Subtitles:

English (SDH), Spanish, none

Extras:

• Commentary track with director Peter Hyams and actor Jesse Metcalfe

For his remake of Fritz Lang's last American film, 1956's Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, Peter Hyams retains the German Expressionist's narrative conceit but otherwise ratchets up the sleek car-commercial flashiness. Whereas Lang's original was a condemnation of U.S. capital punishment, Hyams's do-over has no such weighty issues on its mind. Instead, it's merely content to spin a tale of murder and intrigue about the efforts of transplanted TV news reporter C.J. Nicholas (a false Jesse Metcalfe) to frame himself for the murder of a prostitute in order to expose the evidence-planting tactics of star district attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas).

Set in Shreveport, Louisiana, the story has about as much local flavor as it does logic, though the director nonetheless initially keeps the proceedings mildly engaging by simply adhering to his source material, detailing C.J. and his goofy sidekick Corey's (Joel Moore) careful execution and recording of their ruse. Despite a focus on glossy suspense, however, there's little outright tension, as Hyams, aside from a vigorous car chase sequence, mistakenly attempts to generate excitement not via his story's underlying legal system conflicts (image vs. reality, justice vs. self-interest) but through hokey twists and turns that render the action facile.

Extras :

The optional commentary with director Peter Hyams and actor Jesse Metcalfe is standard fare with some minor discussion of the noir themes of the film and the production details in general. Unfortunately, it is not a film worthy of lengthy discussion and the track is left 'holding the bag' to some extent. After that we get two very short featurettes both in HD - The Whole Truth -- The Making of 'Beyond a Reasonable Doubt' with cast soundbyte input and a slightly more interesting Criminal Forensics -- The Burden of Proof although like the film - neither really get a chance to expand to full potential. There is also a trailer and some previews.

BOTTOM LINE:
I shouldn't be too critical of the film - I was in the mood to watch this 'courtroom drama' - not expecting too much - and I was left moderately satisfied. Comparing it to the Fritz Lang's original (on DVD now - out of Spain - reviewed HERE) doesn't seem to make much sense. The actual in court sequences are too short and Michael Douglas has minimal screen time. The pace seemed a bit rushed. This is pretty hollow with some untied loose ends but if you are willing to suspend your belief to a deep enough level - you will find the tension and suspense levels entertaining. The Blu-ray seems overpriced in my opinion. It doesn't hold its one in any area displaying weaknesses at every turn. I think we'd have to recommend passing on this one.