US Marshals picks up a few years after the original film (The Fugitive) ended, and sheds light on US Marshal Sam Gerard as he is called to bring in a fugitive accused of murdering two federal agents. Could this be another case of mistaken identity as was the case with the first film?
Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey Jr., and the rest of the cast carry out their performances very well (Tommy Lee Jones is once again amazing in his respective role!).
Overall, the setting, the plot, the dialogues, and the music are all good.
In short, US Marshals is a movie definitely worth watching, as it will surely provide for an evening's entertainment.

Out of all of the years that Hollywood has been producing films,it has always been,and always will be,interesting to see film sequels. Whether a sequel to a film does or doesn't live up the original film,it is always interesting to see how everything picks up where it left off. And,with "The Fugitive" being as successful as it turned out to be,how does its sequel,"U.S. Marshals",measure up?

Here,you find Tommy Lee Jones reprising his role as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard. This time around,what is Samuel Gerard's assignment? Being on a plane from Chicago to Tennessee to New York with a large amount of prisoners. The purpose is to get the plane's prisoners to where they need to be,and helping the other U.S. Marshals who are on the plane. While Samuel Gerard is not happy with this assignment,the facts that the U.S. Marshals who are on the plane are nice and Gerard being able to keep himself entertained does not make things too bad.

But,in the middle of the flight,things go from fine to bad. This is when the plane crashes,and leaves Samuel Gerard and his fellow U.S. Marshals with a truckload of responsibility. When one prisoner on the plane,Mark Sheridan(Wesley Snipes)has esacped,trouble finds itself in the face of Samuel Gerard once more,as Sheridan is wanted for the murder of agents. Will Samuel Gerard be able to solve the case with the aide of his trusted and respected U.S. Marshals (the ones that were in "The Fugitive")and Agent John Royce (Robert Downey Jr.),or will the difficulty of the case lead to Gerard losing to his opposite side? Only time will tell!!!!

"U.S. Marshals" has received a mixed response from people,so let me set the story straight. Like most films,"U.S. Marshals" has its up and its downs. The plot for "U.S. Marshals" is well written,interesting,and creative. It succeeds at remaining close to--but not too close to--its predecessor. The acting here is top notch,the script provides a lot of suspense and surprises along the way,makes its viewers ask a lot of questions,and wait for an appropriate amount of time for the questions to be answered.

But,where does "U.S. Marshals" fall low? There are a couple of scenes in this film that make it a bit predictable,something that no film should contain. Don't the plane crash and train scenes recycle two of the most important scenes that were in "The Fugitive"? These are things that could have and should have been easily patched up in the script for "U.S. Marshals". "U.S. Marshals" really falls low by the fact that it fails to live up to be what it is:a sequel. While most film sequels find a way to talk about the events of this previous film to let viewers know where it is leaving off at and to make the film more interesting,"U.S. Marshals" fails to do this. Sure,the characters and actors that were the U.S. Marshals in "The Fugitive" are to be found here. Yes,there is one certain scene with Tommy Lee Jones and Joe Pantoliano here that does take one back to "The Fugitive" in a certain way. Yet,nothing in "The Fugitive" is mentioned at all. I understand that "U.S. Marshals" film is not "The Fugitive",and I am not asking it to be. But,the intention of a sequel is follow up on where the sequel's predecessor left off. Unfortunately,"U.S. Marshals" fails to do so,and becomes its own film throughout its running time.

Overall,nothing special,but worth a look if you enjoyed "The Fugitive".

