If I ever need cheering up, I watch this movie. One of my favourite comedies.The unlikely pairing of Nick Nolte and Martin Short works wonderfully, with Nolte as the hardened ex-con Lucas, unwittingly gets involved in the bumbling bank robbery carried out by Short (Ned Perry). James Earl Jones plays the cop who has been itching to nail Lucas once again and assumes that, once Lucas is taken hostage by Perry, that they are in it together.The first 15-20 minutes contain some pure slapstick which has me crying with laughter every time I see it. It is particularly heartening to see the tough guy Nolte being enchanted by Martin Short's mute 6 year old daughter.Lovely, simple and heartwarming.

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.

A bit funny, a bit emotional feel-good movie. A few scenes are hilarious. It's a remake of a French movie "Les Fugitifs". I've seen the original years ago, as a kid. Watching the remake almost felt like watching the same movie again. Which is not surprising considering that both of the films were directed by Francis Veber, the writer of the movies. The characters were chosen very appropriately. And congrats to both Martin Short and Nick Nolte they both played they roles exactly as they should. If you like this movie you might like others written by Francis Veber. Several of his French movies were remade in United States. I think there is another movie where Pierre Richard was replaced by Martin Short.