Genres

Visitors Review

brocksilvey 2012-05-21 13:33:15

A Thinking Man's Action Thriller

Harrison Ford runs and Tommy Lee Jones chases after him in thisbig-budget film adaptation of the popular television series.This is a Hollywood action movie for the thinking man, where you cantell that at least as much thought went into characterizations as intothe numerous technical stunts. One of the film's strongest ingredientsis the chemistry between Ford and Jones, all the more remarkable sincethe two actors don't actually appear physically together on screen veryoften. Jones, especially, steals the show, and I remember sitting inthe movie theater at the time of this movie's release thinking that hewould at least be nominated for an Oscar (which he was, and which hewon).So, good movie for its genre....but an Academy Award nomination forBest Picture? I don't know about that....Grade: B+

2012-05-21 02:02:09

An abysmal transfer of an excellent movie

The movie itself is a 5-star movie but I can only give this release three stars because of the simply horrid transfer afforded it. Until Amazon comes up with a different rating system that allows us to grade the technical quality of the product (transfer etc) and the product itself (the movie) I have to give it a lower score than the movie deserves.The movie features Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man falsely accused of the murder of his wife. Escaping from captivity a manhunt is launched for Kimble, led by U.S. Marshall Samuel Gerard (played in an Oscar winning performamce by Tommy Lee Jones). The ensuing action details Kimble's attempts to clear his name, all the while trying to evade his pursuers. Director Andrew Davis crafts a taught and exciting movie and delivers what is one of the best movies of the 1990s. But for all the movie does right Warner have seen fit to deliver it to Blu-ray in a transfer that is at times painful to watch with a soft and undefined image that contains large amounts of grain and is overall dull with a lack of detail. The Blu-ray fares somewhat better in the audio department however with a very active, if average by todays standards, track. Where Warner does deserve high marks is inclusion of all of the special features from the Special Edition DVD including a feature-length commentary track with Davis and Tommy Lee Jones that contains a lot of good information despite some long pauses. There os also a smattering of featurettes.Overall a disappointing presentation of an exceptional movie. Here is hoping that Warner revisits this title soon

Boba_Fett1138 2012-05-16 23:39:51

Well made movie.

This movie had been made with lots of profession both in front andbehind the camera. The directing is subtle and nice and theperformances by the actors are excellent.Really the best thing about "The Fugitive" is the acting, in particularTommy Lee Jones. Basically his performance alone is what makes themovie work well and makes the story believable enough to be captivatedby it. No wonder he won an Oscar for this, it's his best role till dateand his character is an highly memorable one. Harisson Ford plays aboring average man which work well for his character and the movie.Other actors worth mentioning are Joe Pantoliano and Jeroen Krabbé.Still "The Fugitive" is not a movie I enjoy watching. The story,especially towards the end gets a bit too complex and perhaps evenridicules. I don't know but for some reason it doesn't really blend inwith the rest of the movie, that was just basically a tense chasebetween Dr. Kimble and the U.S. Marshals. I think an action/thrillermovie like this should be made just for pure entertainment were not alot of thinking is required. Yes, although I still find it a good andrecommendable movie I still tend to call this movie an overrated one.The movie is filled with some tense and memorable chase and actionsequences that alone are reasons enough to go and watch this movie. Thewhole train/bus crash at the beginning is already regarded a bit as aclassic action sequence that is well known to everybody.Worth watching mainly because of Tommy Lee Jones and the nice actionand chase sequences. However if you expect this to be a simpleentertaining action flick, think again, you're better of watchinganother movie.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

2012-05-16 05:49:39

greatest adventure of all times

This special edition is even better than the original version. The classical thriller of all times. Harrison Ford is superb.

