U.S. Marshals (1998) User Reviews

Spectacular pursuits and emotions with an extraordinary duo : Snipes and Lee Jones

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 8 November 2005]

The flick talks about US Marshall Gerard ( Tommy Lee Jones ) and his detectives group ( Joe Pantoliano, La Tanya Richardson, Daniel Roebuck , Tom Wood ) who set out in pursuit an assassin and thief convict ( Wesley Snipes ) after a plane crash and he gets away . A Security Agent ( Robert Downey Jr . ) is assigned to help them but the story behind his accusation is converted more and more rare . The fugitive is only helped by his sweetheart ( Irene Jacob ).

The picture is the following to ¨The fugitive¨ ( by Andrew Davis ) that's an adaptation based on famous television series . Movie blends frenetic action, suspense, intrigue, violence and is pretty entertaining . It's a run-of-the-mill action film because since the start until the finishing the action-packed and thriller is continued .The movie is fast moving and the action pace is accurately narrated and for that reason is amusing. The release has spectacular scenes as when the plane crashing or the breathtaking pursuits in bounds and leaps and interminable runs . The numerous duels and confronting between duo protagonist are exciting and impressive . Although the first part featured by Harrison Ford obtained much more box office , this second part also achieved success in spite of the storyline was basically a rehash of the previous film that was it equally of television episodes scripted by Roy Huggins and starred by David Jansen . Magnificent and sensational musical score by the veteran Jerry Goldsmith . Awesome cinematography by Andrzej Bartkowiak ( sometimes filmmaker ) . The film is finely directed by Stuart Baird ( an usual and famed film editor ) . The motion picture will appeal to triller enthusiasts and starring duo fans . Rating : Above average . It's essential and indispensable watching .

Once More with Feeling!

[jthelin · 8/10 · 2 March 2007]

I avoided this for years because it looked like a useless remake. However, I had forgotten that I thought The Fugitive was a useless remake of the TV series until I was dragged to it and found…a fine, suspenseful feature filled with a plethora of colorful characters. So, I should have been tuned in more to my own personal history, but so it goes….I now have watched U.S. Marshalls a number of times, and I have to say the two companion films match each other in quality.

The pacing is fast without being frenetic. The use of repetition, i.e., recurring motifs such as Kimball diving off a dam to safety & Sheridan swinging down to hop a commuter train, work well – though they could have been disastrous. The large cast is compelling down to the smallest roles (similar to The Fugitive in that regard). Jones, Snipes, and Downey all show range in their parts…Downey, as always, illustrates why he is one of the best of his generation. And some of the secondary roles shine, in particular Tom Wood as Deputy Marshall Noah Newman. He receives more screen time than in the predecessor; and he makes use of it well. He has one of "those acting moments" in a confrontation with Downey's character: his intense expression of simultaneous fear & anger is a plum bit of acting chops. Like other IMDb readers, I wonder what has happened with this good actor. No screen credits since 2000. Stage work? Left the biz? If the former, and he's in NYC, then we'll probably see him on a Law & Order episode one of these days!

I recently found a DVD with tons of extras on it – but I have not as yet delved into them. I look forward to doing that, as I do another viewing of the film.

pretty good followup

[rupie · 7/10 · 9 July 1999]

Okay, so "U.S.Marshalls" is basically just a remake of "The Fugitive". As such, it received lukewarm to cool reviews when it was in the theaters, unjustifiedly so, I think. Although the plot line is a ripoff of the earlier movie, this one does well in keeping us in suspense as to the story behind the central character, and the action is exciting and well-paced. Tommy Lee Jones of course "makes" the film, accompanied by the same cast of deputies as in the earlier movie. There are even "toppers" for the bus crash/train wreck and famous swan dive from the earlier movie. This is a very good escapist action flick.

Solid and suspenseful, enjoyable the whole way through

[mOVIemAN56 · 7/10 · 28 June 2006]

I have never seen The Fugitive which is the predecessor to this film, but what I saw in U.S. Marshals, I don't think The Fugitive could be any better. U.S. Marshals is the action/ thriller film and fan of the genre would drool over.

The now Chief Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard is once again after an escaped fugitive. Mark Sheridan has escaped from a plane wreck and is on the run for a crime he did not commit and Gerard, with his team, is close behind. Sheridan must find a way to avoid the Marshals and find out who really committed the crime he has been framed for. The action is well placed coming in short spurts (except for maybe the plane wreck) and works exceptionally well with the story.

The acting is exceptionally well done with Jones and Snipes giving some of there best performers in a long time. Tommy Lee Jones is quick thinking and likable in his role as Gerard and eventually works into be your favorite character. Snipes is only seen in short spirits until about the last 20 minutes which adds to the effect of him being evasive to the Marshalls. However, in his short scenes, he is able to fit into the role with relative ease.

