Amazon.co.uk Review
Do you know anyone who hasn't seen this movie? A box-office smash when released in 1993, this spectacular update of the popular 1960s TV series stars Harrison Ford as a surgeon wrongly accused of the murder of his wife. He escapes from a prison transport bus (in one of the most spectacular stunt-action sequences ever filmed) and embarks on a frantic quest for the true killer's identity, while a tenacious U.S. marshal (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-winning role) remains hot on his trail. Director Andrew Davis hit the big time with this expert display of polished style and escalating suspense, but it's the antagonistic chemistry between Jones and Ford that keeps this thriller cooking to the very end. In roles that seem custom-fit to their screen personas, the two stars maintain a sharply human focus to the grand-scale manhunt, and the intelligent screenplay never resorts to convenient escapes or narrative shortcuts. Equally effective as a thriller and a character study, The Fugitive is a Hollywood blockbuster that truly deserves its ongoing popularity. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Fugitive could have been just another action movie, compelling in the cinema but losing impact on the small screen, were it not for two things: it has a brilliant script and a very strong line-up of actors. When eminent surgeon Dr Richard Kimble is wrongly convicted of his wife's brutal murder (let's face it--his story about doing battle with a one-armed intruder is hardly plausible), he's sentenced to death. Fate, however, gives him a second chance when his prison bus is involved in an accident with a train and he escapes, determined to find the real killer and clear his name. Hot on his heels is the relentless, wise-cracking Sam Gerard, a marshal with a mission. The two stars, Harrison Ford (Kimble, kooky beard and 47 shades of anguish) and Tommy Lee Jones (Gerard, for which he deservedly won an Oscar) not surprisingly steal the show with their battle of wits and muscle. It's a rapport that develops as the film progresses, and is both complex and fascinating--no facile goodie versus baddie scenario here. And the essential slime factor comes from Kimble's sinisterly suave friend, Dr Nichols (Joroen Krabbรฉ superb). Great story, brilliantly done; altogether, a breathlessly enthralling two hours.
On the DVD: The Fugitive special edition features a commentary from director Andrew Davis, introducing characters and offering background insight, plus a three-way phone conversation between Davis, Ford and Jones on their experiences of the movie. There's also detailed commentary on how the spectacular train crash was set up and the endless saga of perfecting the script. Also, the usual scene selections, theatrical trailer, choice of languages (English, French and Italian) and a broad choice of subtitles. A pretty impressive package overall.--Harriet Smith