U.S. Marshals (1998) Review

U.S. Marshals (1998)

U.S. Marshals follows Deputy Sam Gerard, who, after a prisoner transport plane goes down, must pursue a dangerous murderer who was aboard the plane, whilst slowly discovering that he may be innocent. 

For those who’ve seen The Fugitive, it’s pretty clear why Tommy Lee Jones and company got their own little fugitive spinoff, with their ragtag group Marshals having no reason being as entertaining as they were in that film. So, it’s no surprise they make the most out of the opportunity and bring the laughs, and the action, all over again in a bid to capture a brand new fugitive who (you guessed it) just might be innocent as well. This time our fugitive is ex-CIA agent, Mark Sheridan, framed for murder and made the patsy of a CIA manhunt, though obviously, this information is kept pretty tight to the chest after enlisting the help of Gerard and his team, and planting one of their own to finish the job once Sheridan is found. 

Now, while it’s story is obviously meant to rival that of The Fugitive pretty closely, I think what really separates this one is a combination of the cast and where the spotlight is cast. Noticeably, the Marshals take the lead in this film, relegating Sheridan, to more of a chase-e role. As for the characters, all of the supporting cast return, plus we get the addition of Snipes and Downey Jr. who bring a lot to the table in the (obvious) absence of Harrison Ford. Throw Jones and his cranky ass demeanor into this mix and you’ve got a film with stakes and tons of humor to go around. 

Like I said, we get a great cast, starring Michael Paul Chan, Thomas Mills Wood, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Kate Nelligan, Daniel Roebuck, Irène Jacob, Joe Pantoliano, Robert Downey Jr., Wesley Snipes, and Tommy Lee Jones. Downey doesn’t often get to showcase a darkside, so pitting him up against Snipes and Jones made for a neat outing, especially with Jones refusing to phone this one in and giving us another sarcastic as all hell performance. 

U.S. Marshals, directed by Stuart Baird, certainly isn’t The Fugitive, and while it does carry many of the same story beats, it’s clear Baird wanted to turn this one on it’s head a little, shrouding our newcomers in secrecy and maintaining the fun spirit of Gerard and his team from what came before. 

8.2/10