A sizzling, all-star cast—including Allen Payne (CB4), Jada Pinkett Smith (Collateral), Bokeem Woodbine (The Rock), Eddie Griffin (Undercover Brother) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)—deliver fiery, heartfelt performances in this inner-city Romeo and Juliet story from the producer of New Jack City. Jason and Joshua are two brothers left fatherless by a family fight that spun out of control. Trying to make good and get off the slick ghetto streets of Houston, Jason (Payne) finds a source of inspiration in a beautiful and sexy girl named Lyric (Pinkett Smith), whose dreams of fleeing the city together give him hope for a better life. But when Joshua (Woodbine) turns to a life of crime and drugs, Jason finds he’s torn between his love for Lyric and his obligation to family. And as the time comes for Jason to leave, he finds that Joshua will stop at nothing to see that he stays…even if the fight to keep him rivals the one that killed their father. Featuring an explosive soundtrack, Jason’s Lyric delivers an urgent sense of sexuality and passion that underscores the high stakes of its suspenseful, shocking conclusion. Produced and Directed by Doug McHenry (New Jack City, House Party 2) and co-starring Naughty by Nature’s Anthony “Treach” Criss.

For thoughts on Jason’s Lyric, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/Y08eFDia-wI?t=4052]

Video Quality

Jason’s Lyric makes its Blu-Ray debut with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 that gets a passing grade from Kino Classics. While I have no specific details about the transfer, this appears to be derived from an older master that shows minimal signs of damage and little in the way of digital tinkering. The transfer looks clear and detailed for the majority of the film with only a couple of errant shots exhibiting what could be described as density fluctuations in the grain field.

The image quality is stable with some nice detail in the lived-in production design and the texture of clothing. Colors are pretty well saturated with a slightly warmer push to complement the environment. Black levels are passable in their depth, but a few moments struggle with delineation. There are no overwhelming instances of compression artifacts or other digital anomalies in the transfer, but there is some speckling of damage throughout Overall, the presentation is one that holds up fairly well even if a new master might clean things up a bit more.

Audio Quality

Kino Classics brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that is quite effective. The dialogue holds up well, coming through clearly for the most part with only a few instances where lines are stepped on by the commotion of the scene. The environmental effects are not a standout aspect of the soundscape but are delineated nicely within the speakers. The sounds of gunshots and automobiles bring some heft to the mix. The movie features a great soundtrack which maintains a flawless fidelity. This is a track that captures the intentions of this movie exactly as expected thanks to fine work from Kino Classics. There are optional English subtitles provided.

Special Features

Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer for Jason’s Lyric is included here. There are also trailers provided for CB4, The Inkwell, Mo’ Better Blues, Bad Company, The Rich Man’s Wife, Jungle Fever and Untamed Heart.

Final Thoughts

Jason’s Lyric is a very passionate drama which leaves a mark even with its imperfections. The strongest aspect of this feature is the level of top tier talent it has across the board, not to mention the solid direction of Doug McHenry. Where things get a bit more unsteady is in the balancing of the different storylines on a script level, as the film as a whole sometimes lacks cohesion. The film could use some trimming and shaping, but there is a lot to appreciate as is. Kino Classics has brought this film to Blu-Ray with a decent A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the talent attached to this one, you should give this a shot. Recommended

Jason’s Lyric is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.