Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Mr. Jones Blu-ray Movie Review

Counting (scare)Crows.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 29, 2014

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.

Scott (Jon Foster) and Penny (Sarah Jones) have packed up and left behind their comfortable city life for an escape into the middle of nowhere where they hope to rekindle their romance and craft a popular documentary. As their days turn towards months, tensions mount, the documentary seems to be headed nowhere, and the couple seems on the verge of giving up. Then, they stumble upon an old dwelling that they come to believe is inhabited by none other than "Mr. Jones," a mysterious, reclusive artist whose creepy scarecrows-meet-devils statues fetch a pretty penny back in the world. His work is the subject of countless rumors, speculation, and art book photographs. When the couple decides to infiltrate his home, they discover something beyond their imagination...and nightmares.

Mr. Jones folds a few unique structural elements into its web of "found footage" stylings, telling much of the backstory through interviews with "academics" and "art experts" who share their opinions on the lore surrounding the film's mystery title character. The educated speculation helps to both guide the viewer closer to, but at the same time further from, the truths that are revealed in the final act. On one hand, it's an easy and smart way to explore various avenues along with the audience while at the same time dropping some ideas that may or may not prove relevant to what's revealed in the final bit. Even as much of it seems like manufactured gibberish, it at least lends a greater sense of importance, of discovery, of history, and of future to the proceedings beyond the generally generic treks through the woods that result in lame scares and gory reveals. Instead, Mr. Jones embraces not so much a profound story, but at least a thoughtful one with some interesting context beyond the usual cliché that both haunts and hinders these sorts of films.

Still, Mr. Jones takes a good long while to get going. Its main characters, despite valiant attempts to the contrary, don't find much appeal. They lack depth, particularly evident in the crucial first act that's a disappointingly slow-paced open and nothing like the more fundamentally interesting middle stretch and the moody, daresay even atmospherically frightening and twisty, final act. Audiences that hang on beyond that sluggish open will be treated to a gradual turn towards the surreal that culminates in a rather fascinating twist ending that's complex but accessible, in a way reminding of another recent Horror franchise that's currently in production of its third installment (name withheld to keep spoilers at bay). Love the way the film ends or hate it, or maybe not even fully understand it, Mr. Jones maintains a critical air of freshness beyond its generic open and folds its audience into a visually interesting and dramatically intense world of the bizarre and of the nightmarish.

Mr. Jones Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Mr. Jones Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release of Mr. Jones comes as bare-bones as the creepy scarecrows depicted in the film.

Mr. Jones Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.