Larry kinsley 2012-05-13 15:48:51

Betraying the audience

In 'The Fugitive', Andrew Davis chose to adapt a television icon into avehicle for its star, Harrison Ford. Unfortunately, at the same time,Davis managed to provide an icon for a trend that has been plaguingfilms since, presumably, moviemakers began to run out of viable plotlines: the Dumbing Down of the American Audience Movie. Althoughnumerous examples could be offered from the film to demonstrate thisunfortunate trend, the four most vital ones should suffice:1) Ford, a successful and wealthy doctor, presented as being obviouslyclose to his wife, is convicted of his wife's killing with only weakand highly dubious evidence and motive which any decent attorney, letalone the battery of them he should have hired, should have shredded inno time.2) Since the crime was committed in Chicago, and Ford was remanded tothe Illinois State prison for the carrying out of his sentence, a U.S.Marshal would not have had jurisdiction. Assuming Illinois is similarto most other states, the state police would be responsible for escapedstate felons, and even if help was solicited from the federalgovernment it would be on a collaborative basis at best. Both Tommy LeeJones's right in asserting control of the case, and the arrogance inwhich he then conducted himself, were ridiculous.3) The unjustly famous bus/train crash scene suffered from severeproblems of continuity and logic. The bus clearly was not on any traintracks when it came to a rest; even if so given the obvious nature ofthe terrain it would have had to be resting along the tracks instead ofacross them; the entire scene shifted to an entirely different localewhen the train did come along; the second engine of the train wasobviously well beyond Ford instead of being behind him when it jumpedthe tracks; and in any event all he would have had to do was run a fewyards at right angles to the engine's path to escape it.4) The one-armed man stated to Jones that he had been previouslyinvestigated by the police for the murder of Ford's wife. As a matterof course they should have discovered then what his involvement waswith the plot, and should have had more than enough motive to get thepolice onto the real guilty parties.Given these crucial shortcomings, along with the usual number ofabsurdities films of this type seem to indulge in (the Chicago policewere portrayed as immoral and inept thugs), and the usual number ofminor problems (Ford would have had to jump at least 30 feet out to hitthe dam's converging water plumes and avoid the concrete wall, and froma standing position to boot!) and coincidences necessary to further theflow of the script (in the enormous Cook County Hospital complex Jonesconveniently finds himself at a crucial time right outside the onedepartment having a direct bearing on the movie), one wonders if mostof the other reviews at this site were about the same film, especiallyafter its appearance on DVD allows for repeated viewings. The shame ofit is that, given more care in directing and continuity, many of theabove problems could have been eliminated and 'The Fugitive' might wellindeed have been a good or even excellent movie.

tsd333 2012-05-13 10:06:45

It doesn't come much better than this

The Fugitive (1993) 9 User reviews are instructive in their oftenuniform dissection of what makes this such a fine movie drama. That,and IMDb contributors' high level of excitement and firm conviction ofThe Fugitive as being in the top 100 movies. It all adds up to rarepraise. This reviewer thoroughly agrees. Director Andrew Davis musttake much of the credit, because even though by now most audiences arefamiliar with the basic plot, the movie loses nothing when seen again.It is intelligent. The action scenes are spectacular yet believable,the pace constant and even. Harrison Ford, he of the permanentexpression of dismay, is ideal as Dr Richard Kimble, convicted ofmurdering his beautiful wife for the insurance money. His defense teamwasn't up to much: Richard is slated for a lethal injection, but fatefrees him and he winds up on the run. This is enough to draw MarshalSamuel Gerard into the equation, in the person of Tommy Lee Jones. Hehas a blank expression akin to "you don't say?", and we see it lots asdoctor and cop try to out-think each other. The doctor must avoidcapture long enough to prove his innocence. The marshal, an assertivehunter, just wants to bring his quarry in. In the process, the audienceis swept away with these two, and no wonder. It's not a matter ofpicking sides. Both men are smart and well-intentioned. Sit back andenjoy the magic.

2012-05-11 17:20:19

Ford hits another home run

Ditto what that other reviewer said: this is another great Harrison Ford vehicle. They really DON'T make movies like this any more. It needs not typical DVD additions, not cut scenes, not trailers, or interviews.Back in the day, Wednesday morning school was dominated by the discussion of the latest episode of "The Fuge" from the night before. This is the only film I can think of which actually did justice to the classic television show from which it sprang. Tommy Lee Jones is a fantastic U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. He appears not to be obsessed with the capture of Dr. Kimble (as was his television predecessor, portrayed by Barry Morse). Nonetheless, we get the feeling that he brings the same determination to every case he has. Ford once again is the "everyman" (if a doctor who gets sent to prison for killing his wife and then escapes can be thought of in those terms) who prevails through all manner of adversities. [As an aside, I wonder how well Ford could stretch himself - could he ever be convincing as a real bad guy, like a John Malkovich or Anthony Hopkins?]This movie has a lot of pluses. It is a great story, updated from one of the sixties' best shows. Sure, there were great stunts. The bus crash/train wreck was stunning (made even more so by seeing Ford almost comically hobbling along, trying to outrun the carnage while wearing leg shackles).However, it is the competition between the two dogged adversaries Jones and Ford that makes this work. They are one real pair of incredibly strong personalities- (and screen presences) Nothing better than the sequence in the dam early on with Ford protesting his innocence and Jones equally sincere reply "I don't care". Both smart, even though Jones hides his behind a gruff and self-deprecating exterior. The good and decent Doc must be determined (after all, it is his can on the line), but seeing him persevere - hiding his own persona in a hospital, evading the police while tracking down the one armed man is intense, even though we know the outcome. Great editing; especially when we think the Marshals are getting close to the big bust, and we find out that they are actually making a collar across town. This one is a winner.

