U.S. Marshals

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey, Jr., Joe Pantoliano
Directed by: Stuart Baird
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) hunts an accused killer (Wesley Snipes) who has fled from prison. As he gets closer to his man, Gerard realizes that the innocence the killer is proclaiming may actually be the truth, and he may be in a plot that could turn even more deadly.

Review:

Tim: It was great seeing Tommy Lee Jones as Sam Gerard again. The character was so amazing in The Fugitive, and Jones won an Academy Award for his performance in that film. Unfortunately, U.S. Marshals is more or less a retelling of The Fugitive, this time purely from the point of view of Gerard. You have a running fugitive who claims to be innocent (and Snipes is no Harrison Ford) and you have Jones tracking him down, not believing him, but ultimately, may be the key to proving his innocence. Watching it, you can't help but wish they would have given the character of Gerard a slightly different plot.

As I mentioned, Wesley Snipes, though a good actor, cannot be as good as Harrison Ford. Snipes couldn't beat Ford on his worst day, and The Fugitive certainly doesn't represent the worst of Ford's performances. Ford is terrific in that movie, and Snipes fails by comparison.

The plot of this film is a lot more convoluted and unbelievable. Twice we see Sam Gerard and both times he is chasing "innocent" fugitives? Come on! How about a little variety? We are just asked to suspend our belief a little too much. This is one "spin-off" that didn't spin too far from the source. Jones himself is also a little disappointing. It is probably impossible for him to top his performance in the original, and here, though he is great, still can't compare.

However, despite its shortcomings and emulating the Fugitive mold, U.S. Marshals is actually a pretty decent action movie. If you loved The Fugitive and especially Jones' performance, than this film is worth seeing, as long as you slightly lower your expectations beforehand. On another positive note, Robert Downey, Jr. is an excellent addition to the cast, and Joe Pantoliano gives another great supporting performance. Although flawed, this film is still worth renting.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Fugitive, The Untouchables, The Hunted, Gothika, Memento