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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.

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.

If the film were remade today, it would have a little more resonance for a modern audience, especially with the amount of reality based television that is so prolific today.

A straight adaptation from Stephen King's original novel (under the pen name Richard Bachman) would have been much more suitable, especially with the rise of shows like Cops and World's Scariest Police Chases. Placing the entire game within an actual arena isn't quite like how the future turned out. However, they may have to modify the ending (the ending of a novel involves a large airplane crashing into a building).

Considering all the remakes and sequels that have been made as of late, it's surprising that they haven't remade this one, even though it's a bit more relevant to today's audience than it was back in 1987. Shoot the whole thing on digital video (a la "Series 7: The Contenders") and throw in a lot more dark comedy, and you'd have yourself a nice little independent flick and a cult classic in the making. No need for something with an overbloated budget.

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!!!!!!

I hadn't seen "The Running Man" since it was released on VHS more than twenty-five years ago, and I decided to give it another look when I found it in my local library's DVD collection. Seeing it again, it struck me how dated it had become. Now, there are still a few good things about the movie. It's never boring, there are a few funny one- liners and gags, and there is a great performance by Richard Dawson. However, more than twenty-five years later it's surprising how much the movie resembles a 1990s direct-to-video futuristic actioner. There are precious few "wide" shots, with the camera more often than not crammed close to the actors. That's probably because much of the movie was filmed on vacant lots and abandoned warehouses with little redressing, and the few sets that were built look incredibly cheap and cheesy. And the movie is quite jokey in tone, maybe in an attempt to get the audience to laugh with (instead of at) the various going-ons. Still, I have to admit that I often have a fondness for direct-to-video movies, so all this stuff didn't concern me that much, and I found the movie entertaining. Your opinion of the movie will depend on if you find cinematic cheesiness tasty or not. If you don't, look for another movie.