The performances were brilliant, the pacing and direction were phenomenal. I think this was the best film of its kind in the 90's.
I am amazed Andy Davis isn't one of the most in-demand directors in the industry frankly.

I've noticed various reviews here have stated that the video quality was impressive. Personally I was quite disapointed.

This was the first Blu-ray I purchased and frankly I was disappointed with the video quality. I realize the film is never going to look as sparkling and clean as more recent films, but the image quality seemed lacking.

It has a soft, washed out 'milky' look and the detail is off and on. Sometimes the close-ups on faces are impressive, but then it will cut to a city shot at night and I really noticed the lack of definition.

Of course much of this flatness comes from the fact that the photography was fairly dull in the first place (the whole film has a 'grey' look), but I still expected something more impressive on the Blu-ray format.

Also the sound is not HD or PCM. It comes with the same audio as the previous DVD.

So my advice, if you only want to collect Blu-rays with superb video & audio quality, this is NOT one of them. But, if you are simply a fan of the film and want the best quality version available, then this is still your best bet.

2 stars because the movie itself, all though now old and dated, is still edge of the seat entertainment and very well produced.
However, on HD DVD, the audio and video quality is extremely poor, well below par and I think far worse than the original DVD.
I had friends around and was showing off my HD DVD player and was so embarrassed after watching the first 20 mins or so that I turned it off and played a DVD !
0 stars for the general movie quality, it is appalling!

"Don't waste your money on this horrible HD version."

First, Night scenes, the video is bleeding and spots are everywhere almost like VHS tape.
Day scenes are pretty good but not sharp enough to say wow it's blu-ray!
Most of all worst then previously released normal DVDs.

Sound. Also is the worst. Don't say that because this movie is old. Think about the movie 'Blade runner'.

This doesn't has true HD Sound or PCM uncompressed Dolby Digital 5.1.

I don't know why I bought this after reading other peoples' comments in this website.

Trust me, just don't waste your money.

the blu ray version looks so good i even noticed things i never seen before. the green river looks so good as does all the color in this film.
not all blu ray get a great hd remaster like this one.. a great buy!

The Fugitive is a great thriller of a movie, but holds a special place with me. Part of this film was shot in my hometown of Sylva, NC plus many of the other surrounding areas. This is a small town not many have heard of, small enough to be used in this film as a small town somewhere in backwoods Illinois. I didn't know there were mountains in Illinois anyways? The train wreck scene, which is one of the most spectacular action sequences of the film, I have had the enjoyment of seeing the preserved wreckage in person on a train ride that you can take in the area. The scene where Harrison Ford jumps from the dam is actually Fontana Dam, located about 45 minutes west of Sylva. Anyways, enough of the details about those scenes, but in case you were wondering, thats where they were shot.

As a whole this movie is extremely well crafted. You've basically got an edge of your seat thriller, updated from the 1960's tv series. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones both deliever first rate performances and have great chemistry, something that keeps this movie strong till the very end. The story is well written and executed, and is complex enough to keep you thinking on your toes, but not too complex to ever feel left out. The action scenes are wonderfully shot, and the chases and elements of suspense are tight.

There's little more to say about this film, it is very good in all areas. It doesn't contain the best story written, the best cast of characters, or the greatest action scenes of all time. But it does have a dose of all of that, and with a very solid feel in the end.

Acting - 4.5
Action - 4
Characters - 4.5
Story - 4.5
Overall - 4.5

The Fugitive is an excellent mix of action and drama. There's never one point in the movie where it feels like only a guy's movie, and it never slows pace enough to make the viewer feel bored or want to check their watch.

As most here already know the story, I'll just discuss the Blu-ray disc. The film came out in theaters in 1993, and the Blu-ray transfer is a good transfer considering the film's production period. The transfer is mpeg-2, which is kind of surprising, but like I said, the movie is quite a few years old. Regardless, it is obviously a nice step up from the standard definition as outlines and details are sharper and clearer. There's a small percentage of grain seen throughout the movie, but it's tolerable (unlike 300). Brights are never blown out of proportion, but at times I felt as if they were ignored in this release. Colors tend to blend more so than newer releases, but this almost gives the film a more natural look, and for many this would be considered a good thing.

The sound of the film is a step up from the standard definition, but it's nothing too special. Special features are the same as the earlier standard releases, so there's nothing new to look forward to here. If you have the standard version already, it's probably okay to hold off on getting this Blu-ray. But if you would like to upgrade, it's still a worthy choice.

