“Sicario” meets “The Fugitive” in Paramount+’s thrilling streaming hit G trends

Tommy Lee Jones had a special status towards the end of his career: he starred in several action blockbusters without being able to do anything action star-like in them. When you think of Jones in action movies, you remember him dominating a scene, not any physical dominance. In Under SiegeIsn’t it the climactic knife fight that makes it unforgettable; It’s moments like the conversation right before where you can practically see the footprints on the floor because he’s running around in circles Steven Seagal, with catchy lines like: “I’m tired of it.” Finding desperate, last-minute solutions to impossible problems caused by other damn people“Jones was often action-packed in the ’90s, until 2003 when he made the bold career move of playing a professional chasing a wanted fugitive – and actually had some action star moments The hunted.

Director: legendary filmmaker William FriedkinThe story follows tracker and former survival instructor LT Bonham (Jones), who is recruited by the FBI. The target is a mentally unstable special forces officer, Aaron Hallam (Benicio del Toro) who brutally murders everyone he meets in the forests where he lives because he believes they are not true hunters. Since Aaron is a former student of his, LT takes it upon himself to track down and capture him before he can harm anyone else.

“The Hunted” finds an audience on streaming

Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro fight on a mountain in The Hunted

The hunted did not perform well at the time of release and only brought in meager income 30% on Rotten TomatoesAnd underperformed at the box officebut it’s garnering renewed attention since it recently began streaming on Paramount+. Hopefully this will spark renewed interest in it. Because while the basic plot is nothing new or unusual in terms of originality, The film has merit precisely because it made Tommy Lee Jones an action star late in his career, if only for one film.

As opposed to The refugeewhere Jones held a leadership role and the one he aspired to (i.e Harrison Ford) was allowed to do the cool action hero antics with The huntedLT is much more practical – and this time he’s the one who has to fall into a waterfall and sport an impressive beard. What’s more, his fugitive Hallam is actually guilty and willing to get dirty to avoid ending up in custody, meaning the two end up together. The action isn’t all stunt doubles and quick editing either; Jones and Del Toro appear to do most of their fighting on camera, both with bare hands and with kniveswhich is the result of three months of daily training before filming.

Tommy Lee Jones is a badass (in general, but also here in particular)

What’s impressive is that Jones was 55 years old during filmingand he plays the archetype of a worn-out professional who needs to be brought in for one last job. Unlike other characters who fit a similar mold, the film allows him to be vulnerable and show his age. He is afraid of heights and flying (he even throws up when getting out of a helicopter), is socially anxious when talking about himself, and although he is a skilled fighter, he still gets injured in his confrontations with Hallam and has to assert himself to keep up. And although he taught others to kill, LT never did it himself. It’s a beautiful balance of humanity that keeps him from falling into this crisis the standard image of the retired legend.

Surprisingly, despite all the stunt work he does in the film, Jones’ most epic moment is his introduction. LT begins with a run through the forests of British Columbia, over tracks and rescues a wolf from a snare that has trapped its leg and heals the wound before freeing it. That would be enough to make him likeable, but afterward he goes to a bar, finds the poacher who set the noose, and bashes his head on the table with that noose. When the guy’s imposing boyfriend stands up, LT makes the most blatant point That would make Harrison Ford jealousand it keeps the guy in check. The scene ends with LT casually saying, “No more snares for wolves, boys.“The unspoken level of intimidation he exerts on the guy is cool in itself, but it gets a lot better upon re-watching when you realize that LT probably could have accomplished anything.” Galahad from Kingsman on many of them, and he simply decided against it.

Over and beyond, The hunted is an entertaining action film that benefits from a running time of under 90 minutes (excluding credits) and a third act that is practically one long action sequence with minimal dialogue that is strangely reminiscent Predator. Also, Johnny Cash is the opening commentary and “The Man Comes Around” is the climax of the end credits, meaning it beats the opening credits Dawn of the Dead by a year. and the credits Logan around 14 years. Johnny Cash makes everything better, and The hunted supports this fact.

If you want to see Tommy Lee Jones take on the role of an older man who can beat up young hooligans (a proud position he used to hold). Charles Bronsonthen followed by Liam Neesonand currently held by Bob Odenkirk), The hunted is currently streaming on Paramount+.