Fuga no Século 23

A really good use of models, second best use of models I've seen in film after Metropolis, which this looks like it follows, also this shows the way to many other films and looks like it shows the way to Blade Runner, Brazil and Total Recall, just to name a few.

I think its a brilliant story, the old man in the building in Washington, it is really believable.

The models are really well made and used, and this reminds me of old Dr Who episodes (which I love more than the recent, for the models and badly made suits).

A must see if you like sci-fi films, like the ones mentioned before.

Michael Anderson's 'Logan's Run' is a fun little futuristic sci-fi, set in a 23rd century post-apocalyptic society, where overpopulation has been controlled by disposing of citizens as soon as they reach thirty years of age.

Michael York ('Cabaret', 1972) is Logan 5, a "Sandman" who is responsible for tracking down and "terminating" Runners - people who attempt to flee from death once their thirty years are up. In order for Logan to infiltrate the underground Runner refuge known as Sanctuary, the society's mother computer, unbeknown to all others, advances Logan's life-clock, and so Logan suddenly becomes a Runner himself.

Jenny Agutter portrays Jessica 6, the young woman who decides to accompany Logan, whilst Richard Jordan ('The Hunt For Red October,' 1990) is Francis 7, the former Sandman friend of Logan, who must now track him down and "terminate" him.

The special effects, one year before George Lucas' 'Star Wars' was to grace our screens, are excellently done, though some of the model-work of the Dome City is a bit transparent. As a sci-fi film, it is crucial that 'Logan's Run' is not taken too seriously. Though a few of the scenes could be described as a bit cheesy, it is a lot of good fun. Peter Ustinov's ("Quo Vadis", 1951) small but very important appearance later in the film was a pleasure to watch.

Also, I can't be the only person to have noticed some very large similarities between 'Logan's Run' and Michael Bay's 2005 film 'The Island.' Whether any such inspiration has been acknowledged by the makers of the latter I cannot say, though it does help with my recommendations. If you enjoyed 'The Island,' then there's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy this one, as well!

Okay, it's got a hoaky plot with lots of holes in it, special effects made from matchbox sets, some mediocre acting (Farrah Fawcett?!?) and dialogue, a big ole "this was made in the 70's" stamp all over it, and I think the editing, direction and sound track are lousy too. And yet somehow it all works. I love this movie! Maybe it's the campy cornball that gets me every time. I dunno. Yet by the end I feel uplifted and even touched. What a great scene with the timid girl touching Ustinov's beard at the end with Logan and Jessica in each other's arms looking on.

While the acting is average (or perhaps its the lousy script) there are exceptions, thankfully mostly among the main cast. Richard Jordan is just great as the relentless and unremorseful sandman. And Ustinov is a lot of fun as the kooky old man. Michael York, who've I've always liked, is servicable as our hero (thankfully they don't ask him to stretch his acting skills too much here). But without a doubt the real jewel is Jenny Agutter as Jessica-6. I can't recall a part more perfectly cast. Ms. Agutter is the epitome of beauty, youth and doe-eyed innocence. And her underlying sensuality is impossible to miss in every scene she is in. And as if that weren't enough she can act to boot!

Of course there's a lot that I don't like about the movie, it's quite easy to pick apart. But again, I don't know how, "Logan's Run" is much better than the sum of its parts.

I hope they get the rumored remake off the ground, there's some good underlying sci-fi to be explored here and with a tightened up script, upgraded effects, better direction and editing you could have *real* winner. I just don't think they'll ever match the original casting job for Jessica-6.

I was twelve when Logan's Run came out and I thought that it was the best thing since sliced bread. It blew me away. So when I picked it up recently on DVD and watched it for the first time in twenty-eight years I was wondering how it would fare after all this time.

Well, not too badly. Many of the IMDb reviewers of Logan's Run hit the nail on the head when they say that this film is definitely a product of its time. Yes, the special effects are sort of laughable now (the teeny tiny maze cars zipping through the a model of the city that looks about six inches tall), but you have to judge those sorts of things in the context of the time they were made. As strange as it may seem to people who now expect Lord of the Rings-quality special effects, Logan's Run was cutting edge in its day. And a few of the special effects still stand up fairly well. The light envelope that comes down over the Carousel or the matte shots of Washington. Not great for twenty-first century film-making, but a minor miracle for 1976.

The story has more holes than a piece of swiss cheese and the acting is a bit touch and go, but that doesn't get in the way of a fairly entertaining movie. Seeing the movie all these years later I suppose the few moments of bad acting hit me more than anything else. As a kid I thought that Peter Ustinov's old man was brilliant, but now it just seems like awkward overacting. Which isn't to say that his character isn't somewhat endearing.

Michael York, a really wonderful actor, misses the mark a few times, but generally he and Jenny Agutter do a fine job.

Listen, this isn't a brilliant movie, but it does have its moments. Most science fiction movies made in the 1970s haven't endured the test of time especially well. With the purple mascara, pastel-coloured costumes and hair feathered like a great phoenix. But all in all I still found Logan's Run to be an entertaining and enjoyable trip back to the strange world of 1976.

Loosely based on the novel of the same name, Logan's Run is set in a dystopian future where life is perfect, but nobody is allowed to live past 30. People who refuse to sacrifice themselves and try to escape are called 'runners', and special police called sandmen are sent after them. Logan is a sandman, and after killing one runner gets caught up in a secret mission to find out where the successfully escaped runners are hiding. He does this by posing as a runner himself, and the story unravels from there to show the truth of our species' past. If any film is ripe for a remake, its this one. In terms of sets, dialog and performances it is very much stuck in the 1970's, but the basic premise is brilliant. I quite enjoyed Logan's Run despite it getting off to a slow start, and the admittedly wonkey effects don't detract from some interesting topics the film touches on, such as overpopulation and conformity. If you don't mind the fact that in many ways it has not aged well, its worth a watch.