Excellently done! I would highly recommend this DVD. The drama is well acted and the finale is worth watching.

Audio and Video were great considering how old this movie is. This is the best presentation of this movie I have see. Its not perfect but you cant expect it to be considering HD anything is relatively new.

No matter how often you watch this it is always exciting. One of the greatest movies ever made...

An excellent version of the original David Janssen character and story. Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford are both terrific in their respective roles of hunter and hunted. As an added bonus (for Chicagoans or people who love Chicago) the film provides a realistic view of the city where most of the story unfolds. This should be in most action/drama/suspense fan's flim collection.

1993's "The Fugitive" stars Harrison Ford as the title character in a very worthwhile movie remake of the 1960's television series that starred David Janssen.

As in the TV series, Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) is falsely convicted of having murdered his wife but escapes from custody during a spectacular train wreck. Kimble returns to Chicago to seek the one-armed man who really killed his wife, while trying to stay one step ahead of his relentless pursuer. Tommy Lee Jones reprises the role of Gerrard, the obsessed detective of the TV series. Kimble's search for the real killer will end in a dead heat with Gerrard's pursuit of the runaway doctor inside a Chicago hotel.

Although obviously lacking the extended suspense of the four-year TV series, the movie captures the essential elements of its predecessor. The Fugitive tracks the real killer through a thin string of clues. At the same time, he must stay on the move and off the grid to avoid his relentless police pursuer. Along the way, his random acts of kindness for total strangers convince the viewer of his real innocence.

Harrison Ford is entirely credible as the doctor on the run, in a more emotional portrayal than the stoic David Janssen. Tommy Lee Jones as the pursuing U.S. Marshal is a more complete and sympathetic character than Barry Morse's grim, humorless rendition in the original series, enough so to rate a OSCAR and his own sequel (U.S. Marshals).

The availability of modern special effects and the need to pack the story into a feature length movie makes for breathless pacing, as the Fugitive makes a series of spectacular escapes from the law, beginning with the train wreck that saves him from the death house. Of necessity, Kimble's trail of clues is fairly intact and leads him fairly quickly to the one-armed man, and to an unsuspected and deadly conspiracy.

Fans of the 1960's TV program will enjoy this well-done movie if they can handle the time compression; viewers arriving fresh to the story will find this a breathless and thrilling chase with a surprising ending.

When I made the conscious choice to purchase a blu-ray player, and after doing some research regarding picture and sound quality, I decided that The Fugitive would be the first film I'd get. All I can say is what a huge difference high definition makes. I already knew that the film was an excellent adaptation of the classic television series. The detail is really exceptional, and the sound is really enveloping. I recommend this blu-ray title wholeheartedly...

This movie with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones no doubt will leave you on the edge of your seat! From the moment it begins to the end it is first rate drama. Well worth the two hours of your attention! Best drama movie around for my money!!

A textbook example of a first-rate thriller, buoyed by Davis's breathless pacing and a picture-stealing performance from Jones, who won an Oscar. Drawing from his Indiana Jones days, Ford is just right as the besieged hero always one step ahead of disaster, but Jones's Gerard, whose drive is offset by a wry, folksy humor, is intensely charismatic as the intrepid hound-dog on Kimble's trail. Over ten years after its initial release, it's worth another peek if you haven't seen it since. First-timers should definitely plunge.

Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones deliver towering performances in this gripping thriller.

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Dr. Kimble (Harrison Ford) arrived home one night to find his wife Helen on the verge of death after being brutally attacked by a one armed maniac. Before she died, she was able to make a desperate call to 9-11, so the police arrive shortly after the incident, just in time to find Helen dead. The police notice that Kimble is all scratched up, as though he had just been in a fight or had just murdered his wife himself. Despite Kimble's description of the true culprit, the police arrest him and charge him of his wife's murder. The trial goes badly and Kimble is sentenced to death by execution.

On a prison bus, on his way to the facility that housed the chamber that would eventually kill him, some other convicts attempt to pull off an escape. There is a violent uprising inside of the bus and the lumbering vehicle tumbles down a hill and stops on a railroad track. The oncoming train collides with the bus and creates one of the most spectacular train wreck scenes to ever appear on film. By chance, Kimble, and another convict, make it out of the crash alive and set out on foot to escape the law enforcement personnel who are sure to appear once they learn about the disaster.

