Review of The Fugitive (1993) by Nikola B — 12 May 2014
The best pure action movie of the nineties. Based on the popular TV series from the sixties, Andrew Davis updated the story into a taut, well acted feature length thriller. Harrison Ford stars in the title role as Dr.
Richard Kimble, an innocent man wrongly accused of murdering his wife (Sela Ward), who escapes and goes on the lam while trying to prove that a one-armed man committed the crime. In a sly game of cat-and-mouse, Tommy Lee Jones plays opposite Ford as US Marshal Sam Gerard, in pursuit.
The opening sequence sets the stage as the events of the murder that lead to the trial and imprisonment of Dr. Kimble are recounted quickly in nightmare fashion. While in route from prison, the bus carrying Kimble and other inmates crashes, before landing on a railroad track.
In an instant, a train appears and crashes into the bus in spectacular fashion, setting free the inmates. This sequence is expertly directed and edited, and sets the wheels in motion for a fast paced chase picture that never lets up.
Davis does a superb job of using the Chicago locations to create a tense Kafka-esque atmosphere and he moves the story along with plausible close calls. This is one of the few recent thrillers that can credibly be called Hitchcockian.
There are some minor plot lapses and the logic behind the murder of Kimble's wife makes little sense. The performances are first rate. Ford is once again convincing in an action role where he brings an intelligence to allow his character to always be one step ahead of his pursuers.
Tommy Lee Jones runs away with the movie in an Oscar-winning performance. He takes a part that is adequate on the page and gives it style. Jones lets us follow him as he puts the pieces to the case together without letting us know what he is thinking.
He brings a bemused detachment to the job that provides relief to the tension and entertains us. With Jeroen Krabbe, Joe Pantoliano, Julianne Moore, Andreas Katsulas, Daniel Roebuck, Andy Romano, Ron Dean.
This review of The Fugitive (1993) was written by Nikola B on 12 May 2014.
The Fugitive has generally received very positive reviews.
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