The Fugitive

Old but gold. Definitely worth a rewatch

Always enjoy this film.

When I first started working at the cinema this was near the end of its run. Therefore, I saw the beginning, bits here and there, but not the whole thing. Since then I've never really watched it, even though I think Harrison Ford is good value. Once again, the other day, it was on TV, but I missed the beginning, so decided that I would buy it and watch it from beginning to end. Well, I'm pleased I did because it is as good as everyone says it is. The thing that struck me most about the movie was how it packed so much information into its just over two hours running time. Director Andrew Davis' use of flashbacks to show what really happened when Kimble's wife was murdered was particularly effective. I don't see much point in going into the plot, but instead a review of the blu ray. When considering my purchase I had read lots of negative reviews of the blu ray, some even suggested sticking with the DVD because its transfer was so poor. Anyway, I decided to purchase this anniversary edition which I can confirm plays on region B blu ray players. I don't really understand or pretend to know the technical aspects of blu ray and high definition, bit rates and all that stuff, only whether it looks good or not on my TV. Compared with some of the other BR's in my collection, this doesn't have the "wow" factor and in places it is a bit soft. I suspect that this wouldn't be good enough for the "picture snobs" as a Curries' representative described them the other day, yet it's certainly satisfactory if you're interested in a story. However, the detail during close-ups was very good so, overall, if you're a big fan of The Fugitive then you'll be satisfied. Having not viewed the DVD I can't really compare, yet I'd find it hard to believe that this transfer is not better. The sound was clear and I wasn't finding myself having to increase the volume to hear little bits of dialogue. It did seem to lack the punch that I remembered it had in the cinema - especially during the bus/train wreck. To be honest, I don't want to be blasted by noise to get the point. I'm more interested in story and character than flash, bang, wallop effects and noise. The extras are interesting, but I'm a sucker for how they make things. Of particular interest to Fugitive fans is an inclusion of a 45-minute pilot episode for a new TV series in 2000 starring Tim Daly as Kimble. It's hard to determine from one show whether the series had legs or not, and they did go on to make further episodes, although the series doesn't appear to be available to purchase. It would have to be particularly good to top the original series with David Janssen that was so popular and the inspiration for the Ford-movie. In conclusion, if you're contemplating buying The Fugitive I'd recommend this release. It's a great film, edge-of-the-seat stuff if you haven't seen it before and a pleasing though unspectacular transfer. I've given it four stars because it doesn't shine like some blu rays, yet it's a very good film and good entertainment. Something that you'll happily watch again.

Action packed adrenaline filled movie with some brilliant actors.

Enjoyed great movie

A story which is good from start to finish exciting an intriguing.

X

Good film and enjoyed it very much

There is a kind of magic when a superb cast, a truly gifted director, and a literate script with equal parts 'over-the-top' action, riveting suspense, and rich characterization, come together. The end result attains a luster that only grows through the years, as new audiences, through DVD and VHS, experience the same excitement we felt, viewing it on a theater screen. In the last decade, only a handful of suspense films could be called 'great'...and on top of the list is THE FUGITIVE. Based on the popular David Janssen TV series, the film faithfully follows the same premise; a doctor is convicted of his wife's death, but escapes before his execution, and tracks down the 'one-armed man' responsible for the murder, as a driven law officer attempts to recapture him. Being a big-budget film, however, the scale of everything is expanded...Dr. Richard Kimble is now a brilliant vascular surgeon, at a major Chicago hospital; the handicapped killer is a dirty ex-cop working on orders from crooked board members of a billion-dollar pharmaceutical firm; and the lawman is no longer a solitary police lieutenant, but a deputy United States Marshal, and his team of agents! While some fans of the original series complained that the 'intimacy' the series had was lost, director Andrew Davis only used the 'bigger' aspects as plot elements, placing the focus, wisely, on the dual stories of Kimble's search, and Gerard's pursuit. Despite the esteem the film has achieved over the years, Harrison Ford has gotten a bad rap for his very understated performance as Richard Kimble. While Tommy Lee Jones certainly had a far flashier role (earning him an Oscar as 'Best Supporting Actor'), Ford's intent wasn't to play 'Indiana Jones', but a man whose whole life was dedicated to his career as a surgeon, and his wife (played, in flashbacks, by the lovely Sela Ward). Seeing his wife brutally murdered devastated him (his scene in the police interrogation room, going to pieces, was largely improvised on the set, and displays some of his finest acting). His search for the killer was not the confident quest of an action hero, but based on uncertain, spur-of-the-moment decisions made by a desperate man, whose medical background was his only tool. Fear does not lend itself to flashy theatrics... Jones, as Marshal Sam Gerard, on the other hand, was a seasoned veteran, the best at what he did, and pursuing a fugitive was 'old hat' for him. With a confidence bordering on arrogance, he ordered people about like chess pieces, multi-tasked without breaking a sweat, and still could charm with a wicked smile and sarcastic remark. Of COURSE he wins the audience's heart! Featuring some of the most spectacular action scenes ever recorded on film (the train/bus wreck that frees Kimble, the dive off a dam into the churning maelstrom of the reservoir), as well as two slam-bang fistfights when Kimble finally gets 'justice', THE FUGITIVE still is remembered primarily for the suspenseful Jones/Ford 'cat-and-mouse' chase, cross-country, and the grudging respect that grows between them...which, ultimately, was what the TV series was best remembered for, as well. There is magic, here!

古い映画ですがテンポがよく飽きさせない魅力がある。各所に作製者のこだわりを感じる。

Estava com ótimo preço, chegou direitinho e tem dublagem em português do Brasil.

One of my favorite movies of all time. Bought for the commentary track and the 4K. Did not disappoint. Arrived in good condition.

Alles ok. Original Verpackung. CD in Ordnung.