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I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Tom Selleck, he of the high testosterone and hairy chest, the iconic Magnum from the hit series "back in the day" was a young 60 years old when he decided to play a city cop who retired to "Paradise" - a perfect little town in an undisclosed location. It was a TV movie based on a well-written detective series, filmed in Canada, and expectations were not high. Leaving aside the question as to whether a man of this age would be hired for this job, Selleck not only met expectations but exceeded them, delivering a quietly effective portrayal of Stone, a man who essentially got stuff done. This portrayal led to others in the series, all well-received, all shot "on the cheap." His actual co-star was the town Lunenburg NS, on the South Shore in that province, the closest thing to "paradise" the producers could find. The town is real, a large percentage of Americans vacation there, and if two people driving in opposite directions should wish to say "hi," they will stop in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, and do so. And no one will honk. Because in Paradise, everyone understands.

Jesse Stone: Stone Cold is directed by Robert Harmon and adapted to teleplay by John Fasano and Michael Brandman from a Robert B. Parker novel. It stars Tom Selleck, Jane Adams, Reg Rogers, Viola Davis, Alexis Dziena and Kohl Sudduth. Music is by Jeff Beal and cinematography by Rene Ohashi.In the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts, world weary Chief of Police Jesse Stone (Selleck) is thrust into a twin investigation involving a high school gang rape and what appears to be a serial killer at large.What a pleasant surprise! I'm not familiar with the Parker novels that feature the character Jesse Stone, nor was I aware that this was the first of many TV films to feature said character played by Selleck. In an undemanding mood and scratching around for something to watch before retiring to bed I gave this a spin purely because I have always found Selleck an immensely likable actor. What I got was a very well constructed thriller/crime TV movie led by an impressive Selleck."I hope you don't take this in any negative way, but you may be the simplest person I've ever met. You know what you know, and you do what you do, and you just keep doing it. Like a mule."The story itself, with its double crime investigation core, is simple and nothing remotely mysterious. In fact the perpetrators are evident to us early in the piece. This is about introducing us to Jesse Stone the man, what sort of cop he is? Why does he drink so much? Will he ever let go of the emotional demons that haunt him? As written it's a standard "troubled copper" role, but Selleck elevates it to greater heights with a telling turn of emotional force. Such sadness resides in his face, even if he is just staring out at the ocean you can feel the world pressing down on his shoulders. He not only garners our sympathy, he has us firmly rooting for him for the type of policeman he is, his methods and way of handling tricky situations are cheer worthy. He may be damaged emotionally but this is one copper you want overseeing your town.Obviously with it being a TV movie there's budget restrictions and the odd flash of amateurism, yet this never hurts the movie. The setting of small town Americana keeps things intimate, with director Harmon making sure we are part of the intimacy courtesy of the small handful of characterisations on show. There is no need for crash, bangs and wallops either, it's not that type of film, and the story is far better for it. The photography is of the misty lenses type, something that keeps the mood on the right side of ethereal and offers up a portentous cloak. While Beal provides a lovely musical score that could quite easily form part of a bigger budgeted picture. The acting alongside Selleck isn't all good, though the dog Reggie is marvellous (seriously), and the absence of depth for a couple of key characters is very much felt. But this is a little treat for Selleck fans and certainly enough for me to take more interest in his Jesse Stone series of films. 7.5/10

Hi, I have to say first off that I am a great Robert B Parker fan. His Jesse Stone novels are amongst some of the best writing that Parker has committed to paper and although I found this film engaging it cannot compare to the book. The characters are well drawn, I like Selleck as Stone and many of the other main characters play their parts well. What this film lacks is the intensity of Parker's writing. Although much of the dialogue is straight from the book the depth of the writing, particularly Jesse Stone's inner demons and the banter between Stone and his subordinates is sadly lacking. I would still prefer this to much of the run of the mill made for TV stuff available. I'm looking forward to others in the series.Tack

My wife and I rented the DVD and were pleasantly surprised by this film. Tom Selleck is awesome as Jesse Stone, a flawed yet brilliant police chief with a great sense of humour. The production quality of the DVD is great-I thought this was a theatrical release. I missed the other two films that have been made since Stone Cold (Night Passage and Death in Paradise) and am hoping they will be rebroadcast or also released on DVD. Jesse Stone is destined to become a classic character as iconic as that other guy, Magnum P.I. Here's hoping there's a TV series in the works, because this has the makings of a great one. Rent it, you won't be disappointed!