The action sequences, as I said, is very well done and never over done. They are fast-paced and well acted. The special effects are also quite believable. With the excellent acting, gripping plot, and fast paced action sequences, the two hours fly by and make for a very enjoyable film.

3 1/2/5 Stars

"Go git him Tommy Lee"

[beau geste 38 · 7/10 · 2 March 2005]

"We got ourselves a fugitive." Go git him Tommy Lee. Only this time the fugitive (Snipes as Sheridan) ) is a cross between Rambo, Houdini, and Superman (he actually flies). Unless you've got the I.Q. of a pigeon, you should be able to work out where this one is going. There's a lot of action, as expected, with the good guys dodging bullets, and the special effects are great. The team are still full of great one-liners, but the plot is complicated by Robert Downey Jr.(Royce), and the F.B.I. You've probably seen it anyway, so maybe you just need to decide if it's worth a second viewing. It probably is, if you're a Tommy Lee fan. The French bird is gorgeous in this.

Borderline Good

[gbheron · 6/10 · 24 September 2000]

U.S. Marshals is the sequel to The Fugitive, but feels more like a remake. Again a victim of injustice is improperly imprisoned, this time Wesley Snipes in the Harrison Ford role. He's not a surgeon, but a deep undercover spy, the victim of a frame-up of an undisclosed nature. A catastrophic accident frees him (this time a plane crash) and again Tommy Lee Jones is sent to hunt him down. Big-budget, good special effects, A-list actors doing their jobs well; still U.S. Marshals fails to make a big impact. The first quarter starts out great, but by the end of the movie the plot devices are becoming very routine. Not a rip-off, but only C+ to me.

Very Worthy Sequel To A Great Film

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 27 February 2006]

This is an outstanding sequel to an outstanding movie The Fugitive (1993). In this film, the focus is on the team that was searching for Dr. Richard Kimble in the first movie. That team was led by Tommy Lee Jones, who won an Oscar for his performance, which probably helped spur this sequel. It worked, as Jones and company (Joe Pantoliano and others) are just as much fun to watch as they were in The Fugitive.

There are many similarities to the latter, especially in the first third of the film, featuring some tremendous action scenes. Instead of a train crash, we have a plane crash. Instead of Harrison Ford on the run, we have Wesley Snipes. In both films, you have such an involving story that the two hours fly by.

U.S Marshals, being the newer film of the two, has better sound and even better special effects for the action scenes. As spectacular as was the train crash in The Fugitive, the plane disaster in here is even better. The same goes for a few other scenes. There is more action in this film. Normally, I don't need that but it's so well-done here, it's fine....fun to watch.

The Fugitive is still one of my all-time favorite movies. If you were entertained by it as well but are wary of sequels, you needn't be here: this is excellent.

Gets better toward the end

[boberck · 7/10 · 29 December 2000]

If you can tolerate Gerard's smugness, and get through the slow beginning, the movie rewards you with a lot of action, intrigue, and chases. Of course, we know how it is going to end, but that's okay because this is an action film, not a mystery. The actors do a good job, but Downey Jr. plays it a little too stiffly.

In terms of excitment, it does not compare to "The Fugitve"

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 23 September 2023]

(1998) U. S. Marshall ACTION

Uninspired remake which was supposed to be a sequel to the 1993 hit film "The Fugitive" starring Harrison Ford, but this time with Wesley Snipes as the fugitive, Mark Sheridan with the Tommy Lee Jones character reprising his role as US Marshall, Samuel Gerard. The crime Mark Sheridan is accused for is a double murder of two "Diplomatic Security Service Agents", which by the black and white security cameras, it looked like it was him to be the culprit. And instead of the hero escaped from a train like the Harrison Ford character did from the 1993 movie, Mark manages to escape by means of plane crash. And while escaping, Mark of course is going on a crusade to expose a possible conspiracy made against him as important briefcase had also been stolen.

Obvious capitalizing retread of the 1993 "The Fugitive" film without much thought going into it. Unmemorable dialogue exchanges reusing the same formulaic plot just became a little tiresome.

Another chocolate doughnut with sprinkles on top

[Newman-4 · 10/10 · 11 October 1998]

People say sequels never work-but devotees of Sam Gerard and his team would disagree with this almost immediately. I've seen this movie several times and for those who like action this movie is for them! Sure the plot is a little familiar for those that have seen the previous movie-'The Fugitive' with Tommy Lee Jones in the role as Marshal Sam Gerard, but that doesn't get in the way. The only bit that irked myself and other hard core fans of 'the team' in this film is the fact that they killed off the always lovable baby faced Newman (played by Tom Wood who is gaining a foothold in the acting business) His death sparked a great deal of conversation, FanFiction writing and an online 'funeral' held by the fans, believe it or not!

