Review of The Fugitive (1993) by Ben L — 05 May 2012

This is the definitive man on the run movie. Every other film that attempts the same basic plotline should take notes from this one. Of course they had the advantage of an amazing cast. Harrison Ford plays the combination of fear and determination perfectly. Tommy Lee Jones and the rest of the crew of marshals are hilarious, which is a great way to break the tension from time to time. Even the actors in the minor supporting roles are well-cast.

However it's not all about the casting. They do a superb job of ramping up the excitement and never slowing down. Every moment of this film is exciting either because of the action that is taking place, or the tension of Kimball getting caught. I still remember seeing this in the theater for the first time and never wanting to leave our seats for even a second because you just knew you would miss something.

The plot was also excellently scripted. There are twists and turns that should surprise most viewers. The way that Kimball tracks down the truth of his wife's murder is intelligent, and yet they feel no need to hold the viewer's hand and explain it all. Plus they designed a convincing motive for why the crime happened in the first place. It's also fun to see Girard's journey as he learns the truth. The Fugitive is a pulse-pounding action movie that still holds up as a classic to this day.