The Fugitive appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Though not a dazzling presentation, the transfer seemed to represent the original photography well.
Which can be construed as “faint praise” to some degree, for Fugitive was never a particularly attractive movie. Some of that stemmed from the gritty visual style chosen by its director and some of that came from the lackluster film stock used. Whatever the cause, it ended up as a solid image.
Sharpness was generally good. The film stock tended to give the movie a bit of a soft feel at times, but matters remained pretty concise overall.
I noticed no issues with jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent. Grain seemed natural but not heavy, and print flaws failed to mar the presentation.
The movie went with a palette that tended toward blues or ambers, so don’t expect lots of dynamic tones. This suited the story, however, and the colors felt well-rendered. HDR added a bit of zing to the tones.
Blacks were fairly deep, and shadows portrayed pretty good clarity. HDR gave whites and contrast extra punch. Though never a visual showcase, the disc nonetheless delivered a quality reproduction.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the Dolby Atmos soundtrack favored the forward channels, but it still offered an engaging and active experience. The front speakers received a strong workout as they featured a variety of unique elements from all three channels.
Stereo imaging for the score seemed solid, as the instrumentation was clearly defined and spread, while the effects created a realistic and involving atmosphere. At virtually all times, I heard vivid and appropriately located sound from the forward speakers, and the audio blended together in a natural and fairly seamless manner.
Surround usage appeared less involving, but the rears kicked in with useful sound at times. For the most part, their activity tended toward general atmosphere and also some reinforcement of the score; I didn’t detect a tremendous amount of information that seemed to be specific to the surrounds.
However, they did provide appropriate action during logical scenes, and most of those involved vehicles. During sequences that involved trains - whether freight or elevated - or those with helicopters, the rears became fairly involved in the mix, and they showed decent split surround effects as well.
Check out the scene where the cops bust into Kimble’s basement apartment, for example. That one boasted fun use of the back speakers to showcase footsteps.
Audio quality appeared to be generally solid. On a few occasions, dialogue showed modest signs of edginess, but these were infrequent. For the most part, speech came across as reasonably natural and distinct, and the lines lacked any concerns related to intelligibility.
Music seemed pretty full and rich, and effects became reasonably concise and full. Given the movie’s age, I thought it merited a “B+” for audio.
How did the 4K UHD of The Fugitive compare to the 2013 Blu-ray? The Atmos mix expanded the prior DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio, though the nature of the source limited growth.
As for the visuals, the 4K boasted stronger delineation, colors and blacks. While I wouldn’t say the 4K blew away the BD, it nonetheless became the superior rendition.
The 4K repeats most of the BD’s extras, the first of which delivers a running audio commentary from director Andrew Davis and star Tommy Lee Davis. Though the two occasionally interact during the track, they were recorded in two different locations, asDavis was in California while Jones sat in Oregon.
Though they occasionally acknowledge each other, I suspect most of the time their comments come from separate sessions. Their remarks often don’t really mesh well.
Davis dominates this screen-specific piece, as Jones rarely offers any remarks. Toward the end, Jones tosses in some interesting insights about the way he felt during the filming of the climax, but otherwise his statements remain mostly banal.
Here are a few examples: “I like this part”; “These are really cool titles”; “They dye the river green on St. Patrick’s Day”. These aren’t minor aspects of Jones’ side of the track, as instead they represent the majority of his infrequent notes.
Although Davis talks a lot more than Jones, he doesn’t offer a great deal that seems incisive or interesting. For the most part, Davis tends to relate the names of various cast members, tell us where scenes were shot, or narrate the story.
On occasion, Davis does add some useful tidbits. For example, we learn that Richard Jordan was originally supposed to play Jeroen Krabbe’s part, and he also discusses a few deleted scenes. It was especially good to hear more about the ways in which Julianne Moore’s character was part of the original script.
Regrettably, moments of that sort remain rare, and most of the commentary seems slow-paced and dull. This makes it a serious disappointment, as we learn very little about the film during this tedious track.
From there we hit some featurettes, and Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck tells us a little more about the movie’s most famous segment. Davis, actor Harrison Ford, producer Arnold Kopelson and co-producer Peter MacGregor-Scott all participate in this eight-minute, 57-second show.
As with the commentary, this piece disappoints. It seems rather glossy and insubstantial, and we don’t learn many hard facts about the shoot.
Yes, the basics of the production receive notice, but I simply don’t feel like I know much more about the way the scene was created. The piece remains watchable but it lacks depth.
Similar sentiments apply to On the Run With The Fugitive. This 23-minute, four-second program features the same interview subjects we saw during “Derailed”, though there’s one small twist; Ford also appears via some 1993 clips.
Otherwise, the formula remains the same, as the show compiles interviews, movie snippets, and shots from the set. It also fails to deliver much substantial information.
Much of the program sticks to the superficial, as we hear the various participants praise one another. Quite a lot of time passes before anyone really starts to talk about the movie itself, and when that finally occurs, we hear some decent details about the production. For example, we learn a few nice tidbits about the manner in which the St. Patrick’s Day parade was filmed.
However, this is too little, too late, and the program soon ends. While “On the Run” isn’t a bad featurette, it doesn’t provide a particularly strong look at the movie.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we get a circa 2001 Introduction from Davis, Jones and Ford. In this one-minute, 57-second clip, Ford’s remarks come from the same new interviews that appear during the featurettes, as he essentially tells us that The Fugitive was a great experience.
As for Jones and Davis, the “Introduction” simply plays the first few moments of their commentary, so we watch Davis as he chats on the phone with Jones. It’s a waste of time.
The Thrill of the Chase lasts 28 minutes, 19 seconds and offers material from Davis, Ford, Jones, Kopelson, MacGregor-Scott, film critic Kenneth Turan, editor Don Brochu, FBI and the Movies author Bob Herzberg, and actors Joe Pantoliano and Jane Lynch.
We get notes about the project’s development and Ford’s casting, story, characters, and performances, editing and camerawork, music, and the film’s reception.
Though created in 2013, “Thrill” feels like a sibling to the fairly superficial pieces from 2001. That doesn’t make it a bad show, though, but it’s just another moderate disappointment.
Still, it does include some decent details along with the praise and happy talk. I like Pantoliano’s tale about his attempts to keep his character alive for a sequel, and it’s great to see Lynch.
A complete unknown 30 years ago, it's cool to hear her discuss her work on the film. Nonetheless, this is another decent but insubstantial piece.
Note that the Blu-ray included the pilot for a circa 2000 TV reboot, that program fails to reappear here.
After 30 years, The Fugitive remains a terrific thrill ride. Buoyed by solid pacing and excellent acting, the adventure gives us a captivating action experience. The 4K UHD provides positive picture and audio along with a disappointing mix of supplements. Though I wish we’d get a more informative/less fluffy batch of bonus materials – and a more interesting commentary – I still feel pretty pleased with this 4K UHD.
To rate this film visit the Blu-Ray review of THE FUGITIVE
