Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'The Fugitive'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I think it is safe to assume, that there are few people out there who enjoy the prospect of going to jail. The possibility of losing one's freedom and spending your days in a tiny cell away from such a beautiful world is a terrifying prospect if you ask me. So, most of us live our lives in an honest fashion in the hopes of avoiding ever having to face such a horrible possibility.  

But what if something went horribly awry and we were wrongly imprisoned? What would we do to prove our innocence and how far would we go to make that happen? It is this scary possibility that fuels the motion picture remake of a popular television show from the 1960's, The Fugitive. 

Doctor Richard Kimble lives an amazing life. He is well respected in his field, he has a beautiful wife and a beautiful home. But all of that is shattered one night, when a 911 call to his home reveals his wife was brutally murdered and when the police arrive, they only find Richard, and everything points to him being the one responsible for his wife's death. Despite his claims that he fought a one-armed man he found inside his home, there is no evidence to support this and Richard is found guilty of murder in the first degree and is sentenced to death. But a quirk of fate allows him to escape and now he is a wanted man who will risk everything to prove...he is innocent.  

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This is a movie so well rounded and so good that it is hard to pick one single element to discuss as my absolute favorite. Because this simple setup plot wise, works so well, as does the incredible casting. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones pull off stunning performances here and perhaps that's really what sells this film. Jones is just phenomenal as U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. He is a man consumed by the hunt, but doesn't let it control him. He is methodical and genius in his approach but will stop at nothing to get his man. 

This is bookended nicely by Harrison Ford's turn as Richard Kimble. In fact, throughout his career Ford has done some amazing things and this remains to date, one of his finest performances, in my humble opinion. I say that because thanks to Harrison, there is an incredible contrast present in this story between the Richard Kimble that was once a respected doctor to this shell of a man, obsessed with his freedom and he's also willing to do whatever it takes to prove that he never harmed his wife. 

Those performances combined with a script that always keeps the plot moving make for an incredible motion picture experience that needs to not only be seen, but on the shelf in everyone's collection. It doesn't matter how many times I watch this film, I am instantly drawn in by the enthralling mystery Richard works to unravel, and you will be too as you root for Richard to find the one-armed man so he can finally clear his name.

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