The Fugitive (1993/HD-DVD)
Picture: B
Sound: B Extras: B Film: B
The vast majority of feature films that remake classic TV
shows bomb because the studios that greenlight them think all they need is the
name, meaning they do not care what the final result is, except in the
profitability department. In the case
of the big hit 1993 version of The Fugitive, producer Arnold Kopelson
tried to find the right script for years and years. Finally, one penned by Jeb Stewart and David Twohy worked enough
for him that he went forward with it.
Director Andrew Davis would helm the film, and in one of the best
commercial pairings of the 1990s, Harrison Ford would play title character Dr.
Richard Kimble and hunting him down would be Tommy Lee Jones as federal officer
Sam Gerard. So many things could have
gone wrong, but in a rare instance, the best decision was made at almost every
turn.
As in the original 1960s series, Kimble is out one evening
when his wife is murdered by another party who turns out to be the now-famous
“one armed man”, but he is found guilty instead and it turns out, framed for
the murder. In a wild twist of fate, he
is being taken away in a prison transfer when the bus overturns! He barely escapes and the chase is on. From there, the editing, pacing, mystery,
suspense and acting are top rate; the kind we used to see in big Hollywood
production all the time before things became so lame and bad. Jones actually won a Best Supporting Actor
Oscar® for his great work and performances by Sela Ward, Joe
Pantoliano, Jeroen Krabbe and Daniel Roebuck fill out each scene with just
enough character development to get further involved. Though you may know what is coming, especially if you have sent
he film before, half the fun is getting there and in that way, the film holds
up well. It also reminds us why Ford is
such a big worldwide movie star. This
is one of his best.
The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is better
than the previous DVD editions, but still not as sharp and clear as it was in
35mm. The film was originally issued in
nice 35mm prints back in its first theatrical release, but not only did they
use regular print material, but Warner was also experimenting with a new kind
of more durable film print material over the usual celluloid in vinyl. Warner decided to experiment with a very
durable polyester release print that held up remarkably well, but had some
color issues that were never resolved.
Still, it had its pluses and was a rare treat to see at a later run
screening in 1993. This transfer has
some good color, but both prints demonstrated better color, clarity and
definition, while there is also some noise in the Video Black region that is
similar to the problem on the HD-DVD of Goodfellas (reviewed elsewhere
on this site) if not as often.
Cinematographer Michael Chapman did an amazing job of
shooting the dark scenes as well as the bright ones, which made the film very
rewatchable. This HD-DVD does justice
to his work more often than not, but could have been better. Whether it is a VC-1 encoding issue or
transfer issue of another type, it is hard to tell, but this is still the best
version of the film on the market by default and a comparison to Warner’s
planned Blu-ray version should be very interesting indeed.
As for the sound, this was a great showcase for theatrical
Dolby Digital and even the advanced analog SR (Spectral Recording) prints had
amazing sound on them. Offered here in
Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, the sound mix holds up very well for its age with
exceptional character and articulation for its age. The score by James Newton Howard is also very good, enhancing the
narrative and especially the chase itself.
Extras include an intro by Davis, a Jones/Davis audio commentary, the
original theatrical trailer and two featurettes that show more on the making of
the film. Warner tried to follow up the
film with a very misguided spinoff feature called U.S. Marshals with
Jones only in 1998 and a TV series revival starring Tim Daly, but neither
worked. This Fugitive may be no
classic, especially since it owes too much to Hitchcock and the original
series, but it is an adaptation so good, you still forget it was a TV
series. To have any remake work that
well is rare indeed.
- Nicholas Sheffo