Unfortunately for Kimble, the federal marshal who is put in charge of the operation is none other than Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), who is completely determined, quick-thinking, and efficient. He is unbendingly bound to his duty and will stop at nothing to catch his man. This is revealed in the famous tunnel scene, when Kimble points a gun at him and says "I did not kill my wife," Gerard retort is the cold "I don't care."

Since Kimble has already been convicted and sentenced to death, his chances of resurrecting any kind of life are exceedingly grim. He can either hide out for the rest of his life, or try to lead law enforcement to the real culprit. In order to accomplish the second option, Kimble would have to investigate himself, and somehow, based on the scant evidence at his disposal, somehow find the criminal. But can he do it before the brilliant Gerard closes in on him?


ACTING

Tommy Lee Jones' performance is one of those performances that won, and actually did deserve to win the Oscar. Every second of Jones' performance is absolutely convincing. It is rare that an individual's character can be developed so fully in a two hour film. He is more than the stereotypical, "success at all costs" law enforcement office. From his persuasive scowls when he hears of Kimble's successes, to the tone of his voice when he barks orders and makes observations, his performance alone is enough to watch this movie several times.

Harrison Ford logs in another solid performance. Over the course of the last 30 years, Ford has been one of the most consistent actors of all time. The Fugitive is actually one of his better roles. He plays the part of Richard Kimble to near perfection.

It is not uncommon to see two huge stars on one film at the same time, but it is uncommon that they perfectly fit the characters that they are asked to portray, and it is nothing short of a rarity that they interact in such a memorable fashion as they did in the fugitive.

The more minor actors are nothing special, but they are not bad either. Jerome Krabbe played a respectable Dr. Charles Nichols,, with his hair parted neatly to the side and his somewhat nerdy smile, he represented what most Americans picture when they imagine a highly educated doctor. Joe Pantoliano played Cosmo, Gerard's assistant. We get a lot of sarcasm in a high pitched voice, and that is what Pantoliano is known for. It added some extra entertainment and made the mechanical law enforcement machine slightly more human-like.


SO DOES IT THRILL?

How does the fugitive stack up against other thrillers? Most thrillers, even some successful ones, have a small amount of tension causing elements. The movie-makers work with a somewhat limited script, and get as much thrill as they can on two or three suspense-provoking fundamentals. Sometimes these movies do an excellent job at thrilling us, and leave us satisfied. The producers, directors, and actors of the fugitive did not need to stretch out every possible element for cheap thrills, the script, which took years and million dollars in development, thrills the audience on multiple levels. Even mediocre actors would have turned this script into a nail-biting experience, the super performances by Jones and Ford only make it even better.

This one is definitely a classic in its genre. If you still haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Wow! What picture and sound. "You will not be disappointed", oh and the movie is pretty good too.

I rec'd the dvd in a timely manner and in good condition. Thanks!

BUY IT NOW - Simple it's a good movie to see it and enjoy it with friends and family in HD-DVD.

Movies based on television shows are frustrating for the creative team behind the adaptation and often prove to be somewhat hit and miss. The reason is because in a TV show the writer/director gets to spread his/her story over the course of multiple episodes or even an entire season. In a movie you only get an average of 2 hours to get your story out, which can cause problems when adapting a television series, whether it be a long-running or short lived show, for theaters because you just don't have the luxury of time. There have been some successful adaptations, "Starsky & Hutch", `Star Trek', `Mission: Impossible', and even `Charlie's Angels' (though I didn't care for either incarnation of the franchise), along with the success there have been those that failed "The Avengers" was lackluster, and "The Dukes of Hazzard" was the most recent, and possibly the worst adaptation I have seen in a long while. In 1993, Warner Brothers felt the calling to try their collective hand at an adaptation, and their choice was the hit TV series "The Fugitive". To assist in the success of their endeavor the WB enlisted top-notch, veteran acting talents Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, and hired director Andrew Davis hot off his highly successful submarine action film, "Under Siege".

"The Fugitive" tells the story of Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), who after a charity event arrives home to find an intruder in his house and his wife murdered. After fighting off the intruder, Kimble alerts the police, and upon their arrival Kimble is surprised by the fact that he is arrested for the murder of his own wife. After being found guilty at his trial and sentenced to prison, the prison bus Kimble is being transported by crashes in front of an oncoming train. After being freed by a correctional officer to assist with the other prisoners, Dr. Kimble flees in hopes of tracking down the one-armed murderer and proving his innocence. However, hot on Richard's trail is a relentless U.S. Marshal, Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), and his team of deputies, who will stop at nothing until their man is caught. Let the chase begin!

