Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-24 01:18:38

I would download a video from Amazon again.

This review is from: An Innocent Man (Amazon Instant Video) I've been trying to rent this movie, but no local video stores had it. It is an older movie. I was pleased to be able to get it from Amazon. There are some other older movies that I'm planning on downloading from Amazon because I can't rent them from anywhere else.

2012-05-23 15:40:13

One of my guilty pleasures!

I don't know what it is about this film that mkes me watch it whenever it appears on my TV screen. Maybe it's F. Murray Abraham as a wise convict, or David Raasche as an over-the-top crooked cop. Whatever it is I like it. Probably panned by most critics, An Innocent Man is most effective when it deals with Tom Selleck's stay in prison and the steps he has to take to survive. The movie also has the great line, delivered by drug boss Donatelli, "I'll kill you and I'll kill your families. And I'll do it in pieces." Too bad Amazon.com doesn't carry the movie. Maybe it will be re-issued in the future.

2012-05-20 06:37:50

Mildly Diverting

I vaguely remembered this from my days in the video industry and the positive user reviews prompted me to see it again. I wasn't all that thrilled. As others have noted, the story revolves around Tom Selleck, who is an all around good dude who gets framed by a couple of crooked narcs to cover up the fact they screwed up and tried to bust the wrong guy. He goes to prison and his life is changed forever.First off, this looks and sounds like a made for TV kind of flick. The script and dialogue are pedestrian at best. Tom Selleck is likable enough but he isn't the greatest actor in the world and doesn't bring much to the roll. The opening scenes on through the trial are pretty God awful. They just don't hold up by today's sensibilities. Anyone in the audience could have done a better job of defending him in court than did his lawyer. It's just all so lame. Things do pick up a bit when he gets to prison, but again, we all know through any number of movies and TV shows that it's a lot worse in the joint than pictured here. What is cool is to see is David Rasch in one of his earlier performances as well as F. Murray Abraham in his pre-fame part.When he gets out, and feels forced to bring down the bad cops, things get bad again. It is one of the worst sting operations you'll ever see. And while it's always cool to see good triumph over evil, it needed to be way more cool. It moves at a rather brisk pace so, even at 113 minutes, time moves steadily enough. It's mildly diverting and if you're a Selleck fan (as is my wife) you could do worse. Just sit back and go with the flow and no harm will come to your brain cells.

roy-budge 2012-05-19 18:20:29

simple and realistic

an airplane mechanic gets accidently caught up in a bungled drug bust by twobent cops and is sent to prison.Tom Selleck, always calm in his roles seems to take it lying down at first,but when he is constantly picked out by the usual jail hoodlums and is stillhaunted by the cops who framed him, he can take no more.dont listen to any of the negative comments for this film unless you preferthe comic book jail films like Stallones "Lock Up" (1989)because this film is realistic and the storyline is simple and NOT full ofhero prisoners on a revolt who finally get the president himself to give anofficial pardon.Tom is always great in whatever he does and you can be sure that this isanother great effort from him.i love the dialogue...like.."now you dont have a problem with that now...doyou white boy"Not your type of movie? i wouldnt bet on that!!!9/10

zeeboe82 2012-05-09 23:32:52

One of my favorite prison movies.

