CLICK ON CAROLINE. Dear Caroline Film Reviews at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/7066
U.S. MARSHALS
Dear Caroline --
The best way to approach "U.S. Marshals" is the same way I go into the NBC Tower as an audience member for the Jenny Jones Show. (Is she still on?) Just check your brain at the door, and try to enjoy the ride. It might be a difficult concept to accept for "U.S. Marshals," the sequel to "The Fugitive," the hugely popular and 1993 Oscar-nominated film. The expectations are high, but the payoff is low. The bottom line is that screenwriter John Pogue and former editor-turned-director Stuart Baird have dropped the ball. This is not like "The Fugitive" sequel you would have expected to see. Expecting another tense drama, mano a mano, between Tommy Lee Jones' Oscar-winning role as Deputy Sam "The Big Dog" Gerard and an A-list star on the run, Pogue and Baird have delivered a confusing, directionless film featuring a boring array of government bureaucrats and spies. Ho hum. The producers seem to have forgotten what made the first film such a success. The only thing we ask for is a testosterone-pumping thriller as Gerard and Fugitive X butt heads. Instead, "U.S. Marshals" is light on action, heavy on the international intrigue. The movie feels like Pogue originally wrote a separate "Fugitive"-type of story, and then inserted Gerard's grunts and groans to suit Jones' character. Gerard's crew, including Joe Pantoliano as Cosmo, is back, but they only help chase the bad guy and actually have little input into solving the case. Fugitive X this time out is Wesley Snipes as Mark Warren, who in a matter of minutes goes from being mild-mannered Chicago tow truck driver to extradicted federal prisoner falsely accused of a double homicide in New York City. The drop-dead gorgeous Irene Jacob plays his girlfriend, Marie, but Jacob is totally wasted in the role. Soon after, Mark is aboard ConAir, gets attacked by a fellow prisoner and then escapes after a high-budget, effects-laden airplane crash, much like the bus crash in the original film. Mark goes by many last names and that's because he's not just any tow truck driver speeding down Halsted Street. He's a covert government assassin. This is where asking too many questions becomes a dangerous thing. How did a smart guy like Mark get involved in a political mess about South Koreans-Chinese and U.N. officials? How does a secret agent-tow truck driver meet a Starbucks server and why should we care about them? And my favorite, just where does Mark think he's going once he's accomplished his mission in New York? The second half of the film takes place in New York City, but don't believe it. It's still hometown Chicago in disguise, including a shootout at the Graceland Cemetery (supposedly Queens) over by Wrigleyville. Halfway through the movie Gerard is way out of his jurisdiction, but that doesn't seem to matter. He already has the evidence that prooves Mark is innocent, but he might as well chase after him anyway. This needlessly complicated plot began to remind me of "Mission:Impossible." Sometimes the chase is more important than the reason for the chase. Pre-convict Robert Downey Jr. steps in as a government special agent assigned to help Gerard with the case. It's never fully explained what Downey does. In one scene, he identifies himself with the DSS. That must be the Department of Stupid Spies. This film leaves you with a lot of uncertainty about the intelligence of our intelligence agencies. Maybe "U.S. Marshals" was doomed from the beginning with Pogue's convoluted script. His only previous effort was as an uncredited co-writer to the equally confusing "Eraser" with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Director Baird ("Executive Decision"), who edited impressive and unimpressive action films like "Demolition Man," "Die Hard 2," and the first two "Lethal Weapons," keeps the film well-paced, but fails to find the heart of the story. The sorrowful part for blockbuster hit-less Warner Bros. is that Baird's "U.S. Marshals" may have killed a potential film franchise. After four "Batmans" and the fourth "Lethal Weapon" on the way, it is apparent the Brothers Warner could use an injection of new blood. Of course, that's assuming Kevin Costner's "The Postman Rings Twice" ever get green-lighted. Rating: Two stars
Thinking of you, Geo. M. Wilcox
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