U.S. Marshals

I avoided this for years because it looked like a useless remake. However, I had forgotten that I thought The Fugitive was a useless remake of the TV series until I was dragged to it and found…a fine, suspenseful feature filled with a plethora of colorful characters. So, I should have been tuned in more to my own personal history, but so it goes….I now have watched U.S. Marshalls a number of times, and I have to say the two companion films match each other in quality.

The pacing is fast without being frenetic. The use of repetition, i.e., recurring motifs such as Kimball diving off a dam to safety & Sheridan swinging down to hop a commuter train, work well – though they could have been disastrous. The large cast is compelling down to the smallest roles (similar to The Fugitive in that regard). Jones, Snipes, and Downey all show range in their parts…Downey, as always, illustrates why he is one of the best of his generation. And some of the secondary roles shine, in particular Tom Wood as Deputy Marshall Noah Newman. He receives more screen time than in the predecessor; and he makes use of it well. He has one of "those acting moments" in a confrontation with Downey's character: his intense expression of simultaneous fear & anger is a plum bit of acting chops. Like other IMDb readers, I wonder what has happened with this good actor. No screen credits since 2000. Stage work? Left the biz? If the former, and he's in NYC, then we'll probably see him on a Law & Order episode one of these days!

I recently found a DVD with tons of extras on it – but I have not as yet delved into them. I look forward to doing that, as I do another viewing of the film.

This is a great movie! It's full of action and thrills. It also has great performances from Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Downey Jr, and Wesley Snipes.

I have never seen The Fugitive which is the predecessor to this film, but what I saw in U.S. Marshals, I don't think The Fugitive could be any better. U.S. Marshals is the action/ thriller film and fan of the genre would drool over.

The now Chief Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard is once again after an escaped fugitive. Mark Sheridan has escaped from a plane wreck and is on the run for a crime he did not commit and Gerard, with his team, is close behind. Sheridan must find a way to avoid the Marshals and find out who really committed the crime he has been framed for. The action is well placed coming in short spurts (except for maybe the plane wreck) and works exceptionally well with the story.

The acting is exceptionally well done with Jones and Snipes giving some of there best performers in a long time. Tommy Lee Jones is quick thinking and likable in his role as Gerard and eventually works into be your favorite character. Snipes is only seen in short spirits until about the last 20 minutes which adds to the effect of him being evasive to the Marshalls. However, in his short scenes, he is able to fit into the role with relative ease.

The action sequences, as I said, is very well done and never over done. They are fast-paced and well acted. The special effects are also quite believable. With the excellent acting, gripping plot, and fast paced action sequences, the two hours fly by and make for a very enjoyable film.

3 1/2/5 Stars

Great follow up to THE FUGITIVE with Tommy Lee Jones this time chasing Wesley Snipes. Both leads are great and the supporting cast is solid as well. The action scene's are very good as well. A few in particular include the search for Snipes in the swamp, and the airplane crash. The only problem with the film was it was a little longer than it should've been, but aside from that its a solid sequel. 4/5

U.S. Marshals is a good action film. The stunts and special effects are spectacular and the talented cast, though breaking no new artistic ground, is very good at bringing their characters to life. No, it isn't quite up to the standard of The Fugitive but it is a solidly entertaining movie all the same. 7/10.