In 1993, Warner Brothers studios released an incredibly successful movie called "The Fugitive" starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, and based on the hit TV series of the same name. 5 years after the success of that film, the WB decided to release a semi-sequel/spin-off to the film focusing on the further exploits of the character of U.S. Marshal, Sam Gerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones. It was surprising that Warner Bros. wanted to explore this supporting character further, in fact it was just as surprising that they felt there could even be any chance of success with having a sequel/spin-off to a movie that was completely self-contained. But, the decision was made and Warner Bros. actually managed to re-sign Tommy Lee Jones, along with the rest of the actors that comprised his original crew of deputy U.S. Marshals, and adding Wesley Snipes and talented, yet troubled actor Robert Downey Jr. to the mix. With the cast all set, the story greenlit, and acclaimed editor turned director Stuart Baird ("Star Trek: Nemesis") helming the picture, it was time to see if Warner Bros.' gamble would pay off with "U.S. Marshals".

"U.S. Marshals" follows U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) as he pursues yet another fugitive on the loose. When a truck driver named Mark Roberts (Wesley Snipes) is involved in a car crash, the police reporting on the scene discover that this truck driver is actually wanted for a double homicide of two federal agents in New York City, and has been living in Chicago under an assumed name for the last several months. During the transfer flight from Chicago to New York, an assassination attempt on Mark's life takes place causing the plane to depressurize and crash into a river. As the police officers, including Sam Gerard who was aboard the plane overseeing the transfer of his latest prisoner, struggle to release the prisoners before they drown, Mark is released and succeeds in escaping without being noticed until the next morning. Now, Sam and his team of deputies are pursuing yet another fugitive, but they will soon find out that this is no ordinary case of murder, as the federal government gets involved by sending in an agent (Robert Downey Jr.) to oversee the pursuit, and it turns out that Mark Roberts is a former agent of the very same agency as that of the two men he is accused of murdering.

Director Stuart Baird really had his work cut out for him with this movie, not only was he tasked with the job of directing a semi-sequel/spin-off to a highly successful movie based on a TV show, but he was also forced to find a way to have Sam Gerard pursue yet another fugitive without the story seeming too much like the previous movie. Surprisingly, he succeeds rather well, there is the glaring similarity in that both fugitives only escape due to an accident (Richard Kimble escaped due to a train wreck and Mark Roberts escapes due to a plane wreck), but this can be overlooked as being a necessary plot device to realistically propel the story into motion. Otherwise, I couldn't complain about the direction of the movie, I felt that for this type of movie Stuart Baird did an overall great job of handling the material, keeping a similar tone to the first film, and yet making this one a standalone movie that doesn't require the audience to have seen or remember any of the events from "The Fugitive".

The cast for the movie was terrific. Tommy Lee Jones was wise to return to the character that won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor 5 years prior. I believe that ever since this movie, and even "The Fugitive" for that matter, Tommy Lee Jones has essentially played this same character in every other movie he's been in (with the exception of his role of Two-Face in "Batman Forever"), and still manages to entertain audiences with the same exact performance. The supporting actors that comprised the rest of the U.S. Marshals were just as good, if not better than they were the first time around, especially Joe Pantoliano who was given much more screen time and injected several bits of humor to lighten things up throughout the movie, while still delivering some really dramatic scenes with Tommy Lee Jones. The additions of Robert Downey Jr. and Wesley Snipes to the cast were very good choices as both are accomplished actors who handle both drama and action very well. Sometimes in sequels or spin-offs the new cast members tend to stick out a little bit because they are replacing a cast member that didn't return, so their performance seems to be a little too much like the person they are replacing instead of making the characters their own. In this instance though, both new actors do excellent jobs of making their characters their own, and quickly draw the audience in to their aspects of the story.

Even though I felt Warner Bros. had made a mistake in making this film, Stuart Baird and company managed to prove me wrong, and I must say that I completely enjoyed "U.S. Marshals", and that it was a worthy sequel/spin-off to the equally impressive film "The Fugitive".

