"I did NOT kill my husband..."      

DOUBLE JEOPARDY (R)

Reviewed September 29, 1999 - Check out the Double Jeopardy Website.

Studio Synopsis: Convicted for the murder of her husband (after he faked his own death and framed her in an insurance scam), Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) survives six long years in prison with two burning desires sustaining her — finding her son and solving the mystery that destroyed her once-happy life.  Standing between her and her quest, however, is her parole officer, Travis Lehman (Tommy Lee Jones).  Libby poses a challenge to the cynical officer, one that forces him to face up to his own failings while pitting him against his superiors and law enforcement colleagues.

Fuzzydog Review: Think of Double Jeopardy as a remake of The Fugitive, and you've pretty much nailed the essence of this film.  Wrongly convicted for the murder of her husband (who isn't dead at all), Libby Parsons violates her parole in search of her son, with Officer Travis Lehman hot on her heels.  The twist in all of this is the 5th Amendment's double jeopardy clause, which prevents someone from being tried for the same crime twice.  As the scriptwriters would have you believe, this clause entitles Libby to really murder husband once she gets out of prison, with no legal consequences for her whatsoever.  Far fetched, yes, but an intriguing idea nevertheless, and one that Double Jeopardy manages to carry through with some success.  With charismatic performances by Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones, this is a film definitely has its moments.  Still, Double Jeopardy seems to have trouble mustering the drama and originality necessary to make it shine as an action-suspense film, and its predictability very quickly starts to work against it.  It won't take you long before you figure out exactly what's going to happen in Double Jeopardy, and at that point you're really just left with Judd and Jones' performance to provide the entertainment value.  This isn't an entirely bad thing, mind you, but it's not exactly ideal either...

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

dos't mater gives this movie  stars. (2/27/00)

darth_davo@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "Good fun thriller, but nothing more. Weak unoriginal plot and some dismal characters, but if you've seen the trailer you've already seen the film for free. But Ashley Judd does drive the film, and despite its constant flaws, it is an enjoyable flick." (1/20/00)

gillianlover@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "While not original in the slightest, Double Jeopardy is still a lot of fun and Ashley Judd carries the film almost entirely on her own with not only her extreme beauty but also her strong, independent feminism. Some action scenes are good, while the film does sag in places. One note, as everyone seems to be saying: if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the whole movie just about, because it shows almost every scene." (1/13/00)