U.S. Marshals

***Pedestrian, but competent, sequel to “The Fugitive”*** Released in 1998, “U.S. Marshals” is the sequel to the 1993 hit “The Fugitive.” Tommy Lee Jones returns as Federal Marshal Samuel Gerard. He & his team hunt down an escaped prisoner named Sheridan (Wesley Snipes) from wilderness regions to the streets of New York City. Robert Downey Jr. is on hand as a Defense Security Service agent who assists the marshals. This sequel makes you realize just how well-done “The Fugitive” is. It features the same basic plot, but without most of the magic. The first act with the plane crash & swamp sequence is decent but it doesn’t hold a candle to bus crash/train wreck & dam sequence of the prior flick. Snipes is effective, but his character doesn’t evoke the sympathy of Kimble (Ford) because for most of the movie we don’t know if he’s innocent or not. Nevertheless, if you’re in the mood for a movie cut from the same cloth as “The Fugitive,” “Enemy of the State” (1998) and “Con Air” (1997) then “U.S. Marshals” should fill the bill, but it’s the least of these. I’d put it on par with “Patriot Games” (1992) and “Money Train” (1995). The film runs 2 hours, 11 minutes and was shot in Tennessee (Reelfoot Lake), Kentucky (Benton), Illinois (Chicago, Bay City, West Vienna, Metropolis & Shawneetown) and New York City. GRADE: B-/C+