US MARSHALS

US, 1998, 131 minutes, Colour.
Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey Jr, Joe Pantoliano, Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood, Irene Jacob, Kate Nelligan, Patrick Malahide.
Directed by Stuart Baird.

A sequel to The Fugitive although it might be better seen as a remake. Tommy Lee Jones, stern but trying to be a touch more humane, pursues a fugitive. There is quite a spectacular plane crash rather than a train; later the fugitive does a huge leap from a building... The main difference is that Harrison Ford's doctor was a true victim using almost superhuman resources to flee the police and justify his name. This time the fugitive is Wesley Snipes who is a government agent (and so more than adept at escaping pursuers) so that there is not the kind of personal identification that the audience did with the original. That said, the film is a smooth and slickly made actioner from the director of Executive Decision and offers all the elements of an entertaining, but not memorable, thriller. Entertaining formula.

1.The popularity of The Fugitive? The film as a sequel? Remake? Quality?

2.Audience interest in the character of Sam Gerard? His pursuing criminals? Innocent victims? The reworking of the original plot?

3.The range of locations, Chicago, New York, Pennsylvania countryside? The vivid aspects of the cities? The cities as characters? The musical score?

4.The title, the role of US law and order, the role and range of the marshals, the FBI, police, collaboration?

5.The international case, national betrayals, the Chinese, secrets, the agents involved, greed, the set-ups and cover-ups?

6.The prologue, the car, the crash? Mark and his going to hospital? His fingerprints at the scene of the crime? In hospital, Maria getting him out, paying? His escape?

7.Sam Gerard, his personality, his team, seeing them at work, situations? With Mark? With United States Marshal Catherine Walsh? The witnesses? Gerard and the touch of brutality? Catherine Walsh and her setting him aside? Making him the escort? Mark and the capture, on the plane? The journey, the Chinese passenger, action, the hole in the plane? The special effects for the flight, the descent, the crash? The rescue, those able to be rescued and not? Gerard and Mark, the water, the gun, firing at Gerard, Mark’s escape?

8.The agencies, Bertram Lamb and the Security Service (??**Secret Service?) director? The role of Special Agent John Royce? His volunteering for the job? The interview with Sam? The keeping of secrets? Catherine Walsh and her later confrontation of Bertram Lamb? The truth? Mark being one of the Secret Service agents?

9.Mark, the revelation about his work, his background, secret, being able to be cut adrift? His being taken, in the swamps, on the plane, the escape? With Maria? The old couple and taking the vehicle? Going to New York City, the flat, the surveillance of the Chinese Consulate, meeting Maria in the dress shop? His meticulous planning?

10.Maria, her love for Mark, her work, Starbuck’s, the hospital, the agents visiting her house? The shop, the dress? At the cemetery? Unable to get over the wall?

11.Gerard, his always wanting to succeed, the suit, the various jobs of the team, especially Cosmo Renfro? Bobby Biggs, Noah Newman? Savannah Cooper? The differences of opinion with Royce? The questions? The information? Going to the gym, finding the dead body? Setting up surveillance? Pinpointing Mark’s location? The New York flat? The pursuit in the streets, the pursuit of the alternate suspect? People going to the cemetery?

12.Royce, in the way, the loner, the shooting, his gun, the truth, killing Newman? Wanting to kill Mark? His cover, lies, the eventual confrontation, the fight with Gerard, on the wharf, the boat, his death?

13.Gerard and his tracking Mark, the cemetery, the clashes, the apartment, on the roof, Mark’s leap, going away on the train, the confrontation on the wharf, fighting Mark on the lifting bale? Falling into the grain?

14.The supporting characters, the work of the US marshals?

15.The end, the vindication of Mark? Sam and his taking the group out on the town? A satisfactory ending for all?