U.S. MARSHALS
“U.S. Marshals” is a non-stop action thriller that starts with
an impartial
surveillance camera’s silent view of a shoot-out in a multi-level garage.
One survivor makes a dash with the cash . “U.S. Marshals” immediately
grabs
our attention by asking: Who is he? Why is he running? Where is he going?
Will he get caught?
Jump-cut to the future - a stakeout - another shoot out. We are reunited
with the man who will answer all our questions before the end of the movie.
He’s Sam Gerard - U.S. Marshall. Remember him? Of course you do! He
tracked
down the elusive Richard Kimble in “The Fugitive” a few years
ago.
Gerard doesn’t move as fast as he used to but he still has his wits
about
him; and he’s still played by Tommy Lee Jones. It’s the role that
got him
the Oscar!
“U.S. Marshals” puts us in familiar territory with a suspenseful
prelude to
a plane crash, a manhunt through the swamps and the one phrase that is to
Sam Gerard what ‘Shaken...Not stirred’ is to James Bond -
“We have a Fugitive!” There’s even a death- defying leap
off a building
that is reminiscent of the waterfall scene from “The Fugitive”.
But this fugitive is different. He is a doer, not a thinker. He has the
cunning, the skills, and the animal instincts to survive in any jungle.
He is both the hunted and the hunter. He knows how to make his own luck.
And his luck is bourne out of experience. Wesley Snipes is the mystery man
with the multiple identities who may or may not have been framed for a
crime he didn’t commit. That’s about as familiar as it gets.
I’m glad to report that the makers of “U.S. Marshals” didn’t
rest on their
laurels and conjure up a flimsy plot and rely solely on Tommy Lee Jones’
star power to lure an audience into the theater. What they’ve done
is add
some classic elements from espionage thrillers like double agents, triple
crosses, and hired killers to the mix. The love interest may be a throwaway
but the intense personal feeling of camaraderie between Sam Gerard and his
cadre of marshals is what really makes this movie work for me. Their tension
breaking jokes and deprecating humor have the ring of authenticity.
They arise naturally out of the situations, especially during the
centerpiece of “U.S. Marshals”, a multiple cat and mouse chase
scene that
leads Gerard to a cemetery and strands one of his men in New York City
traffic. But best of all, Sam Gerard is allowed to show his vulnerability,
both emotionally and physically. He is not a super hero. But he is one
helluva’ cop!
The strong supporting cast includes Robert Downey Jr. as the Secret Service
agent assigned to Gerard. Daniel Roebuck, Tom Wood and the always reliable
Joe Pantoliano reprise their roles as Gerard’s men.
They are the “U.S. Marshals.”