2012-05-11 16:36:16

THE Quintessential Action/Drama Film

This review is from: The Fugitive (DVD) I saw this movie shortly after it's release in 1993 and was immediately impressed by the great way the story was written, as well as the great acting. Many big screen movies drawn from tv series fall far short of the originals - in spite of excellent actors. A great example is 'The Avengers', a terrific tv series of the 60's that fell flat on it's face on the big screen, despite the magnificent Ralph Feinnes, the comely Uma Thurman, and the unforgettable Sean Connery. Not so 'The Fugitive'! This may well be one of the greatest action/dramas I've seen, and to date remains so. The cat-and-mouse chase scenes between Ford and Tommy Lee Jones will literally keep you on the edge of your seat. Ford's brooding sincerity is perfectly counterpointed by Jones' dogged intensity. Highlighted by James Newton Howard's riveting score, this movie quite literally has no dull moments. One of the best features on the DVD is a scene-by-scene commentary (of the complete film) between Andrew Davis and Tommy Lee Jones. The viewer is led through each scene as it unfolds, with Davis explaining how the scene was done, as well as commenting on the various actors in each scene. Davis naturally does most of the talking, with Tommy adding a comment here and there. Through this process the viewer is led on a fascinating journey into the creative processes in the making of a great film. In my opinion this is THE quintessential action/drama film of all time!

2012-05-03 22:54:41

Incredibly brilliant!

The Fugitive is Harrison Ford's best work of the 90's. It is a magnificent film. Ford as Richard Kimble must stay ahead of Lt. Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones. As a suspense/thriller/action movie, The Fugitive delivers. It intelligently keeps Kimble barely out of the law's reach, culminating in breathtaking escape scenes. Then there is the bus-train-wreck that is one of the best film accidents ever. This a movie that well deserves its reputation. See it and you won't be disappointed

Kirbster 2012-05-03 12:55:34

One of the All-time great movies of this era...

Harrison Ford capivates in one of his best roles to date.A movie that can watched over and over again learning a little more each time.For the old Hardcore Fugitive fans or ones pulled into the franchise through this movie like myself.Tommy Lee and "Ralphie" give good supporting roles including the the ever scary one armed man,he'll give you a few nightmares.

Surfer-23 2012-04-29 20:25:01

A superb action film, with a twist.

One of the greatest action films ever made, "The Fugitive" tells thestory of Dr. Richard Kimble, a surgeon falsely convicted of killing hiswife, and how he is pursued by the relentless Deputy Sam Gerard afterhis escape from police custody. As exciting as the film's action scenesare (especially the one showing the bus-train crash that allows Kimballto escape), they do nothing tp eclipse the sheer power of the two mainactors, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Jones especially is sointriguing, and his character so interesting, that you constantly askyourself when he will re-emerge when he is not on screen (though Fordis wonderful as well in a somewhat more conventional role).The film wisely asks you to see a manhunt from two very differentperspectives. Ford is the escapee fighting for his very life, and herushes almost nonstop in and around Chicago in an attempt to prove hisinnocence of the crime of which he has been convicted. Jones, a U.S.Marshall, is concerned only with bringing his fugitive back to justice,as is revealed in the now-famous exchange, made when Jones confrontsFord for the first time (and at gunpoint):Kimble: I didn't kill my wife!Gerard: I don't care.Two minor faults: the scene in which the reason for Kimble's framing isrevealed is just a tad confusing, or was to me at any rate. Also, "TheFugitive" takes the all-too-familiar route of having a final chasescene that takes up a significant percentage of the movie's runningtime. I realize that this is the way action movies are "supposed" toend, but I always find the protracted expenditure of energy on thecharacters' part personally draining rather than invigorating.Sometimes less is more, even in this genre.That aside, a fantastic film with surprises at every turn, and bonusesof the kind ya can't hardly find no more.

2012-04-29 11:01:37

Let the Chase Begin...