So if you are a great lover of the work that Tommy Lee Jones produces, or you just like a cool action movie, U.S. Marshals is a good step away from reality. Sit Back and relax with your coffee and chocolate doughnut with the sprinkles on top!

A good cop doesn't quit. Even an innocent man will run.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 24 June 2002]

Tommy Lee Jones repeats his role as now Chief Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard in this sequel. And again he is on the trail of another wrongly accused man(Wesley Snipes), who won't give up to prove his innocence. Good story line. Some real good action scenes. Not only are Jones and Snipes excellent. Very good performances from Kate Nelligan and Robert Downey Jr. Nelligan his boss and Downey Jr is the special agent who gives his unsolicited aid. Very worthwhile.

strong sequel

[shakey_jake53 · 30 April 2003]

Great follow up to THE FUGITIVE with Tommy Lee Jones this time chasing Wesley Snipes. Both leads are great and the supporting cast is solid as well. The action scene's are very good as well. A few in particular include the search for Snipes in the swamp, and the airplane crash. The only problem with the film was it was a little longer than it should've been, but aside from that its a solid sequel. 4/5

when I yell "action!", you do some action.

[HollysDemoHell · 6/10 · 5 January 2021]

The kind of jock-headed popcorn blockbuster that doesn't so much tick all the boxes as detonate them. The kind of film where you can imagine the cast doing a testosterone drenched huddle/team talk before takes. The kind of film where random military style music plays constantly throughout, reminding you to feel heroic and proud. Well, watching this outrageously pointless paean to gung-ho mediocrity made me feel about as heroic and proud as Emo Philips in a body-building contest. And yet, witnessing this big dumb jigsaw slowly fit itself together was not as wretched as it should've been. I'll concede that what US Marshals does quite well, it does quite well. The direction is slick enough to cover at least some of the cracks, and despite being made in '98 there's a pleasingly late 80's feel to the whole thing. 6/10

Not bad at all

[perfectbond · 7/10 · 7 December 2003]

U.S. Marshals is a good action film. The stunts and special effects are spectacular and the talented cast, though breaking no new artistic ground, is very good at bringing their characters to life. No, it isn't quite up to the standard of The Fugitive but it is a solidly entertaining movie all the same. 7/10.

Not as good as The Fugitive

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 5 April 2014]

U.S. Marshals Chief Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) is forced to tag along on a prisoner transport plane after his latest take-down causes some PR problems. On the plane is a prisoner with many aliases (Wesley Snipes) who was picked up after a car accident. On the plane, somebody tries to kill him only to damage the plane forcing it to crash. He escapes and now Gerard is coming after him. Special Agent John Royce (Robert Downey Jr.) is forced on Gerard's team.

It's a sequel to the great 1993 'The Fugitive'. Tommy Lee Jones' Gerald returns as well as much of his team. They do a good job, but it is nothing more than a lot of TV cop teams nowadays. The movie deeply misses Harrison Ford. Wesley Snipes is a cold super agent and the franchise is completely changed. The plane crash seems derivative as if the movie makers decided that the train crash should be improved upon. The super agent spy stuff seems incongruous to the franchise. Everything is bigger to distract from the less than compelling story. At least, everything is done well and the movie is watchable.

A worthy successor

[Latte · 9/10 · 30 August 1999]

I saw the trailer for this film a while ago, and it appealed to me immediately. It's a pseudo-sequel to 'The Fugitive', but don't think that it's the same film all over again. 'US Marshalls' is a perfect stand-alone film, meaning you can watch this film and enjoy it without having seen 'The Fugitive' first.

Tommy Lee Jones plays an excellent grizzled US Marshall who's generally at war with the world. But he enjoys his work- 'c'mon fellas, I'm not having any fun here! And you know how I get when I'm not having fun!' Seeing such a rough-tough character dressed in a chicken suit at the beginning of the film is great comedy.

After a plane carrying criminals crash lands on a road, then a river, TLJ takes control and rescues most of the crim's from drowning- they're chained in their seats, you see. Next morning, the local incompetent sheriff comes in to 'take control'. Comedy ensues when the sheriff tries to show his skills- 'I want you setting up roadblocks in a big, kinda, circle deal.' Of course, when they find one bad guy missing, the hunt is on!

The FBI also want to help catch this guy, for reasons which become clear whilst watching the film. To help, they assign an agent to the US Marshall team, played by Robert Downy Jr, who isn't all he seems...