Clearly the executives at Warner Brothers made an excellent decision to make this adaptation, and managed to find the perfect cast, writer, and director to pull it off. The cast, led by Harrison Ford (an actor that delivers a terrific performance every time) and Tommy Lee Jones (who was great in this role and was rewarded with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), all give excellent performances, fleshing out each individual character and making the movie believable and real to the audience. The story by David Twohy ("Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick") is full of twists and turns, with riveting drama and action along with bits of comedy sprinkled about to lighten things up just a bit. The direction of Andrew Davis, though not flashy by any means, delivers a very tight, well-paced manhunt movie that keeps the audience fully engrossed from start to finish, even though they already have a pretty good guess what the outcome will be, based on the source material.

As I stated earlier some adaptations of TV shows to movies work out well and some don't, and the reasons generally stem from what I pointed out in the beginning of this review, but sometimes the results may vary depending on how committed to the project the cast/crew and the studio are. It's nice to see that for "The Fugitive" all parties involved in the making of this picture gave their best, and the fruits of the labor paid off big time, making this movie one of the best TV series adaptations to ever be made.

"The Fugitive" is rated PG-13 for violence and language.

Hollywood has welcomed several great crime drama films over the years,and one of those films happens to be,by far,"The Fugitive". An interesting and entertaining adaptation of one America's most successful televsion shows,it is always great to see good television shows being adopted into the films--something that this film proves quite well.

Based off a 1960's television series,this film is based in Chicago. Here,Harrison Ford plays Richard Kimble,a man who happens to be very fortunate:he is a successful and respected surgeon,with a large amount of money,good friends,and a beautiful wife whom he has a wonderful marriage with,Helen(Sela Ward). For Richard Kimble,things could not be any better,and Kimble himself is happy with the way that life is working out for him.

But,one night,things change for Richard Kimble and his life--in a negative way. After Richard Kimble comes home one night,he discovers that his wife is being murdered by a one-armed man. And,despite the fact that Richard Kimble is able to put up a good battle against this one-armed man,he is not able to win. Bad turns to worse when "certain evidence" falsely shows that Richard Kimble is responsible for the murder of his wife,and leads to Kimble facing execution on death row.

However,all of a sudden,things change. Once the bus that is carrying Richard Kimble and his former prisoners to the Death Row that they are going to be executed at crashes and ends up on a train track,Richard Kimble is able to escape. Fortunately enough for Kimble,he is able to return to Chicago. From here,Richard Kimble takes advantage of the opportunities that he has to find the evidence that he needs in order to learn more detail about his wife's murder,and to prove his innocence to the United States Marshals and the Chicago Police. But,will Richard Kimble be able to succeed in this,especially with the tight watch that the Chicago Police and the United States Marshals have over Kimble,and an intelligent and obcessed U.S. Marshal named Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones)leading the investigation to find Kimble?? Only time will tell!!!!

While "The Fugitive" may be very hard to follow and requires close attention to be paid to it,it is still a really good film. The script for this film is as suspenseful as it is entertaining,and makes you wonder what will happen next,with good surprises coming along the way. This film also has a lot of creativity in it,and despite the fact that it is based off of a television show,does a good job at not recycling the show that it is based off of (it is worth noting that a large portion of the events in this film are different from the events that occured in the telvision show)and being original--but at the same,not too original. Also,let me add that Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones do a perfect job at taking on the action in this film,in a manner that makes it entertaining and suitable,without pushing it a mile to being an action film. There is a lot of strong acting to be found here,as well. In Harrison Ford's performance of Richard Kimble,Ford portrays Kimble as a laid-back and intelligent man. He allows this film to have an appropriate amount of drama,balanced out by showing who Richard Kimble is as a person and Kimble's determination to prove his innoncence,while at the same time,bringing who needs to be brought to justice for his wife's murder. As for Tommy Lee Jones's performance of Samuel Gerard,Jones is brilliant in his performance. In his performance,Tommy Lee Jones provides the no-nonsence personality that he brought to the characters that he has portrayed in other films (the role of Agent K in the "Men in Black" films,the role of Travis Lehman in "Double Jeopardy",etc.),and allows this film to have suspense. At the same time,he allows this film's viewers to understand the current status of the both sides of the story that are depicted in this film. Those sides are the side of Richard Kimble,and the side of Samuel Gerard and the men who are assisting Gerard in the search for Kimble. Also,while you will not see Sela Ward throughout most of this film,Ward turns in a strong performance of Helen Kimble. In her scenes with Harrison Ford,Sela Ward provides a lot of compassion and chemistry. This is a contribution to this film being as good and interesting as it turned out to be. At the same time,it helps this film's viewers to take a walk in the mind of Richard Kimble,and know how Kimble feels as they watch Kimble solve the wife of his murder. All of this allows "The Fugitive" to fully come together as the good film that it is,and are good examples of why the film turned out to be as successful as it was.

