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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Beyond Bad

Peter Hyams remake of Fritz Lang film is boring and inept

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 11, 2009 3:50 PM CDT

(Newser) – Peter Hyams' Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, a remake of Fritz Lang's noir classic, has a 0% aggregate rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what critics are saying about the Michael Douglas vehicle:

"Michael Douglas is the only life in this dull party," writes Peter Travers for Rolling Stone. "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."

Reasonable Doubt "lacks tension or mystery," writes Claudia Puig for USA Today. "Even the courtroom scenes feel artificial. The dialogue is often clichéd or trying far too hard to be clever, such as: 'This is the diem we have to carpe.'"
"Peter Hyams brings a touch of neo-'80s, Gee, let's throw in a car chase! hackery to this pile of contrivances," writes Owen Gleiberman for Entertainment Weekly. "This is a noir in search of a hero we can root for because we actually buy what he’s doing."

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

In this film publicity image released by Anchor Bay Entertainment, Michael Douglas is shown in a scene from, "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt." (AP Photo/Anchor Bay Entertainment)

In this film publicity image released by Anchor Bay Entertainment, Jesse Metcalfe is shown in a scene from, "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt." (AP Photo/Anchor Bay Entertainment, Rico Torres)

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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Beyond Bad