Running Man

The Running Man is a cult classic, a film that didn't do so well when it was originally release, but more popular now. The Running Man has a premise that was later used by Battle Royale and The Hunger Games and easily stands along other dystopias from films of the era like Escape From New York and Robocop. It was violent, cheesy and had lots of Arnie one-liners. The Running Man was meant to be a satire about game shows but it's satire is more prescient now with the world of reality TV, 24 hour TV, and deep fakes.

Running man is an absolute classic Schwarzenegger film. If you're looking for a smart political sci-fi drama don't worry about catching this one. If you're looking for a dumb political sci-fi action flic oh boy you're in for a treat. In true Schwarzenegger fashion this film is full of cheesy one liners and almost nonstop action. The story is compelling while still keeping things on the lighter side. It still seems like we're only one more bad election from this being our reality. The same people who scrutinize action movies like this are the same people who watch children's movies and criticize them for being "too childish". It's campy, it's corny and i absolutely love it.

I remember renting this movie from a neighborhood video store back in 1987 or 1988. It was one of those movies that didn't interest me enough to see it when it was out in theatres. When I first saw it I thought it was fun and entertaining but too far fetched and too much gory violence. Its scary to watch it 32 years later and see how much has closer to home it hits now. An Alexa type system turns on TV and other appliances. The world economy has collapsed (Greece and other EU nations have faced similar economic crises in recent years) there are food shortages (Venezuela, the native country of Maria Conchita Alonso have empty grocery store shelves and unrest because of mass starvation). The U.S. government and the entertainment industry work in concert to keep the populace distracted by a savage reality TV show called The Running Man. Enemies of the state have no trial by jury they are merely turned over to the ruthless, scuzzy host of the show, played by Richard Dawson. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a member of the military who is railroaded by the State into participating on the show. (Keep in mind Reality TV wasnt even a concept until almost 15 years after this movie was made.) The Running Man is the #1 show on television with people caring more about the deadly cat and mouse game with the hunted actually being brutally killed on live TV with an enthusiastic studio audience cheering it on. (A chilling reminder of the desensitization of the culture in our current age of social media.) No interest in the constitution, freedom or human rights...free board games and household gadgets given away by Dawson to the audience is a much bigger draw. The movie even predicts millennial ignorance of classic TV (Gilligan's Island, is that the one with the boat? Who's Mr. Spock?)

The movie itself isn't brilliant film making or acting but 32 years on, it's not as much fun as it used to be because its too close to reality for comfort! I strongly recommend it, especially for younger viewers.

Like other reviews already said, The Running Man hits many very actual notes - especially in the '20s we're living in. The use of deep fakes, the reality tv formats, the manipulation that was predicted for 2019 is all there nowadays. But what if this novel by the brilliant Stephen King would've been adapted again? So no blockbuster entertainment but how it was intended by King? That means no Schwarzenegger as the main character was a weak loser type. No 'game arena' but running in the actual world. Formats like this are already there, a new movie adaptation would be awesome right? This film shows the potentional and needs to be told again. But then true to the original idea. I'd love to see that.

Released just as Arnold Schwarzenegger was achieving megastar status, this film about stardom is a wry pun on his career and the media business around him. Films like these are not meant to be analysed, they are meant to be enjoyed, and THE RUNNING MAN certainly manages to do that.

After a shaky start involving the worst title sequence in the history of cinema (although it's good to see the Sinclair Spectrum finally get global use!), director Paul Michael Glaser presents an eye-popping glimpse at the television of tomorrow. This witty slice of sociological irony would have admittedly been slicker in the hands of regular Paul Verhoeven, but Glaser keeps the action flowing throughout, and presents us with some bizarrely fascinating villains as well as the usual action frolics. One query, though, is over the level of violence. Oddly enough there doesn't really seem to be enough. In a program where the broad concept is horrifically barbaric, Glaser seems reluctant to horrify us beyond the disappointing "see the blood spattering from the violence that's just off camera" and those awful rubber corpses! I do not wish to appear to be encouraging unnecessary violence, but in a comic-book film where 'gore is its core', not including it almost makes you feel that it is trying to take itself too seriously, and therefore makes it even more horrific. Perhaps this delicate subject is better explained by Paul Verhoeven in his excellent commentary to ROBOCOP (DVD Criterion Collection).

But the performances in THE RUNNING MAN are suitably solid, from the powerful Schwarzenegger to the sleazy game show host. Any fan of the 80s action genre will love this, so sit back and prepare for SHOWTIME!!!!!!