The DVD for this film has a lot of good bonus features on it,as well. Here,you get a commentary that was conducted with Tommy Lee Jones and this film's director (Andew Davis),profiles of the lead actors in this film (Harrison Ford,Sela Ward,Tommy Lee Jones,Joe Pantoliano,Andreas Katsulas,and Jeroen Krabbe,as well as a profile of Andrew Davis),the list of the awards that found Tommy Lee Jones winning best supporting actor for his performance as Samuel Gerard in this film,as well as this film's theatrical trailer. These are all strong and worthwile bonus feautures. But,what really does justice for the bonus feautures here are these:"Introduction" (this finds Harrison Ford,Tommy Lee Jones,and Andrew Davis discussing the good memories that they have of making this film),"Derailed:Anatomy of a Train Wreck" (this discusses the scene in this film that feautures this film's famous train wreck scene,and how it was put together),and "On The Run With The Fugitive" (this discusses the making of this film,and provides a thorough behind-the-scenes look into the making of it). These are all excellent bonus feautures for any film that is represented on DVD,and give this film the recognition and respect that it deserves.

Overall,"The Fugitive" is an excellent film. If you enjoyed the television show that this film is based off of,and/or you are a large fan of crime drama films,"The Fugitive" is one film that you do not want to miss out on.

this is one my all time favorite movies, but be aware that HD format wil not play on ordinary DVD players. I was not, and had to return it for the usual one.

Few thrillers remain as consistantly thrilling and exciting as "The Fugitive", the 1993 cinematic adaption of the classic television series. Thanks to a fantastic script, excellent directing and two dynamic leads, "The Fugitive" is a masterpiece in every aspect.

Harrison Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble (originally played by the late David Janssen in the tv series), a respected Chciago surgeon who comes home one night to find his wife (Seal Ward) bludgeoned to death, and him framed for her murder. Despite his best efforts, Kimball finds himself convicted for murder and facing wrongful punishment by the law.

Not willing to let his wife's murder escape jsutice, Kimball stages a daring escape from a train heading towards a state penitentiary (one of the greatest scenes ever), and becomes the most wanted man in the state.
Put in charge of apprehending him is no-nonsense U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard, who is determined to bring Kimball to justice.

This begins a tense game of cat and mouse that never lets up. Richard manages to evade remais one step ahead of the law and gets closer and closer to finding the true killer, but Gerard will not give up. This leads to one of the most thrillin climaxes in film history.

"The Fugitive" is moviemaking at its best, and belongs in all dvd collections.

I have both a blu ray and HD dvd... Purchased each version
to see differences. Good movie and Blu Ray was slightly
better because of uncompressed sound

Excellant remake of the series. Enjoyed it very much a great addition
to our collection.

...that is the message from this rather illogical but fast-moving film. Poor old (wrongly convicted) Dr. Richard Kimble escapes from State Prison, and through some inexplicable legal quirk, the Federal Government takes jurisdiction for capturing him. Good thing too, since (according to this film) all state cops and other State and Local authorities are venal idiots, and the Feds, by contrast, are hyper-competent and masterful Law Enforcement Professionals (capital letters). I love the scene where Tommy Lee Jones (a Federal Marshal, no less) almost captures Kimble (Harrison Ford)... Get Down On Your Knees Richard, if you don't want to get shot!... (you can almost hear him think: "this is the proper position for ANYONE when in the presence of the all-mighty Federal Government..." By the way, fugitive Richard Kimble has not committed the ultimate crime of criticizing an incumbent politician within 30 days of an election in violation of McCain-Feingold. No, he is (wrongly) convicted of murdering his wife.

