SummaryA reformed bank robber is taken hostage by a desperate man during a bank hold up, but is forced to go on the run with his captor when they're both mistakenly thought to be in cahoots.
Directed By:Francis Veber
Written By:Francis Veber
Three Fugitives
Metascore
Mixed or Average
40
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
40
17% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
33% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
80
Making excellent use of Nolte's controlled toughness and Short's hysterical freneticism, Weber plays the comic action hard and fast, grounding the humour in believable reality that has spiralled out of control.
60
As for the Nolte-Short pairing, it’ll do, but it’s no chemical marvel. Nolte, not really a comic natural, gruffs and grumbles his way through as hunky straight man to Short’s calamitous comedian.
50
Ultimately Three Fugitives is too sweet for its own good. It has moments of real hilarity, and moments of oh-please. Veber, we know, can do better. [27 Jan 1989, p.C5]
40
It would be wrong to blame Martin Short alone for the failure of Three Fugitives. Francis Veber, the French filmmaker who wrote and directed the film, must accept much of the responsibility.
40
This obvious attempt to tap into the same audience that flocked to THREE MEN AND A BABY (indeed, it could have been titled "Two Men and a Toddler") is about as lifeless as they come. Not only is THREE FUGITIVES a scene-for-scene remake of Veber's French original, it is actually shot for shot the same film. Not surprisingly, the resulting film feels mechanical, despite engaging performances from Short and Nolte.
30
Three Fugitives, which for all purposes is one extended chase, has a few chuckles, though nothing to justify its existence.[27 Jan 1989, p.11]
25
Called upon to do little more than imitate the mannerisms of their French predecessors, Nolte and Short seem hemmed in and desperately uncomfortable. [27 Jan 1989, p.A]
User score
Generally Favorable
6.6
57% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
29% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
14% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Mar 22, 2020
3
Three Fugitives is another movie from my childhood which was great watching as a kid. Nick Nolte is released from prison after being on the inside for some crime or another then wants to start a new life but while in a bank discussing something with one of the workers or cashiers gets taken hostage by a dude wearing women's tights over his face as a disguise which is laughable. He holds up the bank with a gun and demands money to be put in a bag then takes Nick Nolte who plays Lucas hostage and both flee in a car with cops in pursuit but cops lose them after the car turns over and rolls down an embankment or something. The hostage taker played by Martin Short is very annoying and a stupid, laughable character, the veterinary doctor who's some old fart who takes a bullet out of Nick Nolte and treats him like a doggy is laughably embarrassing and pathetic and so childish and unconvincing. Nick Nolte and Martin Short who's the hostage taker later kidnap Martin Shorts daughter from some hospital or something with cops still out looking for them and later on the hostage takers daughter is meant to be a boy after a haircut and Nick Nolte acts like a husband to Martin Short who took him hostage and Martin Short wears a ladies wig and is taken into hospital to give birth and rushes out of the building with the pregnancy lump disappearing when a teddy bear or cuddly toy falls out. A fairly funny but ridiculous film with some likeable characters and some awful characters with bad acting and an appearance from James Earl Jones. Not the best movie by miles but it was made in 1989 so what you expect?
