The Fugitive

Director: Andrew Davis

Writers: Jeb Stuart, David Twohy

Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Jeroen Krabbe, Joe Pantoliano

Released: 1993

In case you don't know, The Fugitive was a phenomenally successful action remake of the 1960s TV show of the same name, about a doctor (Dr Kimble, played by Harrison Ford) wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. Escaping from custody when the bus transporting him (and other convicts) to death row crashes following an escape attempt by his fellow prisoners, he goes on the run, determined to find the "one-armed man" who killed his wife.

A group of US Marshals, lead by Deputy Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), show up and begin the hunt for Dr Kimble, and almost corner him on a couple of occasions; however, Dr Kimble always finds a way to escape and continue his hunt for his wife's killer.

Using fake ID, Dr Kimble is able to get into his former hospital posing as a janitor and is able to get a list of suspects from the prosthetics department. Chasing down the leads, as he is himself chased by the US Marshals, Dr Kimble gets closer to his wife's killer and uncovering the conspiracy behind her murder...

This is a very well made action thriller. Favouring mainly tense chase or hide-and-seek scenes rather than big action set pieces (i.e. car chases, shoot-outs), and with an engaging storyline, the film stands out in its field as an example of how to make a good big budget action movie that isn't just mindless CGI violence (Michael Bay take note). Filled with several memorable scenes (Harrison Ford escaping the bus as a train approaches, jumping into a dam, and others) that have since been lovingly parodied on many occasions (especially on The Simpsons), and with good lead performances from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, this is a very entertaining film that will keep you gripped until the end.

That's not to say that the film is not without flaws; the ending, when Harrison Ford confronts the man behind his wife's killer, turns into a pointless and overlong fight, designed I think just to add some more action to the film, but adds nothing. Furthermore, it isn't too great a surprise when you find out who the man responsible is. Also, the ending adds a conspiracy to the murder which seems a bit tacked on and overblown, given that it isn't alluded to at all in the fim before then.

Despite these gripes, this is a good film with a good cast, including Joe Pantoliano (in a terrible wig) and a young Julianne Moore in supporting roles. Definitely worth watching, if you're one of the few people who've never seen it.

Random fact: after watching this film at the cinema back in 1993, one of my friends went out and bought the novelisation. I don't know if he ever read it.

Rating: 3.5/5