U.S. Marshals (1998)
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A veteran U.S. Marshal leads a team to hunt down a former CIA agent suspected of selling classified intelligence to the Chinese government.
The story
In New York City, two Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agents are killed during a briefcase exchange in a United Nations (UN) parking garage, and the killer escapes with top-secret files. Several months later, Senior Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard and his team capture a pair of fugitives in Chicago. Elsewhere, a man named Mark Roberts is identified as a federal fugitive wanted for the double homicide in New York. Aboard a prisoner transport flight with Gerard, Roberts thwarts an assassination attempt, leading to a plane crash in the Ohio River. Gerard and his team begin a high-stakes pursuit to apprehend the fugitive.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the murder of two DSS agents in a New York City parking garage, Senior Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard leads a team to hunt for Mark Roberts, a man revealed to be Mark Sheridan, a former CIA Special Activities Division Agent. After a prisoner transport plane crashes into the Ohio River, Gerard tracks Sheridan to a Kentucky swamp, where Sheridan wounds him and escapes. Sheridan, who claims he was a government agent betrayed in New York, is revealed to be involved in a conspiracy to sell classified intelligence to the Chinese government. Gerard's team discovers that Sheridan was acting in self-defense during the initial murders. The hunt leads to a cemetery where Sheridan catches a DSS agent, leading to a confrontation where Sheridan is forced to flee. During the pursuit, a team member, Noah Newman, is killed. Gerard and a vengeful Royce track Sheridan onto a freighter ship bound for Canada. During a struggle, Sheridan is critically shot by Royce. Gerard realizes that Royce is the actual mole working with a Chinese agent and has framed Sheridan. Gerard confronts Royce, who attempts to murder Sheridan, and Gerard shoots Royce dead. Sheridan is exonerated and reunites with his girlfriend, Marie.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stuart Baird
- Writers
- John Pogue · writer
- Cast and characters
- Tommy Lee Jones · Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard; Wesley Snipes · Mark J. Sheridan / Mark Roberts / Mark Warren; Robert Downey Jr. · DSS Special Agent John Royce; Joe Pantoliano · Deputy Cosmo Renfro; Kate Nelligan · U.S. Marshal Catherine Walsh; Daniel Roebuck · Deputy Bobby Biggs; Tom Wood · Deputy Noah Newman; LaTanya Richardson · Deputy Savannah Cooper
- Genres
- crime; action; thriller
- Themes
- Betrayal; Conspiracy; Justice; Revenge
- Tone and mood
- Tense; Action-oriented; Serious
- Premise and plot tags
- Sequel; Police Procedural; Spy Thriller; Action; Crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Fugitive (1993)
- Franchise connections
- The Fugitive
- Reception
- The film was met with mixed critical reviews, with some praising the pacing and acting while others criticized the plot and its comparison to the original film.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · review count: 43 critics
- Production trivia
- The film was originally planned to include Harrison Ford's character, Dr. Richard Kimble.; David Duchovny was considered as a possible co-star in December 1996.; Wesley Snipes was considered for the role after producers were impressed with his performance in Murder at 1600.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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