The Fugitive-Sorry THE FUGITIVE
Remember when Harrison Ford was a box office draw? Then you are probably over the age of 25. The poster for The Fugitive now seems a little bit comical, “Harrison Ford is THE FUGITIVE.” Yes, I agree he is running from anything that now resembles a good or even mediocre script. Have you seen Hollywood Homicide or Firewall? Hollywood Homicide indeed.
For those of you who do not need adult diapers The Fugitive, or sorry, THE FUGITIVE, is based on the 1960's television show, because even back in the early 1990's Hollywood was already out of ideas. The Fugitive follows the exploits of Dr. Richard Kimble, no relation to the talentless talk show host with the same last name, as he tries to find the one-armed man who killed his wife. Kimble has been blamed for this crime and is being chased by Al Gore's college roommate Tommy Lee Jones who plays US Marshal Gerard. The Fugitive tells a simple age-old story of cat and mouse well enough to be entertaining and seems like a masterpiece of story telling by the current standards of Hollywood. That said, at its heart it is mostly a slave to the fluff formula and relies heavily on its name recognition with the diaper generation to sell tickets.
The film's director Andrew Jones has sort of fallen off the face of the earth since The Fugitive, but writer David Twohy went on to Pitch Black fame and later Chronicles of Riddick infamy. Essentially, The Fugitive is one of those safe bet films that doesn't push any buttons, doesn't scare anyone and won't make the old folks wet themselves. Yet, with a running time of slightly over 2 hours I wonder what Jones, Twohy and all involved were thinking? Old people can't control their bladders for two hours, come on.
The Fugitive is a fun enough and hits most of its marks. The old guy acting by Ford and Jones, who are even older now, is spot on and they carry the otherwise safe and conservative script. The Fugitive is an great example of a simple, but well-executed idea being successful due to name recognition and casting stars that the old folks feel comfortable with.
Story C+ (Remember when rehashing television shows was cool? No?)
Acting B (Solid acting performances by guys on the verge of a hip injury...always fun in an action film. It adds a layer of excitement, sort of like at the car races.)
Visuals C (Nothing to new to see here.)
Originality/Innovation D (Low marks for originality as The Fugitive is essentially a condensed form of the television show from nearly 30 years earlier.)
Enjoyability Grade C+
Home Theater/HD Factor B (The Fugitive is definitely well-shot, however, it is a bit lacking in camera movement, which has a tendency to confuse old people and make them sick.)
Overall Grade C+ (If you have not seen The Fugitive, especially in light of the current string of Hollywood mega flops and mega turds, and your looking for an action film that doesn't completely insult your intelligence, give The Fugitive a rental.)
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