5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A young couple moves to the woods and soon finds their nightmares and reality colliding.
Starring: Jon Foster (I), Sarah Jones (VIII), Faran Tahir, David Clennon, Diane NealHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 40% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Audiences might be inclined to gloss over Mr. Jones, believing it to be just another "found footage" film with little value beyond several cheap scares and recycled ideas built on the back of a minimalist budget and chiseled down to earn an audience-friendly PG-13 rating. While those are legitimate fears on the surface, and while the movie does indeed fall into those categories and clichés, at times, it's also a good example of why it's better to actually watch a movie before disparaging it out of habit for genre. While not any sort of groundbreaking motion picture, Mr. Jones does enough to restructure the "found footage" idea and bring with it a few rather novel ideas that crescendo into a whacky, in a good way, final act that turns the movie on its head and offers the audience a legitimately creepy vibe, a tangible grit, and a dramatic satisfaction that are frequently lacking in lesser films or, even worse, forced so badly into the film that it devolves into mindless tripe. That's not to call Mr. Jones "profound" or anything of the sort, but there's a flair and a feeling here that certainly elevates it above the pack.
Artists...and more.
Movies like Mr. Jones aren't made with dazzling visuals in mind but are instead crafted to take on a lower-grade, almost consumer-level video appearance to suit the narrative structure. Mr. Jones manages to look better than most of its kind yet it still maintains that mid-grade digital look, taking on a rather flat, unappealing façade. Details are never spectacular, though clarity suffices and the image is adequately sharp. Faces, clothes, and terrain, such as rock faces, lack textural nuance. Likewise, colors aren't flashy or subtle, instead showing basic shades with commendable accuracy but offering little in the way of precise transition and realism. Black levels are decent, and the movies offers more than its fair share of nighttime and low-light, cavernous interiors. Rarely is there a push towards crush or, on the opposite end of that spectrum, unsightly brightness. Skin tones can look a touch pale but frequently appear normal. Light banding appears in a few spots. Overall, this is a rather good presentation for what the film has to offer, which isn't much in terms of visual eye candy.
Mr. Jones' Dolby True HD 5.1 lossless soundtrack enjoys good spacing and energy. There are several quality directional effects throughout, whether a car zipping from side to side or airplane and subway sound effects moving similarly. Additional heavy sound effects come with a solid presence and heft, including thunder and various crashes and bangs. Musical delivery is balanced and accurate, particularly in the presentation of classic stringy, shrieking Horror notes. Light atmospheric effects are nicely integrated, too, particularly in some of the cavernous undergrounds where reverberations and little support sounds are common. Dialogue plays with commendable presence and clarity.
Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release of Mr. Jones comes as bare-bones as the creepy scarecrows depicted in the film.
Mr. Jones proves a fair bit better than one might expect, particularly considering all the flashing warning signs that suggest otherwise, signs like "found footage" and "PG-13." This is a better film than the average pseudo-Horror clunker, not a classic or anything of the sort but easily an above-average excursion into a fairly dark and interesting place. The movie plays it safe in some ways but ultimately satisfies with a core story and atmosphere that overcome a lame opening act and somewhat uninteresting characters. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Mr. Jones features decent video and good audio. Sadly, no extras are included. Definitely worth a rental and perhaps a purchase at an aggressive bargain price.
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