This is a story about a middle-aged man named James Rainwood. He has agreat job that he loves, is happily married and is hoping to start afamily with his lovely wife, Kate in beautiful Southern California.One day his wonderful life turns up-side-down and inside-out. Twocrooked cops, Detective Mike Parnell and Detective Danny Scalise, breakinto his home, thinking it is the house of a drug dealer due to theirown stupidity in getting the address's wrong. They make an even biggermistake by shooting him because James has just gotten out of the showerand he has a hair dryer in his hand. They mistake it for a gun andshoot him. After they realize they are in the wrong house, they plant afake gun on Rainwood and put drugs in his house to make it seem like heis a drug dealer.James and Kate don't stand a chance against the police and James issent to prison for three years and he must learn how to survive in thebig house, and having no street skills it does not come easy. Andthat's all I am going to tell you if you have not seen this awesomeflick. :-DI believe this movie is wonderful and totally under-rated. It deservesmuch more hype. I think the only reason why it does not get theattention it deserves is because a lot of people view it as a racistmovie, all because Tom Selleck's character James Rainwood is harassedhorribly by an all black gang in the prison, and along with the help ofother white inmates, he learns to stand up for himself and survive inthe world of prison.It's common knowledge that whites are the minority in prison and if youare a white man who is not a member or a punk to the Aryan Brotherhood,you are going to be targeted and harassed by black gangs.IMHO, this movie was what Stallone's "Lock-Up" tried to be. There aremany things wrong with that movie. One being that it was completelyunrealistic for a couple of redneck white boys to be running the yard.But Stallone must have feared that people would view his movie asracist, so he makes all of his enemies white....the prisoners, guards,and the Warden...there is not one bad guy in that movie that is black. I don't know much about prison because I have never been there, but itseems like it would be rare for whites and blacks to be pals in prison.Prison is a whole other world. An Innocent Man was not going to BSanyone either. It reminds me of Oz in a sense, because Oz was realistictoo. Prison is a scary place. Like the character Virgil said......"It'san insane place with insane rules." One being that race is a big deal.If you can't even handle a movie about prison, I hope all of youcalling it racist never end up there.

2012-05-09 16:57:35

A Sleeper (and a Keeper)

Jimmie Rainwood (Selleck) is a hard-working crew chief for a major airline. Two crooked cops are ready to line their pockets from a drug bust. It goes badly and Jimmie's new home awaits: a maximum security prison.Life ain't easy on the inside. Luckily, he becomes friends with Virgil (F. Murray Abraham) who shows him the ropes and takes a liking to him. So does Jingles (Young). For all the wrong reasons.The tension behind the prison walls is equal to what's happening to Rainwood's wife (Robins)outside them, courtesy of our vigilant 'protect and serve' friends. If you like your revenge sweet, and the bad guys getting theirs, then "An Innocent Man" will be your cup of poison.I was never a huge fan of Selleck's but this film changed my mind. You'll want this movie in your personal collection.

2012-05-01 02:49:27

Take Tom Selleck seriously.

At last, those of you who think that Tom Selleck is type-cast as either a cowboy or in a comedy role, will surely change your mind after watching this movie. He is absolutely terrific in this dramatic role, paving the way for his later movies, all of which have been thrillers/dramas. I have always loved the man, to the point where I used to holiday in Hawaii every year in the hope of meeting him, but this movie has made even me step back in awe. Well done Tom.

2012-04-30 14:09:38

Another Selleck Masterpiece

This review is from: Innocent Man [VHS] (VHS Tape) Just about anytime you see Tom Selleck on the screen, you can expect to be entertained. He is in the same category as Cary Grant when it comes to charisma. This, in my opinion, was a transitional movie for Selleck and one of his best. Highly entertaining, thought provoking and also disturbing. What happend to this "Innocent Man" could happen to anyone. My only question is why such an excellent movie with such a dynamic entertainer is not available for purchase! Get with the program and get this released on video again!

Steven 2012-04-25 18:00:50

Prison movie almost gets it right

While the dirty cop portion of the movie is way overdone, the prison portion is actually fairly good at portraying some of the true situations inmates face in prison. Some parts of the prison portion are sensationalized for hollywood but I did appreciate the infusion of accuracy. No prison movie will ever be dead on. Daily prison life can actually get pretty boring. However, this movie was fairly entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone considering committing a crime that could land them in prison.

