Source: Warner Brothers
Movie title: The Fugitive
Year Released: 1993
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Run time: 130 mins
My Rating:
4/5 Stars
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore
Directed by: Andrew Davis
Produced by: Keith Barish, Roy Huggins
Written by: David Twohy, Jeb Stuart, Roy Huggins
Music by: James Newton Howard
Awards Received: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, Bafta for Best Sound, MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo, MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence
Why did I choose this particular film?
Whilst having a quick browse over possible films that would fit this category on google, I came across this film and was surprised to see how highly rated it was and how I had never heard of it. As a fan of Harrison Ford, I thought I would give it a go.
Would I recommend this film? Why or why not?
After watching, I can see why it is so highly praised because the cast is amazing and the film is brilliant so I would definitely recommend it. The plot follows Dr. Richard Kimble who is wrongly accused of murdering his wife and whilst on his way to prison he manages to escape. What follows between Ford and Jones, is a classic chase between 'Cat and Mouse' and is executed so well in the film that at the moments you feel Jones is finally about to grasp Ford, his ability to escape is never seen to be too unrealistic. It's fantastic. In any 'Cat and Mouse' styled tale there are only so few close calls that a film can get away with without making it seem too much, yet this film manages to find a happy balance that keeps the audience engaged and continues to develop the plot. A notable aspect of this tale that elevates it from stories of a fugitive on the run, is Kimble's determination to discover what happened to his wife and who really killed her. It offers room for two storylines to develop and further keeps the audience rooting for both sides of the story; the deputy struggling to catch the fugitive and the fugitive on the hunt for closure and justice.
Which character was I most able to identify with or connect with?
It is interesting as whilst we are led to root for Harrison Ford as the protagonist of the tale, we are also drawn to support Jones as he desperately and tirelessly continues to chase Ford with both having completely valid motivations for their individual hunts.
Best line or memorable quote:
Kimble: "I didn't kill my wife!"
Deputy Gerard: "I don't care!"
Was I surprised by the ending? What would I do differently?
I realise this may spoil it for some but there's not much room for me to tiptoe around this question without revealing some aspects of the ending. I apologise. The part of the ending I was not surprised about, was how Kimble managed to discover the truth in the end as whilst watching the audience is obviously hoping for a peaceful resolution to the chaotic events of the film. It would be incredibly disappointing if, at the end of it all, Ford was put back into prison as he ran out of time to discover the truth. It would just feel like a waste of 2 hours. I will say I was somewhat surprised by the individual who was revealed to be behind his wife's death and that I will leave spoiler-free for those who haven't seen. The thought did occur to me at the start of the film that it may be them behind Mrs. Kimble's death but there were also many other suspects too making it difficult to directly conclude it was them. There's not much I would do differently as I feel the film concluded quite concisely and with all the loose ends being tied, it was both satisfying and a relief to watch.
Have I seen the television series? Do I prefer the movie or the TV version? Why?
I have not seen the original television show which aired in the '60s, but I feel a film is the best format for this story because there may be a tendency for it to drag if shown in a television format. One of the things I enjoyed the most about the film was how succinct the story was.
Anything else to add?
I rated this film 4/5 because I really did enjoy it. The thing I felt the film did not do so well, was the odd flashbacks which I understand were intended to be disjunct and all over the place, they just seem to be inserted very strangely into the film and it felt very dated. The film was filmed in the '90s and so I understand I have to look at it through that lens it just seemed they were shot and edited in a soap opera style in comparison to the rest of the film, which was directed and shot very well. I know the film did win an MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence too but I felt a few of the action scenes could have been executed better. Apart from that, I do recommend watching this film because it was much better than I had anticipated before watching it.