I, the Jury Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

I, the Jury Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 26, 2016

Mike Hammer was big business in the 1980s. A creation from author Mickey Spillane, introduced in 1947, Hammer is a quintessential pulp private detective, imagined as a brute with a brain and his share of vices. He’s hard on crime and harder around women, but focused on justice, with Spillane coming up with plenty of literary adventures for producers to use. And they did, hiring Kevin Dobson and, most famously, Stacy Keach to portray the character in television efforts, finding a home for the era-specific mood. However, 1982’s “I, the Jury” elected to modernize Hammer for a new audience, attempting to merge dated aspects of masculinity with an action endeavor, basically laboring to make a Hal Needham film with Spillane grit. “I, the Jury” tries to play it cool, trusting star Armand Assante to be bold enough to carry the work, but absurdity blankets the picture. Striving to play with the big boys of violent cinema, director Richard T. Heffron (who replaced original helmer and screenwriter Larry Cohen a week into the shoot) makes a television movie that’s periodically interrupted with salacious and macabre encounters, keeping Hammer more of a cartoon than an engaging screen antihero.

Mike Hammer (Armand Assante) is a private detective, solving cases with support from his secretary, Velda (Laurene Landon). He’s a Vietnam vet who doesn’t take law enforcement seriously, but he’s dedicated to justice, using his instincts and collection of guns to manage his cases, with cynicism keeping him alive. When Jack (Frederic Downs) is murdered in his own apartment, Hammer is pulled into the case, mourning the loss of his one-armed friend who protected him during the war. Digging deeper into the case, which frustrates Detective Chambers (Paul Sorvino), Hammer discovers strange connections to the CIA and sex therapist Dr. Bennett (Barbara Carrera), whose secretive ways seek to distract the private eye as he inches toward the identity of the real killer.

“I, the Jury” was intended for the big time, with Cohen trying to generate a James Bond mood for the private detective, only to fumble introductions by making Hammer a total creep, immediately sleeping with a woman he’s been hired to babysit. So much for professional ethics, a personality deficiency that clouds the rest of the story, investigating Hammer’s confusion as the details of his war buddy’s death don’t add up, inspiring him to seek revenge. He’s not a noble man, but the Hammer depicted here seems to be aware of right and wrong, with Cohen exploiting his hard-headed drive to make a nuisance out of himself with cops and the CIA. The production endeavors to amplify the Hammer brand name into franchise status, even deigning a crude, Bond-esque main title sequence that looks more like a television pilot than the launch of a new screen tough guy. Cohen has a vision for Hammer, but his ability to translate such brawn and impulse into a laudable human being leaves much to be desired.

“I, the Jury” is spectacularly silly stuff at times, with Assante going full Brando to bring weight to his interpretation of Hammer. The effort doesn’t work, finding Assante wrong for the part, making his Hammer too predatory and thoughtless to be a plausibly successful private detective. The character is troubled, prone to violent outbursts and a misanthropic attitude, but Assante simply looks overwhelmed by the acting challenge, while Heffron tries to play up the material’s trashy inclinations, filling “I, the Jury” with nudity and sloppy violence, including comedic car chases where Hammer has to outdrive Uzi-wielding baddies. Assante offers a stiff chin and complete concentration on his topless co-stars, but it’s not the actor’s finest hour. However, few could pull off Cohen’s vision for a honey-guzzling, fish-tank-obsessed bruiser with a loose grasp on basic decency. Hammer doesn’t have to be lovable, but he should be interesting.

While “I, the Jury” is not short on goofiness, a few scenes are so broadly imagined, they almost save the viewing experience. One is set inside a Benihana-style restaurant, where Hammer confronts a “sex surrogate” at a teppanyaki table, only to have the encounter rudely interrupted by the knife-twirling chef, who reaches over the iron griddle and slices the woman’s throat. Ugliness is more pronounced with Charles (Judson Scott), a serial rapist on the prowl, dressing his victims in smeary makeup and bad wigs before slicing them up. “I, the Jury” isn’t exactly respectful of female characters, lingering on suffering long enough to wonder exactly what went wrong in Heffron’s life for him to essentially celebrate the murder of naked ladies. Not that anything from Spillane, who adored his cruelty, is meant to be tasteful, but there’s an attempt to create suspense and there’s this feature, which tends to enjoy ugliness.

I, the Jury Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A problematic production, "I, the Jury" isn't spiffed up for its Blu-ray debut, but the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is serviceable. Employing an older master, the viewing experience is a little flat, though detail does remain, delivering depths to street encounters and reasonably textured close-ups, while costuming retain fibrous qualities. Some filtering is present, and an aspect ratio shift with different directorial visions is easily spotted, blurring and cropping moments intended for widescreen enjoyment. Colors are a bit fatigued, but urban signage stands out with brighter primaries, and feminine outfits offer a range of hues. Delineation is adequate. Source is in passable shape, though speckling and faint scratches are present.

I, the Jury Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't a satisfactory representation of the picture's already modest aural event. Age is encountered, making dialogue exchanges slightly muffled, with fuzzy highs, diluting the impact of the leathery performances. Music doesn't offer precision, but it retains volume, coming through with power and adequate instrumentation. Sound effects are sharper, supporting shootouts and stabbings. Atmospherics are acceptable, handling city bustle and country expanse.

I, the Jury Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Nathaniel Thompson.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:53, SD) is included.

I, the Jury Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A few scenes stand out as inspired, including Hammer's visit to a movie set to interrogate a prop master, only to accidentally set off a series of squibs that took the better part of a day to set up. It's a shame "I, the Jury" doesn't have more scenes like it, delivering a knowing understanding of Hammer's steely presence and his clumsy way with intimidation, making mistakes along the way. Instead of offering a trace of humility, the production keeps Hammer a charisma-free lethal weapon, which doesn't help an already fledging mystery that's really no mystery at all. Maybe Spillane enthusiasts will be kinder to "I, the Jury," but when it isn't completely awful, it's mostly inane.