Aitch-5 2012-04-25 13:25:57

Excellent revenge flick

I thought this movie would seriously put me in a dark mood, but I foundthat I liked it -- a lot. I was surprised by how much I liked thisfilm. This is a very good "B" movie, and I enjoyed just about all of it-- the affectionate scenes between Jimmie Rainwood (Tom Selleck) andhis wife, the scenes with the two corrupt cops, the scenes withDetective Fitzgerald (Badja Djola), the scene at the beginning withRainwood assuring his boss that the jet airliner his people are workingon will be fixed on time, and even the scenes in prison, especiallythose with Virgil Cane (F. Murray Abraham), but I even enjoyed theblack-gang scenes (because I was rooting for Jimmie to get mad and takehis tormentors down). Can you tell that I was entertained? :-)This is the kind of movie to rent if you're in the mood to watch a goodand truly innocent man get knocked around by nasty people you'llseriously love to hate (crooked cops AND prison gang members), watchthe guy suffer a bit, and then watch him get back on his feet and gethis revenge on his tormentors (without losing his humanity). Thecharacters and situations may be a bit cliché, but I don't care. Themovie reminds you, as one prisoner tells Jimmie Rain after he gets toprison, that there are times when you don't have to stand tall, but youdo have to stand up. Rent this and watch Rainwood learn, under Virgil'sguidance, how to stand up.

2012-04-24 05:45:09

Edge of Your Seat Thriller!

This review is from: An Innocent Man (DVD) This movie is good because of the star and it keeps you on the edge of your seat because you don't know what will happen next. It shows that with determination that things will work out if you don't give up. It shows that bad policemen do pay the price for being on the wrong side of the law.

Terminal Madness 2012-04-23 12:35:58

Excellent

I accidentally stumbled upon this while looking for something to watch andIdon't regret it. I saw this on a movie channel on cable and man, who knewTom Selleck could make such a good movie? F. Murray Abraham is excellent asTom Sellecks Obi-wan, the one who guides him throughout the movie and helpshim bust the cops that framed him. Muy Bien!

2012-04-23 02:05:59

jack

This review is from: Innocent Man [VHS] (VHS Tape) not one of his best known movies, but I always thought it was great. stand by your rights and justice in the end

grumpy-5 2012-04-22 11:43:13

A very realistic prison movie

I think that this was one of Tom Selleck's best movie roles. Also, F.Murray Abraham was excellent.

2012-04-16 18:29:41

Growing pains

This review is from: An Innocent Man (DVD) Tom Selleck in the role of Jesse Stone has quickly become my favorite actor. I purchased "Innocent Man" hoping this would carry over. However, it did show how much Mr. Selleck matured and become a great actor.

2012-04-16 09:44:54

lawbreaking teen males: see this movie...

If you're headed down the wrong path, this movie will turn you around. You'd rather be dead than end up in prison. Unlike the other reviewers, I didn't know what was coming next, except to hope that Tom would overcome such injustice. He transitioned from a happy-go-lucky guy who was framed to become a hardened ex-con well. I don't like strong language in a movie, but crooked cops and prison life seem to merit it in this movie. Suspenseful. Under-rated - where was the popularity for this movie? Tom's an exceptional actor, and if he's in a movie, i want to see it.

MARVMOOCOW 2012-04-12 02:44:42

A Great Selleck Flick

This little under rated gem is a great flick.Witness the transformationof Tom Selleck from all round nice guy to bad ass dude as his life isturned upside down by two corrupt cops who make a mistake on a bust.This is a very enjoyable flick and well worth a look its definitely oneof Sellecks better films and seriously deserved better treatment at thecinemas than what it did.If you've got nothing better to do on a rainyafternoon then this is highly recommended viewing,its not "TheShawshank Redemption",which is my favourite jail film,or even "TheGreen Mile" but it is still a great little film and a great timefiller.Sometimes I wonder what Sellecks career would've been like hadhe of made a little film called "Raiders of The Lost Ark" perhaps hisfilm career would've gone through the roof,he definitely deserves abetter film career than what he had.

2012-04-11 09:02:35

Tom Selleck Is An Innocent Man- Mainly because it's not his fault this movie is terrible.