Movies based on television shows are frustrating for the creative team behind the adaptation and often prove to be somewhat hit and miss. The reason is because in a TV show the writer/director gets to spread his/her story over the course of multiple episodes or even an entire season. In a movie you only get an average of 2 hours to get your story out, which can cause problems when adapting a television series, whether it be a long-running or short lived show, for theaters because you just don't have the luxury of time. There have been some successful adaptations, "Starsky & Hutch", `Star Trek', `Mission: Impossible', and even `Charlie's Angels' (though I didn't care for either incarnation of the franchise), along with the success there have been those that failed "The Avengers" was lackluster, and "The Dukes of Hazzard" was the most recent, and possibly the worst adaptation I have seen in a long while. In 1993, Warner Brothers felt the calling to try their collective hand at an adaptation, and their choice was the hit TV series "The Fugitive". To assist in the success of their endeavor the WB enlisted top-notch, veteran acting talents Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, and hired director Andrew Davis hot off his highly successful submarine action film, "Under Siege"."The Fugitive" tells the story of Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), who after a charity event arrives home to find an intruder in his house and his wife murdered. After fighting off the intruder, Kimble alerts the police, and upon their arrival Kimble is surprised by the fact that he is arrested for the murder of his own wife. After being found guilty at his trial and sentenced to prison, the prison bus Kimble is being transported by crashes in front of an oncoming train. After being freed by a correctional officer to assist with the other prisoners, Dr. Kimble flees in hopes of tracking down the one-armed murderer and proving his innocence. However, hot on Richard's trail is a relentless U.S. Marshal, Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), and his team of deputies, who will stop at nothing until their man is caught. Let the chase begin!Clearly the executives at Warner Brothers made an excellent decision to make this adaptation, and managed to find the perfect cast, writer, and director to pull it off. The cast, led by Harrison Ford (an actor that delivers a terrific performance every time) and Tommy Lee Jones (who was great in this role and was rewarded with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), all give excellent performances, fleshing out each individual character and making the movie believable and real to the audience. The story by David Twohy ("Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick") is full of twists and turns, with riveting drama and action along with bits of comedy sprinkled about to lighten things up just a bit. The direction of Andrew Davis, though not flashy by any means, delivers a very tight, well-paced manhunt movie that keeps the audience fully engrossed from start to finish, even though they already have a pretty good guess what the outcome will be, based on the source material.As I stated earlier some adaptations of TV shows to movies work out well and some don't, and the reasons generally stem from what I pointed out in the beginning of this review, but sometimes the results may vary depending on how committed to the project the cast/crew and the studio are. It's nice to see that for "The Fugitive" all parties involved in the making of this picture gave their best, and the fruits of the labor paid off big time, making this movie one of the best TV series adaptations to ever be made."The Fugitive" is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

2012-04-27 22:51:41

Thrilling and edge-of-your-seat excitement! Awesome!

This movie is face-paced and never lacking adventure. A great movie to watch over and over again! It is well written and directed with a lot of action-packed stunts. One of my favorite action/dramas!!!

Sam Agassi 2012-04-27 17:50:54

Good!

There is nothing wrong with pilfering the premises of old TV-showsprovided, I think, that they are plot-driven and not character-driven.It would be wrong, for example, to re-make Hogan's Heroes because itwas the quirky mix of characters and the acting that made it a success,not the ridiculous plot. The Fugitive, however, is different becausethe story provided the impetus rather than the cast, who are merelycharacters rather than personalities (the wrongly-accused doctor, theobsessed marshal, the one-armed man). Because of this, skilled actorssuch as Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones can slip into the roles likethey are well-worn suits and, together with the enhanced opportunitiesoffered by big-budget cinematics, can create something terrific.Part of the reason this re-make works is that Harrison Ford plays thistype of role so well: the reluctant hero, resourceful everyman andunfairly-treated victim. Just about anyone can identify with Ford'splight and imagine themselves in the same situation, and converselyhope that they might use the same courage and initiative. On the otherside of the coin is US Marshal Tommy Lee Jones, who is conscientious tothe verge of obsession and strives to think like his quarry - but notso blindly that he also doesn't empathise for him. That's what makesThe Fugitive better than the average cop-and-crim chase movie: bothcharacters are likable, and the climactic meeting between them doesn'tdisappoint.It has its fair dose of action, but not so much that it overrides orsmothers the tension and suspense of the plot. While not at thepinnacle of film-making, The Fugitive is great viewing that treats bothits substance and its audience with respect and intelligence.

Peach-2 2012-04-26 04:34:25

Exciting.

The Fugitive is a very exciting film.I enjoyed this movie very much andthought it was well directed and wellwritten. The cinematography is great,the editing was great and even thefilm's score was teriffic. HarrisonFord is the ultimate king of smartaction movies and Tommy Lee Jones isgreat as Gerard. This movie is excitingevery time I watch it and I never growtired of the chase. Great movie.