When referring to a large drug company, Tommy Lee Jones (embodying the Federal Government) remarks "that company does nine billion dollars in sales a year... it is a monster" ... you can almost hear him say "...the kind of monster that Bill and Hillary have been fighting all their lives."

Despite the heavy-handed portrayal as the Federal Government as the rightful Master of Us All, this is a fast-paced action film that holds the viewer's interest. Harrison Ford is as appealing as always, and Tommy Lee Jones shows us that we don't really need laws or judges to restrain the Federal Government, because it has contempt for these things anyway. After all, as Jones points out, he wants wiretaps on everyone, including Kimball's lawyer, and he will justify this later, "if I'm in a good mood." Hey, who needs the Constitution?

Yes, I admit it, I've got an attitude about this film. I still enjoyed it though. Go figure.

I've first bought this film on tape, and now have this DVD. This fast-moving action film still keeps me on the edge of my seat. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones could not be better as adversaries in Ford's dogged search for proof of his innocence in the murder of his wife. You can count on a tightly wound, well-told story, with many great twists and turns, plus the element of surprise that maintains a high suspense factor till the final credits.

OK, there is a great train wreck scene. But if you are expecting a lot in the way of special effects, shoot-em-up blood and gore, bad acting and a mindless plot, this is not the movie for you. Everyone else: grab the popcorn and enjoy this film.

I purchased a PS3 when it came out. One of the reasons I was hot for one was for Blu-Ray playback. I have a rear projection Mitsubishi HD set from a few years back. It has no DVI or HDMI, just standard Component HD inputs. I got home with my new PS3 and Blu-Ray disks and set it all up. I watched a few fantastic looking Blu-Ray movies: Fifth Element, Last Samurai, and Enemy of the State. But when I finally put Fugitive in, I was blown away. I can't believe how this older film scanned to HD so well! It was like watching it for the first time. My whole family stopped what they were doing and sat down and watched this movie. Now I have enjoyed the quality of all the Blu-Ray disks I have spun up in my PS3 as they have all finally made my Mitsubishi 48 inch HDTV show me what I paid for when I bought it. But this disk made my Mitsubishi look like a 55 inch movie theater. I swear, the picture was bigger and more in-my-face than other Blu-Ray disks I have watched. I don't know what Warner Bros. is doing to re-master their movies to HDTV, but keep it up!

P.S. - I knew Tommy Lee Jones's face was messed up, but HDTV shows it all! DAMN!!

Innocent guy, done wrong, tries to recover. Cops, large machines, suffer most.

Formulaic. The best bits happen early.

One of the greatest mystery films of the last decade. Chock full of so much suspense, it can be easily mistaken for a thriller.

As far as the Blu-ray edition goes, 5 out 5 stars for picture and sound. The skin tones are well rendered and the blacks almost never clip. The sound is house shaking without an ounce of distortion. The picture is sharper then I remember even from the theatrical presentation.

Highly recommended.

I love this film and both Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones' portrayals within it. Most are familiar with the story: a Chicago-based vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kincaid (Ford) returns home to find an intruder and his wife nearly dead from the attack. The CPD cannot substantiate the story and believe the good doctor murdered his wife instead. Dr. Kincaid is sentenced to death by lethal injection due to the particularly heinous nature of the crime. He gets a lucky break when the inmates on his prisoner transport break out. Instead of running for the border, Dr. Kincaid returns to Chicago to find the person who killed his wife. U. S. Marshal Sam Girard is assigned to the case---Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal in this particular film was what spawned his role in "US Marshals" another case where he ends up proving the innocence of the person he is seeking.

Everyone remembers the 1963 series where Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) goes running around in every episode just missing the criminal that killed his wife. He in turn is being chased by Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) who thinks Kimble did it and is a fugitive from the law. The whole thing was narrated by William Conrad.

Well now we have the movie. This time we have a beginning middle and ending all in 161 minutes.

Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) and his wife Helen (Sela Ward) are the perfect couple. Then one night while he was working for some inexplicable reason a despicable person dispatches Helen. On her way to the netherworld she inadvertently says Richard on the 911 call. One thing leads to another and Kimble gets the blame. In the process of transporting him from one containment system to another the transport meets with a little accident; now Kimble is free to find locate the real perpetrator. Now it is up to Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) to find and retrieve Kimble.

