Friday It Movie Time
The Fugitive
Dr. Richard Kimble, a distinguished Chicago surgeon, has no complaints about life: he holds a prominent position in the medical community, owns a beautiful home in an upscale suburb, and is married to the stunning Helen. Everything is indeed perfect—until Helen is murdered. The doctor is accused of her murder and sentenced to death. But fate gives him a chance to escape. From that moment on, an unrelenting manhunt begins. Dr. Kimble does everything he can to uncover the real killer, while also evading his relentless pursuer, U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, who has sworn to bring him to justice.
Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones star in this manhunt thriller that premiered in 1993 and gave us a very solid action film, featuring a strong police mystery that really keeps you engaged until the end—mainly thanks to the sharp, confident direction and the compelling dynamic between the two leads. The train crash scene, in particular, remains impressive even today.
Harrison Ford is excellent in his role, as is Tommy Lee Jones, who even won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, which feels a bit of a stretch to me, considering the script has some weak points—especially towards the end, where it drags a little.
Younger generations may not appreciate it as much, since the story has been told countless times by now, but overall it remains a very entertaining movie that’s definitely worth watching.
Christine
The central theme of Christine is the growing obsession of young Arnie with the car “Christine” (a 1958 Plymouth Fury), which gradually evolves into dangerous madness. Arnie is typically a nerdy high school kid who’s mocked by the more athletic students. His only friend is Dennis, with whom he goes to high school and shares thoughts about life and girls. Everything changes drastically when Arnie comes across the fatal red car on an old estate.
One of the most successful film adaptations of a Stephen King novel is undoubtedly Christine, directed by the great John Carpenter.
For me, the biggest issue with this film is the acting, which feels off-tone—almost amateurish 🤷♂️.
As a concept, it's original. It’s not as bloody as I might have liked, nor particularly scary. Still, the atmosphere is dark, which works in its favor. As a whole, though, it doesn’t really move me, despite the classic status the film has gained over the years. I’ve seen much better work from Carpenter—and definitely much better film adaptations of Stephen King’s stories.
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I think the value of Christine was that it was shocking when it came out. I don't think there were earlier movies that had a car developing a malevolent personality. Maybe there were and I don't remember.
Anyway, I agree about The Fugitive. Newer viewers might not be impressed but it does hold up rather well over time.
I believe there weren't any movies with a malevolent car before Christine. Today we will probably have a tesla car becoming that 😂