The Fugitive
3/4
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Jeroen Krabbe, Andreas Katsoulas, Joe Pantoliano, Sela Ward
Rated PG-13 for A Murder and Other Action Sequences in an Adventure Setting
"The Fugitive" is a breathless thriller. The only time it stops moving is to explain the plot, but even then, you never know when things are going to kick into high gear again. Rest assured, it won't be very long.
A movie like this is all about the execution, and that's where the film excels. Sure it helps to have two terrific performances headlining it, and it's always nice to see a plot that doesn't insult the audience's intelligence, but the film's real strength is in how it's put together. It may not be the most original story, but it's bursting with energy.
Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) is a brilliant surgeon who comes from a surgery to find his beloved wife Helen (Ward) brutally murdered. Making matters worse is that despite fighting with the killer, all the evidence points to him. He is convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. While in a prisoner transit a few months later, a revolt causes the bus to crash, and Kimble escapes. He is determined to clear his name and catch the real killer. But he's got a big problem. His name is Sam Gerard (Jones), a dogged U.S. Marshal intent on bringing him in. And Sam Gerard always gets his man.
Both lead actors are cast in their trademark character types; Ford as the put-upon everyman and Jones as the crusty, no-nonsense, grudgingly likable hard ass. This has its pluses and minuses. On the one hand, it makes it easier to gain entry into the story. On the other, this kind of safety robs the film of a lot of edge. Knowing what to expect isn't a good quality to have in a thriller like this.
This is a two-man show, and both Ford and Jones do convincing jobs. Ford is always good in this kind of role, which is a sort of hybrid of Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart (in a Hitchcock movie). Be it "The Devil's Own," "Patriot Games" or "Air Force One," this is home for Ford. Jones won an Oscar for his performance, and while Jones is quite good here, there's nothing he does here that he hasn't done in every other of his performances. Jones can really only play this type of character, and he delivers. The cast is rounded out with bit parts and supporting players, including pre-famous Julianne Moore and Jane Lynch.
The real star of the film is director Andrew Davis. He has assembled this thriller with skill that would earn praise from Alfred Hitchcock. The editing is tight, the camerawork is crisp, and the pacing never flags without reason. He knows the rhythm of thrillers, which is so important. Shots are held just as long as they need to be to get the effect they need to convey. It's a subtle thing, but it's what separates something like this from something like "The Snowman" or "Abduction." Granted those movies had other problems than pacing, but you get my point.
"The Fugitive" isn't any kind of a masterpiece. It doesn't take any chances or do anything we don't expect. But it's not dumb and it's not boring. That's enough for me.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Jeroen Krabbe, Andreas Katsoulas, Joe Pantoliano, Sela Ward
Rated PG-13 for A Murder and Other Action Sequences in an Adventure Setting
"The Fugitive" is a breathless thriller. The only time it stops moving is to explain the plot, but even then, you never know when things are going to kick into high gear again. Rest assured, it won't be very long.
A movie like this is all about the execution, and that's where the film excels. Sure it helps to have two terrific performances headlining it, and it's always nice to see a plot that doesn't insult the audience's intelligence, but the film's real strength is in how it's put together. It may not be the most original story, but it's bursting with energy.
Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) is a brilliant surgeon who comes from a surgery to find his beloved wife Helen (Ward) brutally murdered. Making matters worse is that despite fighting with the killer, all the evidence points to him. He is convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. While in a prisoner transit a few months later, a revolt causes the bus to crash, and Kimble escapes. He is determined to clear his name and catch the real killer. But he's got a big problem. His name is Sam Gerard (Jones), a dogged U.S. Marshal intent on bringing him in. And Sam Gerard always gets his man.
Both lead actors are cast in their trademark character types; Ford as the put-upon everyman and Jones as the crusty, no-nonsense, grudgingly likable hard ass. This has its pluses and minuses. On the one hand, it makes it easier to gain entry into the story. On the other, this kind of safety robs the film of a lot of edge. Knowing what to expect isn't a good quality to have in a thriller like this.
This is a two-man show, and both Ford and Jones do convincing jobs. Ford is always good in this kind of role, which is a sort of hybrid of Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart (in a Hitchcock movie). Be it "The Devil's Own," "Patriot Games" or "Air Force One," this is home for Ford. Jones won an Oscar for his performance, and while Jones is quite good here, there's nothing he does here that he hasn't done in every other of his performances. Jones can really only play this type of character, and he delivers. The cast is rounded out with bit parts and supporting players, including pre-famous Julianne Moore and Jane Lynch.
The real star of the film is director Andrew Davis. He has assembled this thriller with skill that would earn praise from Alfred Hitchcock. The editing is tight, the camerawork is crisp, and the pacing never flags without reason. He knows the rhythm of thrillers, which is so important. Shots are held just as long as they need to be to get the effect they need to convey. It's a subtle thing, but it's what separates something like this from something like "The Snowman" or "Abduction." Granted those movies had other problems than pacing, but you get my point.
"The Fugitive" isn't any kind of a masterpiece. It doesn't take any chances or do anything we don't expect. But it's not dumb and it's not boring. That's enough for me.
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