Now that we have covered the basic there is not where to begin to tell how great this movie is on many levels. The anticipation of the chase of Kimble to find the perpetrator (by the way he has only one arm) before Gerard catches him. We get close and have a few read herrings. Tommy Lee gets to keep his stoic look as he says things like "I don't care." And "I don't bargain."

Personaly I think that the Chicago police knew all along who the real bad guy was and was covering for him several times right up to the end. They went out of there way to paint Kimble as the bad guy. Detective Rosetti (Joseph F. Kosala) also tried to stop him from revealing the real perpetrator. Rosetti referring to Kimball even after the truth is revealed "He's going down. You won't help us, you stay the hell out!"

'THE FUGITIVE' REMINDS ME OF 'NORTH BY NORTHWEST' - THE 'WRONG MAN' THEME GREATLY ACCELERATED

'North by Northwest' featured Cary Grant who had been a huge star, especially at the box-office, a lot like Harrison Ford, the star of "The Fugitive." Instead of the bi-plane that flies into and causes the gas tanker to explode with Cary Grant racing from the scene, we've got the mother of all train wrecks which Harrison Ford literally leaps from a nanosecond prior to impact!

THERE IS A LOT MORE TO 'THE FUGITIVE' THAN JUST CHASE SCENES

Richard Kimble did not kill his wife. We knew that when we entered the theatre because we had all heard of the TV series by that name and some of us even saw the hourly mystery program when it ran in the 1960s. We knew about the one-armed man, the conviction of Dr. Kimble, and his quest to prove that a one-armed man had committed the horrific deed.

'THE FUGITIVE' DELIVERS SURPRISES + SUSPENSE & RESOLUTION TOO

Somehow this seemingly very tired theme came alive and grabbed my attention very early. Although I found the opening sequence a bit lurid and disturbing, it was captivating nevertheless. With an obvious sense of pacing, the trial of Dr. Richard Kimble was as rapid [on-screen] as a disclosure of the basic facts of Mrs. Kimble's murder allowed.

From Kimble's conviction, we are jettisoned to the biggest and most visceral TRAIN WRECK sequence I have ever seen on film. More importantly, it established sympathy for Kimble as he not only barely escaped death, but he saved one of the guards in the process. This incredible action sequence led directly to the introduction of Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy Marshall Sam Gerard and the unbelievable chase scenes that followed.

The action sequences and suspense are so genuine that even the mundane scenes, like when Kimble was going through the one-armed man's private papers, were intense. No matter how many times I watch this film, I am amazed by how enthralled I am with the action and characters, despite knowing the complete storyline. I dare say that even the Master of Suspense himself couldn't have done better!

----- THE ACTORS -

Harrison Ford - Dr. Richard Kimble
Tommy Lee Jones - Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard
Sela Ward - Helen Kimble
Joe Pantoliano - Cosmo Renfro
Jeroen Krabbe - Dr. Charles Nichols
Julianne Moore - Dr. Anne Eastman
Andreas Katsulas - Sykes "One Armed Man"

ABOUT THE DVD: SPECIAL EDITION - WIDESCREEN - DIGITAL TRANSFER

Digital transfer in Widescreen. So much better than the original Video from 1993 and the original DVD from 1997!

DVD Features:

I must really like this film, because I zipped through every one of the excellent special features and really found myself wanting for more.

Commentary by: Director Andrew Davis & Tommy Lee Jones

New Digital Transfer

New Introduction by the Film's Stars & Director

Two Featurettes:
----- Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck
----- On the Run

----- Awards List + Bios for the major actors

IN THE END --

A very compelling film to watch and watch and watch. The DVD is much clearer in both the audio and video than the VHS release.

All right, so this HD-DVD is not home theater demo material. It still easily surpasses the standard edition upon side by side comparisons. Yes, there are still some scenes that look like standard DVD, but for the most part, you can see Harrison's beard more clearly as well as many other details. Perhaps this is a testament to the movie itself...the story is so good you don't simply sit there and marvel at the clarity! Until another edition comes along to best this latest one ( and you know one will), then this is the one to buy!

This is without a doubt, one of Harrison Fords greatest moments. An incredible film with some of the best visual effects I've ever seen. Very dramatic with a lot of suspense. A very well written plot and an all star cast make this a very enjoyable experience to view. A film you will want to see again and again. Action, mystery, drama, thriller. There are a lot of goofs in this film if you are into looking for such, but they don't in any way detract from the overal quality of this very well done suspense drama. I highly recommend it.