U.S. Marshals

Though U.S. Marshals was referred to both as a "sequel" and a "follow-up" to 1993's The Fugitive, it's really a spin-off. In The Fugitive, Tommy Lee Jones' Sam Gerard was a supporting character in his businesslike pursuit of innocent afoot Harrison Ford; five years and a Supporting Actor Oscar later, Jones gets his own showcase while pursuing another accused murderer who maintains his innocence (Wesley Snipes). There are far worse supporting characters around whom to build a story (and far worse actors), but Gerard works much better as seasoning than he does as the main course. Handing him one of those "this time it's personal" motivations ignores what was most interesting about him in The Fugitive: his simple, un-tormented resolve as a law enforcement agent. Still, he holds up his end of the chase far better than Snipes, whose "former Special Forces, former Black Ops" character (and these days, what action film character worth his salt isn't?) never seems nearly smart, resourceful or determined enough to be a challenge for Gerard. Director Stuart Baird crafts a competent action film, but also a fairly lazy one; a generic vehicle patterned after a successful parent. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)