"U.S. Marshals" is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

I loved this movie, if only for Tommy Lee Jones and Tom Wood (don't know who that is? Don't worry, I'm the only one) and because it was a sequal to my most favourite of movies.
But if you're not considering this movie because of your fantatical devotion to a single actor or series, then take your time deciding. The director was a first-timer, the plot is almost completely identical to the Fugitive (except...Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes aren't as cool together as Tommy and Harrison) and there are a fair number of awkwardly done 'funny bits'. I would rate it as an average cop drama, and a fairly underwhelming sequel.
However, I loved it, but I suspect that my motives are a little different than most peoples'.

This is one of Tommy Lee Jones best movies, not as good as the Fugitive
but still action packed. Lots of drama and action.

I like Tommy Lee Jones' movies. And I already have the VHS, so I wanted the DVD.

I admit it, there are far too many similarities between "Fugitive" and "U. S. Marshals". In a nutshell, the fugitive Deputy U. S. Marshal Gerard and his team are chasing in both films is innocent and is returning to his old stomping grounds to prove it. Still, the action and the characterization in both is good and keeps you watching even when you know the conclusion. Well done and I honestly wish they would do more "Sam Gerard" stories.

There are times when re-viewing a film that seemed powerful at the first viewing can be even better on the second time around. Such is the case for this viewer with US MARSHALS, a film made in 1998 but one that remains one of the finest of the genre of chase thrillers.

The story is well-known to everyone by now: Chief Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) is accompanying a planeful of criminals to maximum security - among them is Mark J. Sheridan (Wesley Snipes) who is actually the most wanted and dangerous of the crew. The plane crashes and Sheridan escapes, beginning what amounts to one of the most harrowing and dare devilish chases on film. Along the way the US Marshals (including Joe Pantoliano, Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood, LaTanya Richardson, and Kate Nelligan) with a 'help' from a Special Agent (Robert Downey Jr.) help track Sheridan only to find that Sheridan is himself a special agent etc etc etc. The action scenes are intense an beautifully captured and edited. The ensemble acting is first rate. There is some fine love interest thanks to the presence of the beautiful Irène Jacob and some intrigue involving Michael Paul Chan as a Chinese attaché. The only flaw in the script is that old Hollywood problem of assigning a major star like Robert Downey Jr. to what seems like a minor role, a dead giveaway as to who the real bad guy is going to be.

But in all this film is a tense, well-paced and photographed and scored action flick that wears well with time. Grady Harp, October 06

This is an outstanding sequel to an outstanding movie The Fugitive (1993). In this film, the focus is on the team that was searching for Dr. Richard Kimble in the first movie. That team was led by Tommy Lee Jones, who won an Oscar for his performance, which probably helped spur this sequel. It worked, as Jones and company (Joe Pantoliano and others) are just as much fun to watch as they were in The Fugitive.

There are many similarities to the latter, especially in the first third of the film, featuring some tremendous action scenes. Instead of a train crash, we have a plane crash. Instead of Harrison Ford on the run, we have Wesley Snipes. In both films, you have such an involving story that the two hours fly by.

U.S Marshals, being the newer film of the two, has better sound and even better special effects for the action scenes. As spectacular as was the train crash in The Fugitive, the plane disaster in here is even better. The same goes for a few other scenes. There is more action in this film. Normally, I don't need that but it's so well-done here, it's fine....fun to watch.

The Fugitive is still one of my all-time favorite movies. If you were entertained by it as well but are wary of sequels, you needn't be here: this is excellent.

If you release a DVD, you got to include the original movie. Look the details before you even consider buying this SE DVD. Be aware!

Tommy Lee is so believable that the movie comes across one of the best movies of all time.Tommy Lee is becoming one of the best actors of are time.

You are not sure who is the bad guy and it keeps you guessing.
The swamp scenes were good, actually enjoyed all the scenes.
The Jones and his co-horts are excellent working together. I was disappointed in the loss of Newman.

Kim

This DVD is awful, with the director commentary at points in the movie and no way of turning it off without mute and reading sub-titles. It disrupts the scenes including some of the chase and shooting scenes esp the ending.

Avoid this at all costs.

Totally annoying.

