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Movies / Upcoming / Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

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Reviews Counted:22

Fresh:0

Rotten:22

Average Rating:3/10

Consensus: Hackneyed and over dramatic, this undercooked courtroom drama suffers from bad dialogue and a twist ending you'll see from a distance.

Genre: Action/Adventure

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: High profile lawyer, Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) has an impeccable record putting criminals behind bars and is a shoo-in for governor in the upcoming election. But when ambitious rookie... High profile lawyer, Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) has an impeccable record putting criminals behind bars and is a shoo-in for governor in the upcoming election. But when ambitious rookie journalist, C.J. (Jesse Metcalfe) begins investigating Hunter for tampering with evidence to secure his convictions, the district attorney’s perfect record is up for scrutiny. Commencing a risky game of cat and mouse with Hunter, C.J. frames himself as a murder suspect to catch the corrupt D.A. in the act.

Romantically involved with C.J. but unaware of his assignment, assistant D.A. Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn) becomes caught between her boss’s political ambitions and C.J.’s dangerous exposé. As mounting evidence stacks up against both men, Ella’s own life becomes threatened when she discovers incriminating proof that puts the fate of both Nichol’s innocence and Hunter’s reputation in her hands.

With intricate plot twists ratcheting the tension throughout the film, this gripping courtroom thriller is written and directed by acclaimed director, Peter Hyams (Running Scared, End of Days) and also stars Orlando Jones and Joel David Moore. --© 42 West and Autonomous Films [More]

Starring: Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Michael Douglas, Joel David Moore

Starring: Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Michael Douglas, Joel David Moore, Orlando Jones

Director: Peter Hyams

Director: Peter Hyams
Screenwriter: Peter Hyams
Producer: Ted Hartley, Limor Diamant, Mark Damon
Composer: David Shire
Studio: Autonomous Films

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Reviews for Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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The result is at times genuinely suspenseful ... and if the final twist doesn't drive you crazy, the cleverness may win you over.

Full Review Source: Brand X | comment Comment
10/08/09
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Brand X

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/02/09
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A good rule to follow for wannabe gritty thrillers: Lead actors shouldn't remind you of late-night informercial pitchmen.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
09/14/09
Joe Neumaier
Joe Neumaier
New York Daily News

There's little in this pointless rehash to distract audiences from the pleasure of watching Tamblyn, a fine young actress whose direct, grownup stare belies her baby features.

Full Review Source: NPR | comment Comment
09/14/09
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
NPR

There's fun to be had in a rickety Coney Island rollercoaster manner, and it's not terrible late at night on the couch with a bag of warm popcorn, though it is just too silly and slight for all its bluster.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
09/14/09
Jason Thurston
Jason Thurston
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Preposterous, asinine, poorly edited and downright silly with more unintentional humor than your average courtroom thriller.

Full Review Source: NYC Movie Guru | comment Comment
09/12/09
Avi Offer
Avi Offer
NYC Movie Guru

What you won't be able to figure out is why this laughable yarn didn't go straight to DVD.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
09/11/09
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
New York Post

The leads can't lend either spunk or gravitas to what was already a preposterous yarn 50 years ago.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
09/11/09
Robert Abele
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There are plenty of reasonable doubts about his mediocre legal thriller remake.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
09/11/09
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter

I've got no problem with movies that stack up twists like crazy straws. Hyam's script, however, depends on us being dumber than every character in the film—you'd have to reach protozoan levels just to resist wanting to strangle everyone in it.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
09/11/09
Amy Nicholson
Amy Nicholson
Boxoffice Magazine

Despite excellent stunt work and a too-brief appearance by Orlando Jones as an unflappable cop, the movie -- unlike Mr. Douglas’s hairdo -- never rises above mediocrity.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
09/11/09
Jeannette Catsoulis
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An undercooked crime flick whose real mystery is why it was made.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
09/11/09
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

What I can’t figure out is how director Peter Hyams can remake a 1956 movie from the great Fritz Lang and not learn anything about suspense, pacing and storytelling in the process.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
09/11/09
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

Like its title, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is a generic, forgettable courtroom thriller.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
09/10/09
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt feels like some throwaway 1980s TV movie, with its implausible premise, dizzying twists, cheesy montages and melodramatic score.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
09/09/09
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

Douglas makes smarm a chewy pleasure, but this is a noir in search of a hero we can root for because we actually buy what he’s doing.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
09/09/09
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly

For his remake of Fritz Lang's last American film, Peter Hyams retains the German Expressionist's narrative conceit but otherwise ratchets up the sleek car-commercial flashiness.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
09/09/09
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine

Any amateur magician can successfully yank the tablecloth away, but it’s only impressive if there’s something of value on the table.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
09/09/09
Aaron Hillis
Aaron Hillis
Time Out New York

Can a great surprise at the end make up for all of the earlier flaws? Only if you've got ADD.

Full Review Source: Hollywood & Fine | comment 5 Comments
09/09/09
Marshall Fine
Marshall Fine
Hollywood & Fine

Dumb, boring and predictable, rarely ever exceeding its TV movie esthetic and leading to the most ridiculous last-minute twist.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
09/08/09
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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