The plot revolves around the selling of secrets by the US, and China's involvement. Wesley Snipes plays a good guy set up for bad reasons, who takes the chance to leg it away from the plane and clear his name. He has a little help from his friends, including his girlfriend who's part in the film is never made clear. This is also true for the US Marshalls head, who seems to express feelings for TLJ for one sentence, and then plays no further part.

This film is definitely a psychological thriller. You have to keep an eye (or two) on the plot and the characters at all times. I watched this film twice and enjoyed it more the second time- you catch all the little nuances you might otherwise miss. I recommend you do the same.

This film is too deep to accurately describe in a short review, but I would recommend to anyone who likes films with depth, and enjoys characters who seem real, and have strong personalities of their own. Makes for good watching, at an 8/10 score.

Great movie

[sveknu · 7/10 · 18 February 2007]

With a great cast consisting of Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes, this movie simply had to be good. Everything is performed quality-style here. The story is great, although it can be a little difficult to follow. I didn't get the whole deal before my second viewing. Not that it mattered to much, since there are lots and lots of really cool action scenes all the way through. Snipes is great, and lots of exciting and interesting things happen throughout the whole movie. Tommy Lee Jones almost always makes a movie better with his appearance, and "U.S. Marshals" is no exception. His role is about the same as in "The Fugitive". If you liked that one, you'll definitely enjoy "U.S. Marshals" too.

boooring!

[Indy-52 · 4/10 · 6 September 1999]

now, "The Fugitive" is one of my favorite movies ever, but this movie is definitely unworthy of being the sequel of that film. Wesley Snipes is very boring and uninteresting, and so is the storyline. I never cared about what happened to Mark, but in The Fugitive you really root for Richard Kimble, and you hate Sam Gerard. I thought this movie was totally unnecessary, because the idea is exactly the same as its predecessor, it's just brought in a boring way. I registered a vote of 4 with the IMDb.

A spectacular plane crash & incredible cable stunt.

[Jakeroo · 8/10 · 23 October 1998]

A great action flick - well worth watching!

No Fugitive, but very action packed

[beaver0524 · 6/10 · 31 August 2002]

I liked the Fugitive better. But, when you have a action movie packed movie with Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Robert Downey Jr, You can't go wrong.

This is a great action movie to see.

Great action flick!

[Donna_14 · 2 July 1999]

This is a great movie! It's full of action and thrills. It also has great performances from Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Downey Jr, and Wesley Snipes.

Not as good as The Fugitive but an ok sequel

[Mcduff3601 · 6/10 · 22 March 2021]

This has all the goodness of the first movie, Sam Gerrard barking orders to everyone, talking about search grids and radiuses and what not but the problem is this movie doesn't hold any secrets or present any twists. The one that it does is pretty obvious from the moment the bad guy is introduced to the audience. It just feels like the first one repeating itself but not as much fun.

The formula is the same as a million others out there, bad guy introduced and hunted but he is obviously innocent as he makes no effort to escape so much as he does to clear his name. So if saw the first one you will know how it goes. If you haven't seen it and really liked the first one you probably will like this one but not as much.

I would recommend something like the Bourne series of movies if you want to watch the good guy being hunted but actually enjoy the movie.

A Very Descent Sequel

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 25 February 2021]

Anytime you remove Harrison Ford you are going to diminish a film, plain and simple. The movie still works though because of its dynamic cast and the relationship we as viewers already have with them.

Snipes delivers a good performance, again, as the first film was, this is realistic enough (mostly), as like The Schwarz, Snipe's physic allows you to buy in to a bit of additional battering and for his character to keep on ticking.

I am kind of glad they didn't sell out and do a third :)

good movie...but compared to the original, it's only a shadow

[mswelles · 8/10 · 27 October 1998]

"u.s. marshals" was a very good movie -- great performances by wesley snipes and especially tommy lee jones (when *hasn't* he given an impressive performance???), cool fx, and semi-suspenseful action -- but it's been done before, and better, in the form of "the fugitive" (1993). i am a big fan of the harrison ford flick and compared to that, this film is trailing far behind. i particularly liked the cemetery scene, and the chase scene in the senior's home, but i didn't feel there was nearly enough suspense and intense action as there could have been, like in the film before it. i liked this film a lot, but i wasn't blown away like i was when i saw the previous. maybe it's because harrison is absent, i don't know. it just didn't live up to my expectations. don't get me wrong, it's a good film -- much better than some of the slop that came out this year ("godzilla" comes to mind -- haven't seen it but i haven't heard one positive word about it) -- but i think it could have been much more suspenseful and also better writing would have helped.

i give "u.s. marshals" 7 out of 10 for great performances (particularly tommy lee jones's) and cool fx/chase scenes.

mswelles