The Fugitive Reviews

Obviously, I had already seen this movie but the last time was a while back so I was quite eager to check it out again. Eventually, after more than 20 years, it is still a hell of an entertaining action thriller and, unfortunately, the last really good movie starring Harrison Ford (surprisingly, it was even nominated for 7 Academy Awars which is really uncommon for an action flick like this one ). Indeed, for most of the running time, I was on the edge of my set, following Richard Kimble, not a super-hero but a simple doctor, escaping the police force relentlessly chasing him. Obviously, Ford gave a really strong performance, playing an average guy in a very tight spot and, of course, Tommy Lee Jones was just terrific, playing one of the best police officers I have ever seen. The great thing about this movie is that, even though you get to see some rather preposterous stuff like in any action flick, everything displayed might actually happen in real life making the whole thing really spellbinding to watch. Unfortunately, during the last 20 minutes, they had to solve all the loose ends and then, it really lost some steam. As a result, it had to lower itself to the level of your average action feature (there is even a good old confrontation on a roof top, for crying out loud). Still, in spite of its flaws, it is a terribly entertaining flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Frankly speaking, The Fugitive is one of the only two films I like of Harrison Ford, performance-wise (the other is Blade Runner) He may be best known for Indiana Jones and Han Solo but I think in terms of performance-wise, he should be best known for Dr. Richard Kimble in this film. It was a performance well suited for an Oscar. Speaking of Oscars, how in the Hell did Tommy Lee Jones win The Best Supporting Actor? I don't get it. I mean, he is a great actor and all but nah! he has done better roles than that (No Country, The Three Burials, Coal Miner's Daughter) and it should've gone to Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List as it was much more deserving. But it was a great performance anyhow.

Anyway, just like most thrillers of the 90's, The Fugitive was very nail-biting and exciting with a gripping focus on the dialogues and scenes. The train-wreck sequence near the starting was very toe-curling and brilliantly executed. The look on Mr. Ford's face is classic. Furthermore, the storyline and setting is great with a rather good cameo by Julianne Moore as the nurse. I enjoy her small scenes here & there and she really was good. Then from the supporting we have Joe Pantoliano as Cosmo. I tell you he is one of the damn under-rated actors alive today. Forget lead, he is great in supporting (The Matrix, Memento) and he was quite funny here and his chemistry with Tommy Lee Jones was good.

All in all, I hope Harrison Ford had played more roles like these and it certainly was one of his better screen-moments. The pace of the film is great and this is a must-watch!

8.0/10

One of the best action-thrillers ever made - Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford put in unforgettable performances (especially Jones) and all the characters are memorable and deep in their own way. Wonderful film.

The Fugitive is in my personal opinion one of the most fun action packed thrillers that have ever been made. This film has almost everything that a thriller should have. There are the tense action sequences with extremely tense music. But there isnt just tense music in the action scenes but through every scene in the film really. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones race through this breathless manhunt movie inspired by one classic TV series and which in turn inspired yet another. Ford is prison escapee Dr. Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife and determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who committed the crime. Jones (the 1993 Academy Award, Golden Globe and Los Angeles Film Critics Award winner as Best Supporting Actor) is Sam Gerard, an unrelented bloodhound of a U.S. marshal. They are hunted and hunter. And as directed by Andrew Davis, their nonstop chase has one exhilarating speed: all-out.


Harrison Ford was good as Richard Kimble but I personally believe that he could have been a bit better but he was still good though. If Harrison nor Tommy was in this film, this film wouldnt have turned out half as good as it really is. Tommy Lee Jones was absolutely outstanding in his Oscar nominated performance as Marshal Sam Gerard because Sam is like a stubborn and obsessive character who just wants to get what he wants and even will get what he needs like he needs to get Richard to get better at his job. As good as Tommy was in this film, I think that Leonardo DiCaprio should have won for Whats Eating Gilbert Grape?. I am not saying that because DiCaprio is my third favourite actor but because I thought he was better and stronger with his performance. This film shows about the difference between villains and heroes because everyone thinks Richard is a villain but he really isnt. He is innocent but Sam just does his job but acts a bit of a criminal because he states that he doesnt care about what happens to people in this world which is quite bad for a US Marshal. I could easily feel the chemistry between Richard and Sam because they are both completely different personalities and that they both try to achieve two different goals. Richard tries to mystify his wifes murder while he is fugitive and Sam just tries to find him and catch him. Also, I dont know why but I could feel that they somehow knew each other in the past, like in their childhood or something. When we first see Richard and Sam in a scene together when Richard says "I didnt kill my wife." and Sam said "I dont care". That quote shows that Sam only wants to get what he wants by getting him not by seeing Richard's guilt or innocence of the crime he committed.