How this movie came to be is anybody's guess. Who would have thought that you could make a sequel, cut the main character from the original movie, and still succeed. While there weren't any really big surprises throughout this movie it still is action packed and ready to please. I would highly recommend this movie. A little better defined plot would have helped improve this movies standing. I also would have appreciated a little bit better character development for the rest of the supporting cast. Overall though it was a good movie and I would watch it again.

I received the movie within 3 days after purchasing it which was about 5 days sooner then I was told. I was very happy with the entire process. I would order again.

If this was the same movie I saw on cable tv I would gladly give it 5 stars as I am a fan of all Tommy Lee Jones movies. But, it is not the same movie and I am definitely not a fan of the egotistical moron who was constantly narrating this DVD. The imbecile spent the entire movie telling what he did with every aspect and scene of making the movie and how and why. The dialogue was inaudible in many places because you couldn't hear it over the voice of the narrator. I lost interest in the whole thing and did not enjoy one minute of it. My aged mother, who is in a nursing home, would have liked very much to see the movie but doesn't want to have it narrated like someone reading a book to her with the egotistical bull that seems to tell the viewers what idiots they are as if we couldn't figure out the movie on our own. My mother and I are more intelligent than this presentation implies. Personally I don't give a damn what, how, or why he made the movie; I just wanted to be able to enjoy it on my own without some moron's help. My mother and I felt like we were watching a movie with someone who kept telling us how it was going to turn out. It's the worst version of a movie I've seen in years. I was so angry I broke the damned disk in several pieces.

While watching this enjoyable spinoff from THE FUGITIVE, I kept wondering: these marshals sure are pretty inept; they couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, and the villains are always one step ahead of them. Maybe they needed to go back for some refresher courses? Anyway, the spectacular plane crash in the beginning is a real winner, and Tommy Lee Jones rises above the rather pedestrian script. Wesley Snipes comes across as too much of a superman, and he doesn't possess that intense innocence Harrison Ford's Dr. Kimble had, so we don't find ourselves rooting for him that much. Irene Jacob is lovely as his girlfriend, but she is given little to do except react. Director Stuart Baird doesn't keep the action fast and furious enough, but he also doesn't do much in the way of exploiting the considerable talents of his supporting cast: Joe Pantoliano comes out pretty good in his role as one of the marshals; Tom Wood as Noah Newman is exceptionally good in an underplayed way, and his fate is not justified, and I blame the writers for taking this cheap shot; Kate Nelligan (so good in DRACULA and THE PRINCE OF TIDES) brings an elegant power to her role as the head marshal; and durable supporting actor Daniel Roebuck makes the best of his role. As one fellow reviewer commented, if our government is as corrupt as it is portrayed in so many of our movies, no wonder we're in turmoil! Anyway, US MARSHALS is an entertaining film that could have been so much better!

U.S Marshals feels more like a fugitive spinoff full of cliche moments rather than anything new or exciting. Where it not for Tommy Lee Jones, and his rather dubious role, I probally wouldn't have bothered finishing this movie. There's no real excitement until towards the end when they throw a twist, that admittedly one didn't really see coming.

For being Marshals, these men are incessiently bad shots, the bad guys shot managed to shoot down everyone around them while the Marshals only nicked and missed.

Admittedly, there are some scenes that make up for this looooong overdone chase, that would be with the 727 and....actually, thats probally the only scene that makes up for this movie.
If you liked the fugitive (Which I did) you'll be able to see how Tommy Lee Jones was able to secure this role, but I still think that Harrison Ford is a better suspect than Wesley Snipes.
That, and we didn't have to bring the government and all their glory in as to make the plot such an overdone remake that its getting rather tiring. One wonders how the government manages to stay afloat with all the sabotouge, deciet, and murder that is constantly being portrayed.

I suppose its plausible, but not for so many movies already.

Rent it for Tommy Lee Jones, or if not for him, then at least to see the plane crash. Go from there.