Tom Selleck Is An Innocent Man- Mainly because it's not all his fault thismovie is terrible. Suffering from some of the most prime examples of poordirecting, music, and sound, Selleck's 89 film was a plan to grow upon acareer established by Magnum, PI. Due to these drawbacks, the film playslike a typical episode of Magnum, the only theatrical aesthetic being itsbizarrely overusage of profanity. It's as if a cast of TV actors are givenfree range of vulgar words and can't hide a devious giggle everytime theyfind themselves mouthing contrived dialog that includes "f-this youpunk!"or "ain't life a m--f--er?". The TV directing style and MIAMI VICE stylemusic makes the sudden violence and profanity seem jarringly out of place.One strength the movie has is its writing, which, despite poor dialog,makeseven Selleck's slightly wooden performance seem tight and focused. If itweren't for the incredibly poor directing, set design, costuming,lighting,sound and music, F. Murray Abraham may not have been to embarassed to putthis on his resume. Maybe.

2012-04-10 11:08:40

Story of Justice.

This a great story of seeking justice and the bravery of one man. Tom Selleck does a very good job in this film.

2012-04-09 13:20:24

Innocent fluff

This is my original review, from September 2007: "I liked Selleck in Quigley Down Under, but here he is unconvincing and is weighed down by a predictable, one-dimensional plot. Anyone who doesn't know where this movie's going from the word go is an innocent man or woman. The opening scene, in which he's shown as kind, generous, principled, brilliant, is positively saccharine. This is thoroughly lightweight entertainment that is more like your typical infallible TV series hero than a serious, intelligent movie."Earlier today I got a notice from Amazon.com that someone had commented on my review, to wit: "Rediculous [sic] viewpoint and concusions [sic]!" But the comment had already been removed, less than half an hour after it had been posted, so I guess the commenter lacked the courage of his conviction. Nonetheless, I try to be fair, so I read the reviews that had accumulated since mine (many of which strike me as uncritical), plus a cross-section of movie critics at [..] The latter contain such epithets as "hopelessly lame" and "strains credulity" (Janet Maslin), "plodding" with a "by-the-numbers" script (Chris Hicks), and "your standard, straight-ahead, puckishly manly Selleck portrayal" in the one tepidly positive review (Roger Piantadosi). But even Piantadosi refers to "the feebly tacked-on opening sequence," which I described in my original review as "positively saccharine". The one full-length review I found was Roger Ebert's. (Most of the critics apparently didn't feel it was worth the bother.) Although Selleck is serviceable rather than a top actor I refrained from stoning him, noting only that he was "unconvincing" and "weighed down by a predictable, one-dimensional plot." Although I later was inclined to blame the director, Peter Yates, for eliciting silly, one-dimensional portrayals from his cast, Ebert refers to the "simple-minded, dumb plot" and the "thin, assembly-line screenplay" which "doesn't give the director, Peter Yates, the convincing stuff of real life to work with." So maybe my initial impulse to blame the screenplay, a first-time effort by Larry Brothers, as the only credible villain in this movie, was on target. Ebert also criticizes the opening sequence, suggesting it plays "exactly like an airline ad" and that "the editing rhythm make the sequence feel like a TV commercial," thus establishing Selleck as "a plastic, one-dimensional symbol of innocence." Ebertin also refers to the movie as "lightweight", not too divergent from my "innocent fluff" or the take of the other reviewers at [..]So my second thought is that my original two-stars is reasonable, although the abjectly silly opening sequence might have influenced me to give it two stars rather than three. But a movie in which the bad guys are over-the-top bad, and the good guy over-the-top good, hardly merits more. If you want a movie that addresses social issues with good acting and depth, try Cautiva (Captive): Testimonio de un secuestro (Spanish Edition), an amazing and deeply moving film. If you like Selleck, however, and simply want something undemanding to relax with, you can hardly go wrong with An Innocent man.