Three Fugitives (1989)

Watching Three Fugitives is like traveling back in time to a bygone era, when there was no Internet, only four TV channels and John Major was prime minister. But hey, it wasn't all bad... We got films like this, where the focus is purely on the relationship between a grumpy, fresh out of jail bank thief portrayed by Nick Nolte, a mute six year old girl and her well-meaning but accident prone father, played by Martin Short.Caught up in a heist-gone-wrong with a case of mistaken identity thrown into the bargain, the trio (as the title suggests) go on the lam together. Ever cop in the district is looking for them, Short is a walking disaster area, the kid wanders off at every given opportunity and Nolte just wants to ditch the other two and go straight. Easier said then done, when Short lands them in non-stop trouble, and Nolte begins to form a connection with the little girl...It's not a laugh-a-minute split-your-sides experience, but what it IS is a perfect fusion of pathos, understated action and amusing character moments. It's easy to predict the hate-love arc of the Nolte/Short friendship, and some of the punchline are visible from miles off. But frankly, I didn't care.All the cast play their roles so well, they transform what could have a humdrum script into something quite special. Of course, it also helps to have one of the cutest screen children around as their co-star. Makes their ongoing struggle more believable when we sees what's at stake, ya see? One to watch every few years from now on, I think. I'll never get tired of it, that's for sure. 8/10

Francis Veber remakes his 'Les Fugitifs' into 'Three Fugitives'. Having not seen the original French version, as a standalone, I found this one to be charming, heartwarming and entertaining. It also holds nostalgic value for me as I remember first watching it years ago with an old friend.The film never strays away from the main point and it always stays focused on the three main characters Lucas, Ned and Meg. Veber's direction is decent. He doesn't rely on cheap action thrills, such as grand explosion sequences or outrageous chases. The story is quite straightforward but Veber's prime tool of entrainment is the humour which is very effective. There are some hilarious one-liners and situational humour.With a cast that includes Martin Short, Nick Nolte, James Earl Jone and Alan Ruck, very little can go wrong. Nolte and Short are funny as an odd couple, one an ex-con and another a down-on-his luck desperate father. They work well off one another just like Earl Jones and Ruck do. The scenes between Nolte and young Sarah Doroff are endearing to watch.In the end, 'Three Fugitives' is a funny and 'sweet' movie. It's sweet in the sense that there's just the right level of sugar, not too saccharine like the usual Hollywood flick.

I lived my childhood in the 1980s. When it comes to movies, TV, music, haircuts, and girls, it's lovely decade indeed. For all the previous reasons I loved the 1980s. And as for Three Fugitives, it's an additional reason.No doubt it's wonderful and unforgettable movie. However, the no wonderful and so forgettable is its third act. Suddenly, the hunt – of the police and the other criminals – is finished, and the end is abrupt; as if there was some greediness for a sequel. I don't know why the script didn't extend the storyline of the hunt, by the police and other criminals, for longer ?! Hence, lines like "Dugan is on our tails." near the end sounded strange, especially when (James Earl Jones) vanished after the end of the second act. Speaking about strange lines; (Nolte)'s line to the kid in the orphanage "I'll take care of you like you took care of me." reminds you of another point of weakness which is the relationship of those 2 characters. I have always thought that it needed more to it in the second act; so they may fall in love appropriately and more convincingly. I believe these points are what caused the awful fate of "received with mixed reviews" !So, it's 2/3 classic. The detailing is fascinating; the first 10 minutes is a very good example. The music score, by (David McHugh), is one of the best I have ever heard to say the least. The image is smooth and romantic. (Haskell Wexler), the director of photography, won 2 Oscars for (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – 1966) and (Bound for Glory – 1976). His cinematography can't be bypassed in other movies like (The Thomas Crown Affair – 1968) or (The Man Who Loved Women – 1983). For reasons like that he's one of 6 cinematographers to have a star on the famed "Hollywood Walk of Fame".The cast did their top. See how (Nolte) walks, how (Short) moves, or how (Jones) reacts to understand that well; it's rare to find a performance like this in a comedy. And when it comes to (Sarah Rowland Doroff), then we're talking about the movie's treasure. Casting her ensured this movie the immortality. OH MY GOD, every time I saw her; my heart just melts. She's too fragile to make you cry. It's apparent that (Francis Veber) directed her so well to an extent of feeling how she lost the nomination for the Oscar unfairly that year. (Veber) enjoyed us utterly, with exquisite adorable cadres, aesthetic lighting sometimes, and striking sense of comedy. He, as a writer, only lacked some balance in the last 20 minutes, and a satisfying finer climax. This movie has a philosophical side. Review with me : you have to be a criminal to raise a child correctly these days, love makes us fugitives in this world, and it's eventually a tale of 3 fugitives who get home by belonging to each other in some kind of family; with a serious stout father (Nolte), a helpless clumsy mom (Short), and a weak child (Doroff) who messes her father and mother. They all need a getaway to run from crimes they whether didn't commit or were pushed to commit lousily. The movie showcases that family obviously at the disguise by the Canadian borders. I love the 1980s and this movie too. With little fixing, it could have been "received with great reviews". Unfortunately, the matter of mixed reviews this round was a prove of wrong; it mirrored something uneven about it. But anyway, it's hilarious, thrilling, so sentimental, and a classic in my book.

Most films will stay with you for some time after you've watched them. This can, of course, be a good or a bad thing depending on the quality of the movie and your opinion of it. In many ways, making a movie that leaves the viewer completely detached and uninvolved is almost an achievement in itself and if that was writer/director Francis Veber's objective then I'm happy to say that "Three Fugitives" is a unparallelled success. Being a horrible misfit of crime thriller, action comedy and emotional tearjerker, "Three Fugitives" spends its entire duration going absolutely nowhere.Nick Nolte plays hardened career criminal Lucas who is released from jail after a five-year stretch for his fourteenth armed robbery. On his first day back in society, Lucas is caught up in a bank robbery of someone else's design, namely bumbling nerd Ned (Martin Short). When the police, led by Lucas's nemesis Dugan (James Earl Jones), turn up, they naturally assume that Lucas is responsible and the pair of them escape in the ensuing confusion. Slowly, the two build up a unique partnership that is focused on Ned's traumatised daughter, Meg (Sarah Rowland Doroff).A movie such as this hinges on the relationship between the two leads and personally, I felt that Nolte and Short were not a good combination. Nolte is too restrained for Short's wild physical humour and aside from a few smirks here and there, the comedy felt forced and not particularly funny. Doroff is good but she has nothing to do besides look cute and in my opinion, Jennifer Love Hewitt does that better than anyone else. The whole film feels stuck, endlessly chasing the initial premise around and around until you hardly remember what the point of the film was. It sags badly after the first 45 minutes or so and it never regains its opening promise. It is also badly edited - even someone like me (who rarely spots continuity errors and such) spotted a whole host of mistakes and plot holes that really should have been dealt with before being released."Three Fugitives" starts out promising but all too quickly runs out of steam and then surrenders. It never gets out of second gear and the whole thing never engages or stimulates the viewer. It is a celluloid sedative, stretching out every minute of its duration. It isn't the worst movie ever made but a lot of viewers will not enjoy a film that never makes up its mind what it wants to be and spends 90-odd minutes being nothing. A handful of people may get something from this but this is a quiet little movie, barely noticeable on the CVs of Short or Nolte (who looks remarkably young in this!) and not worth the effort. Sorry but this is one movie that I will not be pursuing in future, unless I wanted to go to sleep.