One of the amazing things I came across was the consistently positive ratings from both critics and the public. Many of the scores are identical (see below, this is one reason I put them in here, just don’t rate the review with them in mind.) And I have to agree with, all around this is a truly great movie that appeals to a broad range of people.
The plot Harrison Ford plays the lead. He is a Doctor/Surgeon who is falsely accused of murdering his wife and gets a death sentence because of it. A case where the police just did not do their job. Through a series of events he becomes a fugitive. So it is the story of how he keeps from getting caught and at the same time tries to clear his name. The story is fairly complicated for its style. It is layer after layer and each layer being exposed is like a new adventure and a new piece of a puzzle. But it isn’t so complex as to alienate the average moviegoer. It is set up well and plays out well. The acting This is one of Harrison Ford’s best performances. It might be because it is close to his real life personality (he’s fairly introverted) but even that doesn’t account of all of the complexities that his character expresses. The only other performances I can say were as good are in Regarding Henry, Blade Runner, and his Indy roles. One of the things about his character that is remarkable is he develops throughout the movie. This is not a cardboard cutout, it is a simulation of real life. A living specimen that changes throughout the movie. You see his emotions and frustrations through his dialog (that is played very well) and his body language. His body language blends in very well with his dialog.
In one of the scenes they first shot Harrison Ford's face and his dialog. Once that was done they told him to go back to his trailer and relax while they filmed the guys at the other end of the table separately. He refused and insisted that he read the lines, and act, during that scene while he was off camera. This showed his dedication to the craft, he wanted to give these minor actors as much energy as possible so they could also do a good job acting from the real actor of the movie.
Tommy Jones played the co-star and the Marshall that was tracking him down. Now I like his acting style but it is just one style. He is type cast and seems to do the same character no matter what movie he is in, and this is no exception. You could have switched the characters from MIB and this one and it could have worked (with some subtle differences of course.) Basically what I am saying is his performance is not unique. It is the same powerful character he usually plays.
No other character really stands out to me, but not a single actor's performance bothered me either. This, I think, is a true credit to the director. Everybody played a realistic role and made their role interesting. So well in fact that many of the actors showed up in the second film and did an even better job (they had bigger roles too).
The story and writing Like I mentioned, the story is revealed in layers. A a first time watcher you don't know how this is going to end. They really do not give you any information about Dr. Kimble except that he is married and is a doctor. Everything else is on a need to know basis. So even though you follow Kimble throughout the movie, you really see through the glasses of the U.S. Marshalls and only know what they know. This certainly brings a frustrating element of keeping you in the dark, but it is very well done. The writing is also well done in the sense that it carefully tells you a story. Each line seems like it was carefully scrutinized. Some for effect. Some for the progression of the story. Some just to make a character a little easier to understand.
The character development This is an aspect I'm not pleased with. The character really is not developed very well in this film. Revealed? Yes, Developed? No. No body grows in this movie. No one has any revelation or a new view of the world. I think something more could have been done at the writers chair with any of the doctors or the Marshalls themselves.
The pacing I describe it as bumpy. The movie can be broken down into three acts and each act basically follows the same pacing. You start off slow, being given all the information you need to get going. Then the movie moves a little faster, a little faster, then hits its climax and you go back to start the next act. It works but it isn't a very good action film. It is a good action/mystery movie.
Replay value I feel it is moderately high. I have no problem watching this but I have only watched it about 5 times in the last decade or so.
Should children watch it? Children would probably be bored with it
Genre: Action/suspense/mystery
The key players Director: Andrew Davis Screenplay: David Twohy & Jeb Stuart Music: James Newton Howard
A U.S. marshal hunts a doctor on the run for the murder of his wife. Inspired by the 1960s TV series. Best supporting Oscar for Jones.More at HotMovieSale.com
Product DetailsOriginal Title:The FugitiveActors: Ford, Harrison - Joe Pantoliano - Jones, Tommy Lee - Julianne Moore - Moore, JulianneCondition: USE...More at iNetVideo.com
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