2012-04-26 00:29:21

Top-Notch

This review is from: The Fugitive (DVD) "The Fugitive" is a first-rate movie. Harrison Ford plays a surgeon who has been framed for the murder of his wife. Convicted, he escapes in the wake of a spectacular crash and sets out to find the real murderer. Tommy Lee Jones plays the federal marshall whose task it is to catch Ford. To tell more would be to give away too much, and the editorial review above provides an adequate synopsis. Suffice it to say that this is a tense, fast-paced tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is plenty of action (including some great scenes), and the battle of wits between Ford, trying to stay at large and solve the murder, and Jones, who's determined to bring him in, is excellent. Both Ford and Jones are outstanding in their roles. If you like to own videos or DVDs, this is one you ought to have in your collection. Very highly recommended.

2012-04-25 11:33:41

Blu-ray buyers beware: NOT a 1080p transfer

This review is from: The Fugitive [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) The two stars are for the Blu-ray, not the film itself, which I love and would happily give 5 stars.Other Blu-ray reviewers have referred to a "soft" picture. Actually it is literally *pixelated*.If you take a close look at high-contrast edges, like the names of the actors during the opening title sequence, you can plainly see big blocky pixels that are far too large for 1080p. Based on that, and some occasional frame-blending artifacts, it is clear that the source transfer for this disc was a standard-def telecine (60i) like what would be broadcast on cable networks. The authors of this disc took that old SD master and did an inverse telecine pass to remove the pulldown/interlacing and get a 24p SD master. (Unfortunately there were a few errors at edit points, causing the aforementioned frame-blending.) Then it was upscaled to 1080p, but they didn't even do an interpolation algorithm, it's just nearest-neighbor pixel doubling. Yuck!I will give it an extra star because (1) it's usually very cheap and (2) it's way better than the DVD. There are none of the old compression artifacts or edge enhancement here. But for a Blu-ray, it's very disappointing. It's barely worth the 8 bucks I spent on it.Also I have to disagree with those who complained about the black levels. The contrast is fine, it's just that the film itself seems to have been shot in a run-and-gun medium-budget style that did not emphasize rich cinematography. There might be a little bit more range to eke out color-wise from the original film negative, if WB will ever break out the wallet and pay for a new transfer, but I'm betting there isn't much more depth to be had.

2012-04-24 22:03:41

The Fugitive - Blu-ray Info

Version: U.S.A / Warner / Region FreeAspect ratio: 1.85:1VC-1 Advanced Profile 3Running time: 2:10:14Movie size: 22,76 GBDisc size: 24,82 GBTotal bit rate: 23.31 MbpsAverage video bit rate: 20.96 MbpsDolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbpsDolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby SurroundDolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby SurroundDolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby SurroundSubtitles: English, English SDH, French, SpanishNumber of chapters: 42#Introduction by the Film's Stars and Creators (2 min)#Audio Commentary by Andrew Davis and Tommy Lee Jones#On the Run with The Fugitive (23 min) #Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck (9 min) #Theatrical Trailer* 1080i to 1080p deinterlaced* Old Blu-ray release was MPEG-2 encoded accompanied by DD audio at 640 Kbps

2012-04-23 04:21:50

One of the bleakest movies

Why do people love this movie? Lots of my friends keep on saying thatThe Fugitive is "so cool", none of them being able to provide a clearexplanation of what this "so cool" means. First, the story of arespectable doctor-turned-wrongly accused fugitive is not convincing atall. The character portrayed by exceptionally gifted Harrison Fordmanages to hide from police, forge ID papers and lead an alternativecrime investigation of his own tracking down real murderer unbelievablyeasy. How and where could this upper-class, a pillar of a communitysurgeon have learned all these tricks? Did he take a course insurviving skills? Second, Tommy Lee Jones plays a hard-boiledgun-waving cop, nothing special, a stereotyped character seen so manytimes before. Some lines, some chases. And he got an Oscar for the BestPerformance in Supporting Rol;e……..Oops…… The plot develops slowly,dragging to the happy end we are sure must be. And last but not least,the court room scene when the prosecutor uses the answering machinetape with the last words of the main character's wife as the keyevidence to prove that the defendant is guilty is so soap operish. Itjust makes me laugh.

tledoyt 2012-04-22 14:38:58

very good

I really enjoyed this movie. The first time I watched it I was captivatedbyit. I can still watch it and thoroughly enjoy it. I can watch it and notbebored. This is because the mystery isn't the only thing that makes themoviegood.