Review of The Fugitive (1993) by Hoops2448 — 09 Oct 2011

Most people use The Fugitive as an example of how a perfect chase film should be but in all honesty I've seen better (District 9 for example). However that is not to say that The Fugitive isn't a quality film from start to finish. It does what its supposed to do and is incredibly entertaining while it is doing it. The downside of the fugitive is it seems to be made of scenes that the director didn't quite know where to put with scenes talking about Richard Kimble's (Harrison Ford) intelligence being slotted in quite late in the film because it slowed down the pace so the viewer could take a breath. This kind of mix match of scenes doesn't prove too much of a problem but if you want to emphasise your characters intelligence, you might want to do it at the beginning instead of waiting until he has been on the run for 70 minutes of a 2 hour film. That being said, I enjoyed the mystery novel pace, the glacial reveals of key nuggets of information as the reason behind Kimble's framing come together nicely for one hell of a finale. When it comes to The Fugitive most people will talk about the scene on the dam or Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Samuel Gerard but the best part of the film in my opinion is the beginning, the moments before he starts running. Not only does it set up Kimble's character so that there is not a moment you think he killed his wife but it also gives you reason to like him while also showing he isn't perfect. He is quick to anger but incredibly kind, he is the Everyman kind of hero the film needed and Ford portrays him as such but also brings subtle quirks to the character. The film commences the chase with some great effects and from that moment on the film continues to build in tension until the very end with there being stand out sequences (such as the one on St Patricks Day) leading to a cracking final act.

Despite the fact he was the sole Oscar winner for the film, it should be said that he deserved it with his character being something else, a great performance that still impresses today. Overall a excellent thriller but it could have used a more coherent idea of what the film should look like in the end with scenes feeling out of place or unnecessary for no good reason.