The Fugitive Review

        Harrison Ford is probably the only successful actor that ever came out of Star Wars. While he’s also become beloved with being Indiana Jones, he practically made a name for himself in the action realm. Within the 90s, he was the second person to portray Jack Ryan in the adaptations of Tom Clancy’s Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Between that he was in an Academy Award nominated film that I think is his best. 

1. Wrongfully Accused

        Before I talk about how this film was part of a litany of movie adaptations of popular TV shows, this was one of those rare instances where it was partly inspired by real life crime. Back in the 50s, a doctor named Sam Shepperd was arrested for murdering his wife. His trial became a media sensation due in part with the oddness of it at that time. The creators of the show dispute that claim. 

        So with that, The Fugitive the show ran for about four seasons back in the 60s and was acclaimed due to how the show was presented. I haven’t seen the show, but the movie did a great job with showing one guy running from the law. We see Ford as Dr. Kimble coming home after responding to an impromptu surgery. He’s arrested when police arrive at his house covered in blood. 

        From there, he’s found guilty and sentenced to prison. After a scuffle, he escapes and U.S. Marshall Gerard tasks his group and police to find him. With that, the film is straightforward with most of the action seeing Kimble running and using his instinct to outmaneuver the authorities. There’s hardly any gunfights, but the chase is always exciting, especially in moments when the two characters are in close proximity. 

        The best moment is when we see Kimble basically investigate his wife’s death. Him becoming his own detective and identifying the actual killer is intriguing. He’s basically going out of his way to declare his own innocence, it’s a great subplot that enhances the movie. Although he tries to hide his identity, the one moment his Hippocratic oath kicks in is another endearing moment. 

        Aside from Harrison being the main star, Tommy Lee Jones deserved the Academy Award win for his portrayal of Gerard. To me, he steals the show when he’s meticulous telling his subordinates to track down Kimble within the area. The no nonsense approach shows that he means business. His best moment is when he calls out the bull when he investigates the surviving guard during the crash. 

        The overall use of paranoia helps the movie a lot since Kimble is always looking behind his back. As I mentioned earlier, the anxiety when he barely escapes Gerard makes the whole thing thrilling. The only time where Kimble becomes the hero is when he rescues Gerard when the actual killers are revealed. I say killers because Kimble unravels a conspiracy that hits close to home for him. 

2. 90s TV Adaptation Films

    Earlier I said that this film was part of the whole fad of movies that were adapted from tv shows. Now, it wasn’t an entirely new thing since Star Trek had a series that continued where the show ended. For some reason, it exploded in the 90s with varying degrees. You had films like The Addams Family duology that was good in portraying the family. The only one that is continuing is the Mission Impossible series. That one did have a faulty first entry, but slowly got better as the sequels were released wit a two parter coming up. 

        To this day, it always amazes me why a studio would greenlight a sequel despite the fact the original didn’t warrant one. U.S. Marshals was the sequel that continued with Gerard capturing another criminal. It didn’t even come close with matching the box office or the reception when it came out. When you have a sequel go way bigger in terms of capturing a doctor such as having international espionage, you know you’re in trouble.

3. Overall

        The Fugitive is the rare movie adaptation of a show that still works. It’s certainly one of Harrison Ford’s best movie.