Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Former cop Joe Paris (Burt Reynolds) was suspended for pushing his partner through a window after he shot an unarmed suspect. When criminal Jake Farley is founded murdered, Joe is arrested after finding evidence at his apartment. He's bloody, hungover, and can't remember the night before. Jennifer Hudson (Theresa Russell) is his eager new public defender who spent five years in the Peace Corps. James Nicks (Ned Beatty) is the prosecutor. Deborah Quinn (Kay Lenz) claims to be with Joe that night. She had contracted Farley to kill her powerful husband but changed her mind. He refused to pay her back but Joe somehow got the money for her. Jenny wants her to be Joe's alibi but Joe objects.Michael Crichton as an IP generator is beyond reproach but as a director, he is average at best. This does not raise his average. The narrative flow is lacking. Burt Reynolds is cold which is good for his possible guilt. His innocence is not really in doubt but twists are expected in this type of movies. Russell overacts in a couple of scenes. The pairing is not that appealing. None of the characters are rooting interest material. This is a forgettable thriller.

"Physical Evidence" has a gripping opening sequence, with a man trying to commit suicide on a bridge, only to find a corpse hidden there. What follows, however, is little different than a TV movie, albeit a well-made and somewhat violent one. Burt Reynolds' character is a walking cliché: he is a burnt-out, suspended cop who "plays by his own rules", has a bad temper, and of course doesn't remember anything about the night he is accused of murdering an old enemy of his. Theresa Russell gives a strangely stiff, buttoned-up performance (except for one cute scene, where she gives Ned Beatty's character the finger). The whodunit aspect is at least sustained until the end, though of course we know all along that Burt is not the killer. There are some funny lines (-"He has a police record longer than my d**k" -"Never been arrested, eh?"), and "Married With Children" fans will have fun spotting Ted McGinley as Russell's rich fiancé, aka "His Gucciness"! ** out of 4.

Originally intended to be the sequel to "Jagged Edge", the Burt Reynolds vehicle "Physical Evidence" is just barely adequate. The veteran star, and noted author / occasional filmmaker Michael Crichton, seem to be just going through the motions. A very routine and forgettable picture, it's clumsily written, boringly handled, and saved to a degree by a solid supporting cast.Burt plays Joe Paris, a detective with a nasty temper who's currently on suspension. He makes a plausible suspect when a notorious sleazy criminal turns up dead, and it's up to the crusading public defender Jenny Hudson (Theresa Russell) to clear his name.Russell tries hard, and does look absolutely great, but she is indeed simply miscast in her role. Burt looks like he can't wait to leave the set and cash his paycheck. Burts' frequent co- star Ned Beatty has a welcome presence as the district attorney who is sure that the case is a slam dunk for him. Kay Lenz is also lovely as always, and appealing, as a mobsters' wife. Ted McGinley is appropriately odious as Jenny's smarmy yuppie boyfriend. Tom O'Brien is a convincing jerk as the obnoxious lowlife son of the murder victim. Kenneth Welsh is excellent as always as a snooty crime kingpin. And Ray Baker does what he can with an underwritten role as a cop.Somewhat slick, but too predictable, and too silly, to really work all that well.Filmed in Toronto and Boston.Five out of 10.

I got a kick out of Reynolds saying to his attorney, "look,I've done a lot of shi%ty thing in my life, but I never killed anyone." Obviously he forgot about his career which slid down hill after he started making stupid movies like 'Cannonball Run.' Physical Evidence was originally supposed to be a sequel to 'The Jagged Edge' that Glen Close sanely rejected. The verdict is in, avoid Physical Evidence.