The idea of making "U.S. Marshals" was not a bad idea. After all, Tommy Lee Jones had won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Chief Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in "The Fugitive," basically because he stole every scene he was in, whether it was with Harrison Ford or somebody else. Not only was this was one of those "roles of a lifetime" for Jones, there was also the fascinating dynamic between Gerard and his eccentric cadre of assistants. So putting together a sort of "sequel" around these characters made sense, as well as giving the film its title. The only question them would be coming up with a script.

The screenplay by first time screenwriter John Pogue follows the lead of "The Fugitive" by having Gerard suddenly find himself in the pursuit again of an innocent man (not that this becomes clear to Gerard until late in the film). The key differences from the first film is that the character being pursued, played by Wesley Snipes, is some sort of government super spy instead of a naive doctor, and Gerard is saddled with a government special agent, played by Robert Downey, Jr. The story line has to do with an international intrigue where not only Gerard does not know what is going on, but the audience is left in the dark as well. Then, to add insult to injury, this time it is Snipes that is doing the scene stealing.

Ultimately, I think it is the convoluted plot that gets in the way of this film working as well as "The Fugitive." This is a film that should be about the characters, especially the rest of Gerard's groups, but instead you keep trying to figure out what is really going on. In fact, this time around that question ends up overwhelming Gerard's attempts to track down people. Besides, "U.S. Marshals" is one of those films where the big surprise twist does not surprise anybody. This is why the film ends up being so unsatisfying, which is unfortunate because if this film had clicked it could have been a decent little franchise. But instead of focusing on the characters there was a concerted effort to try and top "The Fugitive" which only ends up making it something of a mess, which is why this movie ends up being so unsatisfying, Besides, we had such high expectations for these characters and cast.

If you're looking for more than cheap thrills and bravado, you may be disappointed as US Marshal drags for about half an hour or so more than it needs to. But it rises above its hackneyed chase routines with Jones' commanding screen presence. Some scenes, such as the opening plane crash, are exemplary cinematography. The soundtrack effectively complements the roller-coaster action sequences. There's a surprise twist in the tale too, but don't read too much lest you should spoil it. Recommended rental, for sure.

Supposed to be a sequal to the amazing movie 'The Fugitive'...it falls a bit short in comparison.
Tommy Lee Jones is still as sassy as ever in U.S. Marshals - but it's a bit too predicable.
Still has some good suspense - which I do enjoy.

though it doesnt have the title The Fugitive 2...it takes another look at a wanted man who is framed for a murder he didnt committ...good and solid performances by Tommy Lee Jones(The Fugitive, The Hunted), Robert Downey, Jr.(Gothika, In Dreams) and the awesome Wesley Snipes(Blade 1 and II, ZigZag)...this came out in the same year his smash Blade did....and I always say..hey, thats the movie Snipes did before he did Blade...cool..anyway. the plane crash is good, chase scenes are good and the finale is down right Downey deadly..though lacking in some parts it picks it up with energy..for the fans of the stars or for whoever like The Fugitive with Harrison Ford. also starring Irene Jacobi(1995's Othello remake), Tom Wood(The Fugitive and Under Siege), Joe Pantoliano(The MAtrix, The Fugitive, Memento), Daniel Roebuck(Money Talks, Final Destination), Kate Nelligan(The Cider House Rules, Wolf), LaTanya Richardson(Lone Star,The Super), Michael Paul Chan(Spy Game, Batman Forever), Patrick Malahide(The Long Kiss Goodnight, The World Is Not Enough) and Rick Snyder(The Generals Daughter, The NEt)

They could have named this one the Fugitive II and gotten away with it. There was a slight lack of originality, but the spectacular cast pulls it off. Overall the movie was good. Tommy Lee Jones does a wonderful job and Robert Downey, Jr. was memorable as well. The comic relief was a must and was appreciated as it helped counterract the amazing suspense level present. I think I will add this one to my collection.

