U.S. MARSHALS 1998
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
1 :-( in remembrance of THE FUGITIVE
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey Jr., Joe Pantoliano, Tom Wood, Lorenzo Clemons, Ray Toler, LaTanya Richardson, Kate Nelligan, Irene Jacob Director: Stuart Baird Producers: Anne Kopelson, Arnold Kopelson Screenplay: John Pogue
My general impression of U.S. Marshals was, ‘Oh no, not again'. Not that this is an overtly bad film, its just very second rate and mediocre when compared to its predecessor, THE FUGITIVE. How can one not compare it to the well-crafted, 1993 thriller, starring Harrison Ford? Let's face it, our new fugitive, Wesley Snipes, ex-federal agent, who is framed for trading secrets to the Chinese Government, doesn't carry the same charisma or crowd appeal as the perpetually, likeable Ford.
Part of the problem lies with the fact that the audience does not quite identify or empathise with our present fugitive, Mark Sheridan (Snipes). He kills two federal agents in self-defence – so what? Who cares? Secret service agents get killed for a living. Whilst in the case of Dr Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) – his wife was brutally murdered and he was framed for the crime. Now people, as a general rule, get quite upset when personal items like wives and family members get slaughtered.
Besides not spending enough time, developing our fugitive's plight, too much time is focussed on the Deputy Marshall Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his group of uninteresting, deputy buffoons. Basically, Lee Jones gets to show what a real ‘Jock' his character can be. Whilst his deputies mope about, like a bunch of non-professional idiots sipping coffee, cracking unfunny-smart-arse-jokes and occasionally getting themselves killed. Most humorous of all is a spaced-out, tired-looking Robert Downey Jr, who perhaps would have fared better off the set, and in the comfort zone of rehab instead.
There are some memorable scenes, like Snipes swinging of a high rise with cable in hand and then escaping on top of a train. But these tense moments are far and few in between, and perhaps they shouldn't have bothered to bring back U.S. MARSHALS, if it was only to let the fugitive get away again.
Timothy Voon
e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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