Harrison and Tommys on screen partnership is one of my favourites because it is a total clash of characters. I simply love cat-and-mouse, fugitive and chasing films an awful lot because they are obviously tense but are a load of fun aswell. No Country For Old Men is similar because of the cat-and-mouse game that Anton plays against Llewelyn. This film has achieved a lot for me like one of my favourite thrillers, one of my favourite on-screen partnership, one of my favourite cat-and-mouse films, made Tommy Lee Jones one of my favourite actors (Harrison Ford already is) but mostly it has become one of my favourite films of all time.

Dr. Richard Kimble: I thought you didn't care?
Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard: I don't.[laughs]
Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard: Don't tell anybody, OK?

A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins.

Dr. Richard Kimble, unjustly accused of killing his wife, must find the real one-armed killer, uncover a secret conspiracy/revelation and betrayal while avoiding Marshal Sam Gerard.

Harrison Ford: Dr. Richard David Kimble.

Harrison is remarkable in this as the Doctor who is put on a false charge, sentenced to death and goes on the run. He plays Kimble with finesse and intelligence with charismatic moralistic temperament. Iconic.
Tommy Lee Jones: Marshal Samuel Gerard. Jones was born to play a marshal, he compliment's ford character as they become entangled in a game of cat and mouse. One of those roles that sticks in your memory. Jones makes it stick in your mind like a burning smoking poker.
Look out for a young Julianne Moore as Dr. Anne Eastman.
For me the definition of Chase movies. This is a thrill ride that has your heart thumping start to finish. One of my fave films and for good reason.Tommy Lee Jones, who did pick up an Oscar, is the U.S. Marshall( Sam Gerard) who is bent on catching the escaped Kimble. Playing like an adapted Les Miserables, this is actually taken from a true story. Throughout the movie, Kimble evades police while trying to track down his wife's real murderer. While containing a few scenes that require a stretch of imagination, as a whole the movie is realistic, and full of edge-of-the-seat suspense.

The chemistry between the Ford/Jones duo is a pleasure to watch. The Fugitive part together with the struggle between two strong personalities makes up for two truly entertaining hours.In my opinion, "The Fugitive" is the best movie of 1993. It is also one of the few successful films-based-on-a-TV-series. Harrison Ford is good as Dr. Richard Kimble. But to me, David Janssen still the best out of the three incarnations of the wrongly accused, yet rightly resourceful doctor. Tommy Lee Jones is equally effective as U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard, Kimble's pursuer.For the movie, Gerard's title and first name were changed. Those who have seen either of the TV incarnations of the Fugitive will recall that his name is Lieutenant Phillip Gerard. Why the change is anyone's guess.The best lines in this film are from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The former shouts: "I didn't kill my wife!" In response, the latter says, "I don't care!"
The message here, of course, was that Gerard's job was to nab Kimble, not determine his guilt or innocence.

The second half of the film is mostly a patient cat-and-mouse chase. It isn't fast-paced as the first and the ending is well-conceived. What makes "The Fugitive" work so well is I didn't only root for Kimble, but I rooted (and laughed) for Gerard as well. Besides Davis's smart direction and handling of the film's pace, the story by David S. Twohy is masterfully written and is near perfection.Harrison Ford gives another unforgettable performance as Kimble, but Jones is the stand out here as Gerard.
The supporting cast is great, too and "The Fugitive" is a classic film that shouldn't go unseen.

Pure adrenaline.