There’s an old saying that crime doesn’t pay. But in Three Fugitives, it doesn’t even come with a decent getaway plan. This 1989 crime comedy, directed by Francis Veber, stars Nick Nolte as a former bank robber who’s just trying to go straight—until a bumbling Martin Short drags him right back into chaos. Toss in a mute little girl, a police detective with a sixth sense for bad decisions, and one particularly unfortunate dog, and you’ve got a movie that is equal parts slapstick and sentimental. It’s the kind of film that makes you laugh just enough to forgive its flaws—until you remember it could have been so much better.
A French Connection: The Road to Remake
Three Fugitives is actually a remake of Veber’s own 1986 French film, Les Fugitifs, a movie that featured Gérard Depardieu and Pierre Richard in the same odd-couple dynamic. Hollywood, never one to let a good idea sit un-Americanized, saw the slapstick potential, swapped out baguettes for baseball caps, and handed the reigns to Nick Nolte and Martin Short. The result? A film that keeps the bones of the original but replaces its European wit with good ol’ fashioned American absurdity.
The production kicked off in April 1988 and took Nolte and Short through locations in Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle and Tacoma. There’s something inherently funny about two fugitives blending in amid a sea of flannel-clad, coffee-drinking Washingtonians, but the film never leans into that setting quite as much as it could. Still, the director’s touch remains evident, making Three Fugitives feel like a madcap ride through someone else’s bad luck.
Nick Nolte, Martin Short, and the Chemistry Experiment
Nick Nolte is one of those actors whose very presence suggests a lifetime of poor choices. His gruff demeanor and voice like a malfunctioning woodchipper make him perfect as Daniel Lucas, the world-weary ex-con who just wants to cash his check and move on. Enter Martin Short as Ned Perry, a desperate father with a heart full of love but the decision-making skills of a squirrel on espresso. Short brings his signature brand of frantic, rubber-faced comedy, and while some of it lands brilliantly—like the now-famous grenade-pin gag—other moments feel like they belong in a different film entirely.
The heart of the movie, though, isn’t the bumbling crime spree. It’s the unlikely family unit that forms between Lucas, Ned, and Meg, Ned’s silent but painfully adorable daughter played by Sarah Doroff. Veber’s script wants us to believe that these three form a deep bond, and while the performances are convincing, the emotional beats occasionally feel forced, as if the film is winking at us to say, “You’re supposed to cry now.”
Critics, Cash, and the Comedy That Almost Stuck the Landing
At the box office, Three Fugitives pulled in a respectable $11.9 million in its first two weeks, proving that sometimes, audiences just want a good-natured mess of a movie. Critics, however, were far less forgiving. With a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a lukewarm 40% on Metacritic, the film fell into that strange category of “movies people remember, but don’t necessarily recommend.” Variety summed it up best, praising the film’s premise while calling Nolte and Short’s chemistry serviceable but not spectacular—like a Thanksgiving meal that’s missing the turkey.
Despite its critical drubbing, the film has held onto a niche audience, thanks in part to its absurd gags and sentimental undertones. For those who grew up in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Three Fugitives remains a weirdly comforting relic of a time when Hollywood wasn’t afraid to take a well-respected French film and ask, “But what if we made it dumber?”
Final Verdict: Crime Pays (Just Not That Much)
Three Fugitives isn’t a classic, nor is it an outright disaster. It’s a film that entertains in the moment but doesn’t leave much behind. Nolte growls, Short panics, and James Earl Jones shows up just long enough to remind you that you should probably be watching a better movie. But if you’re in the mood for lighthearted crime and comedic misfortune, it’s worth a watch—just don’t expect it to be The Fugitive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
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