The Fugitive (1993) Review

The Fugitive (1993)

The Fugitive follows Richard Kimble, a doctor accused for murdering his wife, who goes on the run to take justice into his own hands and bring those responsible to justice. 

A lot of those early 90s Harrison Ford action movies have started to blend together for me, in my old age, which is a serious disservice to just how good some of them are, The Fugitive in particular. I think what makes this one so special, and unique in its own right, is just how far it breaks away from the classic action movie badass trope. It doesn’t try to make Kimble—a surgeon—a master of hand-to-hand combat or a weapons expert. In fact, quite the opposite, where he actually avoids violence when at all possible. No, shockingly he has quite the aversion for good, even after all that’s happened to him (a multiple state wide manhunt for example), risking his cover on multiple occasions at his old hospital because he helps people for a living, that’s not just something you can walk away from. Kimble never once tip toes the line between morality and honestly, it’s refreshing. 

Backing him up is probably one of the other more commendable aspects of this film, and it’s a supporting cast that sticks out, meshes wonderfully, and actually adds to how great of a story this, making it no surprise why Gerard and company got their own spinoff 5 years later (U.S. Marshalls). It’s quite refreshing to see a law enforcement unit that isn’t just shoehorned in to get in the way at every stop (looking at you CPD), really acting as a co-lead to Kimble. 

We also get a great cast, featuring Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbé, Julianne Moore, Joe Pantoliano, Tommy Lee Jones, and Harrison Ford. As I mentioned above, Jones acts as more of a duel-lead to Ford, delivering his trademark sarcastic leadership to a role that desperately needed. Ford is also a wonderful change of pace, acting as a genuinely good protagonist who you can’t help but root for throughout. 

The Fugitive, directed by Andrew Davis, and based on the 60s TV series of the same name, is a stunningly tense game of cat-and-mouse that arguably produced some of the most memorable action scenes cinema has ever seen and accomplishes it all within a unique premise that never for a second goes dull. 

9.3/10