The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 19, 2025

Jack Nicholson's "The Two Jakes" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Jack Nicholson; archival program with actor David Keith; archival program with editor Anne Goursand; new audio commentary by critics Max Allan Collins and Heath Holland; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"What I do for a living may not be very reputable, but I am. In this town, I'm the leper with the most fingers."

If your mind is not fresh and willing to perform as well as it could when you choose to see The Two Jakes, you are undoubtedly setting yourself up for a very frustrating viewing experience. Jack Nicholson’s film is not just one big and very twisty noirish puzzle, but frequently a genuinely perplexing film, so arranging properly all of its scattered pieces can be a serious challenge even for the freshest mind.

In Los Angeles, private eye Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is contacted by power player Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), who has discovered that his wife, Kitty (Meg Tilly), is having an affair with another man. Gittes is then offered a substantial sum of money to bust Kitty and her lover in a particular hotel room at a particular time, a setup desired by Berman, who claims that he wants to retake control of his marriage. Gittes reluctantly agrees to help Berman. However, when later he and his assistant rush into the hotel room, Berman inserts himself into the setup and guns down Kitty’s lover, who is identified as his business partner, Mark Bodine.

As soon as Berman is arrested, The Two Jakes enters a very deep rabbit hole, split by multiple trails, each ending at different places. Gittes and Berman, the two Jakes, become key players in a murder case that is constantly expanded and reset, and while trying to clear his name, the former begins making various most unexpected discoveries, a few of which have substantially more to do with Los Angeles and its future than his compromised client.

Nicholson worked with a screenplay by Robert Towne, who penned Chinatown, considered by many to be one of the greatest of all film noirs, and it is painfully obvious that The Two Jakes was supposed to be seen as a sequel to it. The connection between these films is unmissable, but they are different in so many ways that it almost feels a bit odd to view them as relatives.

As in Chinatown, Gittes’ investigation is essentially one big litmus test that begins exposing a lot of truths about the socio-political structure of Los Angeles and the people who have the ability to alter it – legally and illegally. As the investigation picks up steam, Gittes, while repeatedly risking his life, then realizes that Berman is a chameleon that aspires to be one of them. However, the same investigation is also supposed to transform the murder case into a great noirish puzzle, and the harder Gittes work to solve it, the less attractive it becomes. Several key developments in it also appear completely random and, unsurprisingly, unconvincing. The exact opposite development transforms Chinatown into a special film. In it, Gittes also digs deep, but the more information he gathers about the apparent drowning of Hollis Mulwray, the more intriguing his work becomes.

The great period environment and frequently breathtaking visuals are enough to recommend booking a date with The Two Jakes. Also, Nicholson and Keitel are joined by several very good actors, like Eli Wallach, Madeleine Stowe, and Richard Farnsworth. However, its disastrous performance at the box office is entirely deserved. It is a mismanaged project, with obvious flaws, that should have been a vastly superior film.

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Two Jakes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces Paramount's recent 4K restoration of the film. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release.

I was enormously impressed with the quality of the 4K restoration and its presentation on this Blu-ray and the 4K Blu-ray included in the combo pack linked above. I spent an equal amount of time with both presentations, occasionally testing the same areas, and on my system, all visuals looked quite incredible. Delineation, clarity, and depth were always very, very pleasing. Even in areas where light is captured in tricky ways, most of which boast unique ranges of shadow nuances, the quality of the visuals remained very impressive. Color reproduction and balance are terrific. As you can tell from the screencaptures we have provided with this article, all primaries look strikingly lush, and all supporting nuances are perfectly balanced. Both are equally healthy. Unsurprisingly, large areas of the film, and especially the ones featuring panoramic outdoor footage, look mighty impressive now. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire film looks spotless. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed parts of The Two Jakes on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the combo pack release. I chose to view the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but tested the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in several areas. The latter clearly expands the dynamic field, and in some busy sequences, like the one with the short melee during the murder in the hotel, it is easy to appreciate that there is more going on. However, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track does not feel like a compromise. On the contrary, it performs exceptionally well in the exact same sequences. So, you will simply have to test both, as I did, and decide which of the two works better for you. I checked the size of the English subtitles and they looked a bit too small on my system.

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic and writer Max Allan Collins and critic and podcaster Heath Holland.

• Flying High with Jack - in this program, actor David Keith reveals how he was cast to play his character in The Two Jakes and recalls some of his interactions with Jack Nicholson during a key sequence. Keith also explains why Nicholson is the best director he has worked with, and at the end of the program confesses that he also had trouble understanding the complex story that is told in The Two Jakes. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Time Changes Things: Editing The Two Jakes - in this program, editor Anne Goursand recalls how and when Jack Nicholson invited her to work on The Two Jakes, and discusses some of the dilemmas she faced during its production and Nicholson's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Jack on Jake - in this program, Jack Nicholson reveals that he always assumed that The Two Jakes was supposed to be part of a trilogy, with Chinatown, that, sadly, never materialized. Nicholson also discusses the complicated production of The Two Jakes and its fate. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Two Jakes. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The feeling that The Two Jakes should have been a vastly superior film is impossible to brush off. There is too much quality in it -- quality acting, quality visuals, quality material for a special story -- but it is not managed right. It is why in its current form The Two Jakes is a frustratingly convoluted, occasionally even perplexingly chaotic film that only reminds of its notorious relative, Chinatown. It is too bad because how it turned out and its poor reception definitely killed off the trilogy it was supposed to be a part of. Kino Lorber's release introduces Paramount's gorgeous recent 4K restoration of it. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release. You can consider picking up one of these releases, but it is probably best to do so when they are on sale.