and the Much Talked About "Double Jeopardy" Doesn't Apply in a Case Like This. Didn't Anyone Call Alex Trebek for Legal Advice? This Type of "Error" is Inexcusable. In the End it is an OK Time Waster and is Typical of Chick Flick Claptrap that is Recycled Now and Then for its Target Audience.Worth a Watch for Fans of the Stars and Those Without Law Degrees. But the Movie is Barely Suspenseful with Much Telegraphing and Not Much Better than a TV-Movie.