Yes, we all know about the spin off from The Fugitive but this film stands on it's own as a great movie. Tommie Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes are great adversaries. Morton Downey Jr. is a great addition to the cast as are several other established and up and coming actors. See the movie. You will not be sorry. But watch it all because you might not appreciate it fully if you only view bits at a time.

An ultimately futile attempt to make lightning strike twice, this so-called spinoff from 1993's blockbuster The Fugitive avoids the label of "sequel" by forging ahead without the first film's star, Harrison Ford. The idea is to showcase the return of Tommy Lee Jones in his Oscar-winning role as tenacious U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard, this time testing his mettle against a covert government operative (Wesley Snipes) accused of murdering two secret service attachés. Unfortunately, Jones and the entire cast have been trapped in a rambling plot, and the underdog status that made Ford such a compelling hero is sacrificed to an evenly matched and eventually tiresome game of cat and mouse, with a villain whose identity is far too predictable. With no dramatic buildup and several superfluous characters to distract its focus, the film's momentum plays out like a rote exercise compared to the high stakes of the earlier film.

Tired and tiresome.

Lemme get this straight. They remake the Fugitive with the Star Wars guy and everybody knows the one armed man did it. Everyone except Al Gore's very old undergrad roommate. No, this dude will go to the ends of the earth to get his man, taxpayer's rights and flower beds be darned.

So, the audience likes this creep so much, we get a sequel in which he, in an Arky accent, does a hard target search on every backrow, hedgerow, cornrow and Scott Turow to get his man, cost in dollars, lives and dignity be damned. Oh, yeah, one more thing, IT IS, AGAIN, THE WRONG FLOCKING GUY!!! We know that because he is a brother and this fossil apparently only shines when he is centeredly in the wrong. Does no one else find this a tad creepy?

Don't watch this, try something edifying like women's pro basketball. My public access channels run JUCO women's volleyball. Whoo Hoo!!! Good for hours at a time.

This has been a LawDog "I have not and never will see this movie" review. Not reviewed for typos.

Although I don't consider U.S. Marshals™ to be as good an outing as The Fugitive™ flick, it made a valiant and for the most part effective effort to match up to its predecessor. If you're lookin' for thrills, action, intrigue, Tommy Lee Jones chewin' the scenery with the same zeal and sense of fun as he did in the first movie and yadda yadda yadda and all those other bits o' hype & cliches you've already heard ad nauseam-- well, you might wanna watch The Fugitive™ first. And then if you like what'cha see there, you just might find this flick likable as well. And if you're thinkin' of buyin' this, just remember that for every copy of this that sells, co-star Robert Downey Jr. gets that much closer to payin' off his rehab tab! How's THAT for a humanitarian gesture, hmm?

Normally, I'd start out this paragraph with a brief synopsis of the flick. But for this review, I've decided to go the lazy route: if you want an overview of U.S. Marshals™' great and/or not-so-great moments, take a gander at the other customer reviews posted here. As for picture and sound quality, I found the former among of the sharpest and cleanest of the WB™'s DVD library, and the latter above-average.

The extra features included on this platter are somewhat sparse compared to most `Special Edition' DVDs. As expected, the original theatrical trailer is included, as are a few TV spots. Then there's the text mini-bios of the principal cast and crew, as well as a text overview on the production and shooting of U.S. Marshals™. Also thrown in is a ten-minute-long mini-doc on the history of the U.S. Marshal Service. But the main attraction here is a nine-part look at the plane-crash sequence, featuring behind-the-scenes looks at the models, setups, and other things that were involved to create this moment of movie magic. If nothing else, this breakdown of one scene is definitely a must-see for the special-effects buff.

Finally, there's the director's commentary audio track. Unfortunately, I wasn't all that excited by Mr. Baird's discussion about the making of the film. His commentary for the most part revolved around the technical aspects of the movie, which I guess is understandable considering the fact he used to be a noted editor before he became a director. Also, his somewhat low-key and rather unemotional delivery made for a nearly-comatose listening experience. But on the upside, he doesn't really have too much to say anyway-- about two-thirds of the track doesn't even have any commentary on it at all!

