Product Details

• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English, Polish, Spanish
• Running time: 130 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Do you know anyone who hasn't seen this movie? A box-office smash when released in 1993, this spectacular update of the popular 1960s TV series stars Harrison Ford as a surgeon wrongly accused of the murder of his wife. He escapes from a prison transport bus (in one of the most spectacular stunt-action sequences ever filmed) and embarks on a frantic quest for the true killer's identity, while a tenacious U.S. marshal (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-winning role) remains hot on his trail. Director Andrew Davis hit the big time with this expert display of polished style and escalating suspense, but it's the antagonistic chemistry between Jones and Ford that keeps this thriller cooking to the very end. In roles that seem custom-fit to their screen personas, the two stars maintain a sharply human focus to the grand-scale manhunt, and the intelligent screenplay never resorts to convenient escapes or narrative shortcuts. Equally effective as a thriller and a character study, this is a Hollywood blockbuster that truly deserves its ongoing popularity. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com
Do you know anyone who hasn't seen this movie? A box-office smash when released in 1993, this spectacular update of the popular 1960s TV series stars Harrison Ford as a surgeon wrongly accused of the murder of his wife. He escapes from a prison transport bus (in one of the most spectacular stunt-action sequences ever filmed) and embarks on a frantic quest for the true killer's identity, while a tenacious U.S. marshal (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-winning role) remains hot on his trail. Director Andrew Davis hit the big time with this expert display of polished style and escalating suspense, but it's the antagonistic chemistry between Jones and Ford that keeps this thriller cooking to the very end. In roles that seem custom-fit to their screen personas, the two stars maintain a sharply human focus to the grand-scale manhunt, and the intelligent screenplay never resorts to convenient escapes or narrative shortcuts. Equally effective as a thriller and a character study, this is a Hollywood blockbuster that truly deserves its ongoing popularity. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
Yet another adaptation of an old TV series. This time, however, the movie can stand on its own. Harrison Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble, who is wrongly accused of murdering his wife and sentenced to death. He manages to escape, courtesy of a great-looking train smash, and goes on the run, hiding under leaves, jumping off a dam, lying low in Chicago-while searching for the true killer. This is nicely judged: you feel the weight of Kimble's raw, solemn panic, but it's good fun rooting for him as he hunts for a way out of each fix. What gives the movie its extra kick, however, is the presence of Tommy Lee Jones, as U.S. Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard, hot on Kimble's trail, and enjoying the heat. Each man knows that the other is a true adversary, and there is mental muscle, not just physical daring, at work on their private common ground. The director is Andrew Davis, who brought us the schlocky "Under Siege"; this is equally tense and insistent, but the two leading men rack it up to a higher level altogether-they even overcome the rude horrors of James Newton Howard's soundtrack. It's a pleasure to find a thriller fulfilling its duties with such gusto: the emotions ring solid, the script finds time to relax into backchat, and for once the stunts look like acts of desperation rather than shows of prowess. When everything is happily resolved, you can't suppress a twinge of disappointment; Kimble is so gifted a fugitive by now that you feel he should carry on running and never stop. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Average video quality for Blu-ray format
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.

Great movie now in beautiful HD
Although this movie is fantastic, sadly it is one of Harrison Ford's last good performances (other than perhaps "Clear and Present Danger" in 1994). Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongly accused of killing his wife. He escapes prison and then sets out to not only avoid recapture, but also prove his innocence. As good as Ford's performance is, this movie is really carried by Tommy Lee Jones who plays Marshall Samual Gerard. His humor and intensity are outstanding. The plot is intriguing with lots of action. This is the first movie I've had the pleasure to see in the theater, on laserdisc, on DVD, and now on HD DVD. The HD DVD transfer is quite good and the sound is improved over the DVD version as well. Highly recommended.

Great movie, but Special Edition extras only so-so
When I first saw 'The Fugitive', I was hoping that it didn't fall into the trap of silliness that most TV-show based feature films have fallen into (remember 'Car 54', or 'Wild Wild West'?). Needless to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised to see that it went WAY beyond my low expectations! Great moments of suspense, action, and plot twists galore!

Harrison Ford's been knocked for not putting much 'feeling' into some of his roles. But if there are emotions he does do well, it's desperation and determined stoicism with a touch of sarcasm... a perfect fit for a fugitive out to clear his name. As well, Tommy Lee Jones is a lock as U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard- he plays the character's somewhat cocky and no-nonsense attitude to perfection. He also gets the best lines, and a pretty good supporting cast playing his U.S. Marshal Service cohorts (including the recently- recognized Joe Pantoliano). It's scenery-chewing at it's best, and definitely an Oscar-worthy perfomance.

Their performances of the two main characters and antagonists is so compelling that, like my fellow reviewers have stated before, I was rooting for the both of them throughout the presentation. It's two 'good guys' against each other, with one helping lead the other to the same end!

When I heard about the Special Edition DVD release, I was kinda bummed. I'd already spent a few bucks on the original release, and never anticipated the possibility of an enhanced version. But, thanks to those wonderful buyers on eBay, I got a good return on my original disc at a minimal loss, and grabbed a copy of the new one.

The new disc isn't half-bad, but doesn't quite match up to the standards of other fully-loaded DVD fare as `T2 Ultimate Edition' or `The Abyss'. It features teasers, trailers, and a few behind-the-scenes bits, including the setup & shooting of the train wreck. Davis even discusses a `flub' following the wreck that was cut out of the original video version, but was then digitally corrected and restored in this DVD release! And no, I'm not gonna tell you about it- you'll have to see it for yourself!

The commentary track by director Andrew Davis and Tommy Lee Jones was not one of the better feature-length commentaries I've experienced. There are parts where neither of them speak for a couple minutes on end, almost like they didn't have that much to say about the movie in the first place. Jones' commentary was minimal, with mostly throwaway-type observations that didn't really add much to the track.

And now, my biggest gripe: Warner is STILL using cardboard snap cases for their digital discs! You'd think they'd've gotten out of the DVD Stone Age by now...

'Late