Harrison Ford is Richard Kimble, a doctor who’s wrongly accused of murdering his wife, not to be confused with John Kimble, a cop who pretends to be a kindergarten teacher. After Richard escapes from a prison transport, U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) is on his case.

Much like Patriot Games, The Fugitive is straight out of the mould of many-a 90s action thriller. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it is a well made, if implausible wheel. It strikes a good balance between plot and action, and has enough story to be interesting without being hard to follow.

It doesn’t have any wider political implications like, say, Enemy of the State, but the ultimate motivation behind the murder does get unexpectedly close to The Insider territory.

It benefits from strong performances from Ford and Jones, who spar well together. Jones manages to keep his cocky character the right side of likeable, and Ford brings a surprising level of emotion to the role. The result is highly enjoyable, even if its Best Picture nomination seems rather excessive.