Jesse Stone 2: Night Passage (2006)

Director: Robert Harmon

Writers: Robert B. Parker, Rom Epperson

Composer: Jeff Beal

Starring: Tom Selleck, Saul Rubinek, Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Mike Starr, Britt Robertson, Liisa Repo-Martell, Stephen McHattie, John Beale, Vito Rezza, Stephanie March, Stephen Baldwin

More info: IMDb

Plot: After having drinking issues while on-duty In Santa Monica, California, the former detective Jesse Stone moves to Paradise, Massachusetts with his old dog Boomer. Stone is invited by Paradise's powerful counselor, Hastings Hathaway. Stone replaces former Chief Lou Carson, who retired early. In Stone's first assignment, he hits an abusive husband named Joe Genest. Genest disregarded a restraining order. Local attorney Abby Taylor visits Stone after the incident and an affair begins. When Lou is killed, Chief Jesse Stone suspects of the mobster Joe and Hastings, and plots a situation trying to disclose the truth.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

I picked up a bunch of the DVDs in this TV movie series at a yard sale a long time ago and I thought it was about time to start watching them.  All I knew about them was they starred Selleck.  That's all I needed to know.  I went in blind to this one and I absolutely loved it.  It felt like it was the first one but it was only afterward I discovered it was the second film released and it was a prequel to the first.  That makes sense. The cast is great and Selleck is fantastic.  The writing is excellent and Jeff Beal's somber and tragic low-key score is outstanding and it never overstays its welcome in its repetitiveness.  Saul Rubinek is great as always.  I love that guy.  The ending works well which is great since everything was so good all the way through.  I was hoping they wouldn't fuck it all up by messing with the ending.  I'm glad there are a bunch of flicks in this series.  Based on this one I'm looking forward to seeing all of them.  I have nothing else to base it on but this one is a great one to introduce yourself to Jesse Stone.  The Sony DVD has a great anamorphic widescreen print and the only extras are trailers for (all anamorphic widescreen except where noted) SEINFELD - SEASON 8 (fullscreen), CATCH AND RELEASE, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS and DRIVING LESSONS.  Some interviews with the cast and crew would have been a nice addition.