Libby
Parsons is convicted for the muder of her husband, Nick, while on a
boating trip. She lets her best friend adopt her young son while she
goes to prison, but when her friend promptly vanishes, Libby gets
suspicious. She is able to trace her whereabouts and discovers her
husband still alive under assumed identity. Libby, already serving
for the murder of her husband, is informed that she can now kill him
with no punitive results since the "double jeopardy" rule states that
you can't be tried for the same crime twice. While on parole, she
escapes and goes in search of her husband and son.
Good acting and competent directing can't raise this far-fetched B-movie to the level ofcredibility it needs to be a great thriller. While offering an interesting premise, there's really little else to keep the action afloat other than a series of unlikely and frustratingly poorly conceived events that raise the B.S. factor to the point of laughability. Tommy Lee Jones, who seems to now be typecast after THE FUGITIVE and U.S. MARSHALS as the guy to hire to track down criminals, ir sorely wasted in a supporting role as the down-and-out parole officer.
What's
wrong with DOUBLE JEOPARDY can be pinned to the shoddy screenwriting
by David Weisberg and Douglas Cook, who were responsible for the
equally boneheaded but successful actioner, THE ROCK. Making almost
little sense, the viewer can't truly get into the film due to too
many inconcistencies and asking too much suspension of disbelief.
For instance, why would a man who faked his own death and allowed his
wife to take the rap live a series of fairly high-profile lifestyles?
Why is it that when a convicted murderer breaks out of her parole
camp and is on-the-loose and armed that there is only one person
looking for her with any effort? How does Tommy Lee always seem to
find out Ashley's whereabouts with little or no evidence to go on?
As the film builds itself out of implausibilities beginning from it's
very foundation, none of the events that happen ring true until
ultimately what we're left with is an implausible pill that's too
large to swallow.
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