Now it's time for me to slap an epilogue onto this bunch o' text, which I'll title `The Big Gripe'. It's a gripe that I've brought up in just about every one of my previous reviews of DVDs released by Warner Bros™. But since my words apparently just ain't gettin' through to the right folks, I'm gonna bring it up again, and again, and again until someone finally takes a freakin' hint (you readin' this, Ted Turner?!)! What is this thing about WB™ platters that makes me almost go postal every time I think about it, you ask? Well, here's the deal: Why is Warner still putting their movie platters in cardboard snap cases, when just about every other studio uses plastic cases?! I dunno `bout anybody else, but I'm more than willin' to lay down a few more shekels for a DVD cover that won't start to fall apart on me after a year! Is that too much to ask?!

`Late

It is an axiom that whenever Hollywood has done something right to create a hit movie, aside from a few notable exceptions, it is also an axiom that a sequel will be made that is noticeably inferior to the original. Director Anthony Davis used the acting talents of Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford to create a new and visually entertaining, if not comparable, filmed version of THE FUGITIVE, based on the hit television series of the 1960s. This FUGITIVE was watchable, mostly because the audience could empathize if not sympathize with the doctor on the run. The follow up to THE FUGITIVE is the still visually entertaining but hollow U. S. MARSHALS.
U. S. MARSHALS is not, strictly speaking a sequel, no more so than Mickey Rooney was in the Andy Hardy series of the 1940s. What director Stuart Baird has done was to take one of the two protagonists from THE FUGITIVE and set him off on a new chase with a new fugitive. Now there is nothing inherently wrong with a cop-chasing-a-fugitive theme. That has been done many times, sometimes quite well. The problem here is that the movie was touted as a sequel to THE FUGITIVE. U. S. MARSHALS could easily have had a few modifications to eliminate any connection to THE FUGITIVE, and if it had, then it would have been forced to stand on its own feet. But because it is set in the world of Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard, comparisons are inevitable and unflattering. In any escape movie, the seeker must have a credible motivation for chasing the fugitive. Barry Morse, who played Lt. Philip Gerard in the television series, had tons of that as he saw it as his own personal failure that Richard Kimble escaped. Sam Gerard had somewhat less motivation in the first movie version, but because the movie boiled down to an exciting set piece of escapes involving more of personality than of athletic stunt filming, the audience was inclined to swallow Gerard's monomaniacal hunt for Kimble. In U. S. MARSHALS, there is simply no need for Gerard to get personally involved, since it was not his fault that the Wesley Snipes character escaped. As for Wesley Snipes, he was simply the wrong choice to play the man on the run. His forte is bashing athletic ability and sheer physical presence. David Janssen to a huge degree, and Harrison Ford to a lesser degree, personified the intellectual Everyman, caught not in a conspiracy as the Snipes persona is, but rather in having had the bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The viewer simply cannot connect to Snipes, who comes across as a CIA spook Rambo. The majority of the film is Snipes ducking in and out of danger using his superbly conditioned body with Gerard one step behind, never quite catching him. Gerard's earlier failure to catch Kimble was eminently forgivable. His current failure to catch Snipes exposes him an incompetent chaser of men, thus furthering the emotional distance between viewer and pursuer. Complicating matters is the subplot concerning Robert Downey, who plays a marshall who is in conflict with Gerard. Downey is revealed as some sort of turncoat or traitor who kills good guys but does so in a way that makes no sense. His stated motivation for his deceit was so full of holes that I was left gasping.
U. S. Marshals, then is a failure and stands as a beacon reminder that what worked once need not work again unless some intelligent thought is given as to why the characters do what they do. Gaudy special effects cannot compensate for lack of creativity. Hollywood seems to have a hard time learning this lesson.

