Rocketansky

Other reviews have addressed details about each installment very well, so I'll stick to overall comments.

I think this has to be some of Selleck's best work. "Think" because I haven't watched any TV to speak of since 1994. His performance throughout is multifaceted, nuanced, and just plain excellent. His Jesse Stone character exudes an honesty, a fairness, and an unswerving loyalty to principle, traits I suspect run through Selleck himself.

He has a real stake in the series - he's listed as Executive Producer - and it shows.

After Selleck himself, what defines the series are the supporting players. I can't remember a single weak performance, and I've been though the whole series several times. Recurring standouts are William "Nobody rides a horse like Monte Walsh" Devane (Dr. Dix), Steven McHattie (Captain Healey), Kohl Sudduth (Luther "Suitcase" Simpson), and especially William Sadler (Gino Fish).

Mention must be made of Stone's dogs, who are very important and integral characters throughout the series - in unexpected and novel ways.

Highly recommended.

A relative bought this film on a pay-per-view while I was visiting because she knew I was a space flight junky. (Aerospace career engineer at McDonnell-Douglas, Rockwell, JPL, and Lockheed Martin).

The initial sequence was well done and a valid use of shaky cam. But when the camera just kept on shaking I knew I was in trouble. I utterly despise shaky cam and will not watch a film that uses it.

I've gotten into the habit of checking in this forum before renting or attending a film to see if this execrable method is used. Went as long as I could before apologizing and....well....bailing out.

In agreement with many reviewers here on what I did see -- slow moving and somewhat listless, with way too many extreme close-ups.

I've always thought I had a pretty good sense of humor. I dunno, maybe it's faded away gradually as I've gotten older. Because this opus didn't tweak it at all.

Hey, I have no problem with violence, crudity, profanity, sex, and viciously funny satire aimed at everyone possible. Problem is, none of the violence, crudity, profanity and sex worked for me, and the viciously funny satire, well... just wasn't.

Full disclosure: half the movie was all I could stand before hitting the EJECT button on the player. I then proceeded downstairs to the shop where I cut the disk in half with a pair of tin snips so there wouldn't be the slightest chance that any other person would ever make the mistake of playing that particular copy. It's most certainly the only time I've ever done THAT.

I figure at least there's a spare case if one in the collection wears out. (The jacket blurb went through the shredder.)

To everyone else who gave this a one and wish they could've given it a zero, I feel your pain; this is for you:

Rocketansky's Rating: Minus Ten