I have both the Fugitive and U.S. Marshal's on video, and yes there are similarities (spectacular crash, from which convict escapes, then is chased after by a U.S. Marshal for the rest of the movie). Other than that I can't see any more similarities.
They're both great, and I don't think U.S. Marshal's is just a clone of the Fugitive, because it isn't. This movie is great and if you like action. you will enjoy this one.

This is a great action-packed movie. The plot and suspense weren't nearly as great as the outstanding Fugitive starring Harrison Ford, but the action and gunfights certainly make up for it. If you liked the Fugitive's style of action, you'll love this movie.

I'll tell you right from the start, GET THIS MOVIE. This is one for the records if you like movies that are full of action and that grips you.
Right from the start, you have to pay attention to the details and that's what makes the movie take off for you. Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes are the best duo even though the play opposite roles in this intence movie. I tell you, it had me on the edge of my seat. A Movie you could watch over and over again. I HOPE THEY MAKE A SECOND ONE (Part II)?

Forget "Road Warrior;" ignore "Aliens;" don't bother with "Godfather II." The best sequel of all time?

"U.S. Marshals."

Now that the film doesn't have to focus on super-star Harrison Ford, they can take the concept of "the Fugitive" to all-new heights! Wesley Snipes is the greatest action actor of the modern era, and Tommy Lee Jones doggedly chases him down.

I missed seeing this movie in its original theatrical release--only after it hit the discount theaters was I fortunate enough to see it on the big screen.

They shouldn't have sold me the whole seat, because I only needed the edge!!! Remember the train wreck from the first movie? This one has a plane crash. FREAKY!

Search every outhouse, henhouse and doghouse for a copy of this movie!

It's a nice little showcase for Tommy Lee Jones. Cranky Grumpy and not having any fun here. Given Wesley snipes to run to ground. Who really cares if he's guilty or innocent? We just wanna watch Mr Jones.

Well, living in podunk, Midwestville, USA, there's very seldom any Hollywood production in our neck of the woods. So what am I talking about? Parts of U.S. Marshals were filmed near my little ol' hometown in the Shawnee National Forest, IL (north of Paducah, KY). The scene where Wesley Snipes hijacks the semi-trailer truck takes place at a Corps of Engineers-built rest area just ~30 miles south of my town. In fact I recall seeing the truck sitting there (obviously as a prop) about during the time this movie was being filmed. (The rest area isn't hardly used any more since most people drive more than 20 miles at a time before they need a break). Anyway, another scene where there's a police car coming across a bridge is at the Brookport Bridge coming into Paducah, KY. The airplane wreck scene itself was shot down along the Ohio River near a town called Golconda where they have U.S. Marshal posters up in some local restaurants to commemorate the filming.

Well anyway, that's all I have to say. My family and I were really into this film for the above reasons.

After I saw "The Client" w/Tommy Lee Jones in 1994, U.S. Marshals appealed to me as it did to probably anyone else watching it...Tommy Lee Jones WAS the star. The good thing about this sequal is that it takes off from it's own feet, without relying on events that took place during the first movie. Jones and his all-star team are out to get a Federal fugitive (Wesley Snipes) who is accused of killing two agents in cold blood. Snipes, proclaiming his innocents, runs from the Marshals while chasing yet another focus of the manhunt to clear his name. Ironically, the one man responsible for this whole scenerio is harbored unknowingly under the wing of the law. The plot is easy to follow, unlike puzzle movies like "The Saint" (which a friend made me suffer through years ago), which was so overdone in this 'spy' kinda thing that you couldn't even follow the plot line at all. Robert Downey Jr. makes a guest appearance on the Marshals squad, the star-packed cast is like an insurance policy for the movie which relys on the award-winning talents of the actors if the plot fails with some people. Up-to-date and smart 'cowboys and Indians' flick, plenty of great acting and one hell of a cast.