Customer Reviews

The Running Man

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

When I first saw this movie, I looked at it as, well, another 1980's action flick with Arnold Schwarzenegger literally devouring his enemies. It was entertaining, but it had something of a pro-wrestling mentality. It's a pretty good movie. It does recreate the look and feel of many of the WWF superstars, and it also includes former pro-wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura. It seemed to me that it was pure entertainment, as was pro-wrestling itself. However, something changed my mind. It was near the beginning of summer, when the news came that wrestler Owen Hart died of an accident at a wrestling event. His death shook me up, and it was hard for me to like wrestling anymore. After something like that, you realize that in some ways, "The Running Man" is true to life! It's about people fighting for their lives on a game show. The audience cheers for death and for blood. The more people are killed on the show, the higher the ratings go. Killian, the show's host, is a poke at WWF owner Vince McMahon, who, for the sake of ratings, has taken his wrestling federation farther than what anyone has ever seen before. Back then, it used to be Hulkamania, which was decent entertainment. Now, it's loaded with sex, violence, and blood.

What went wrong? I don't know but reviewer Main Man can tell you all about it due to his high knowledge of wrestling. It's been close to a decade since I seen wrestling and the last straw was when Owen Hart lost his life over a stunt to please the fans!

Aside from that, "The Running Man" actually tries to tell something important about the television entertainment we are having nowadays. If we take a quick look at some of the most daring and wretched ones of today's game shows we can note that even though they don't slaughter people yet they do almost everything else to keep the audience happy - no matter how immoral it might get. Here's a futuristic vision of a show called "The Running man". It still looks a pretty absurd and ridiculous from today's point of view but we're certainly heading to that direction. Slowly, perhaps, put that's the course.

This movie can be seen as what it also is: excellent action movie and alongside with "Conan the Barbarian - Collector's Edition", "The Terminator", "Commando (Director's Cut)" and "Predator (Widescreen Collector's Edition)" it's one of the greatest Schwarzenegger classics of the 80's. He celebrated his 40th birthday in 1987, everybody found him a believable man of action, people loved him and actually took him and even his amusing Austrian accent seriously. If I look at "The Running man" and compare it to Schwarzenegger's most recent films this one makes me very nostalgic. He's so soft nowadays. But then again, 80's are in the past. In "The Running man" we have lots of cruel and brilliant fights, exciting and funny chases, maniacal bad guys with interesting weapons and among many other good things Arnie's famous "I'll be back" -one liner. Yes sir, I like it.

It's hard to believe that, as goofy as The Running Man is, it came so close to predicting what society would be like in the future. We still have 7 years before we hit 2017, perhaps we are right on track for our 2017 to match this version!

The Running Man is loosely (and I mean, very very very loosely) based on the novella by Richard Bachman, otherwise known to his "dear readers" as Stephing King. Where the King book involved a desperate man who needs money to buy medicine, and a game where he can travel anywhere in the world, the movie scales things back. Ah-nold, at his one-liner best, is Ben Richards, a former pilot who disobeyed orders and refused to fire on an unarmed mob. He is imprisoned but escapes, and is now about to appear on The Running Man, a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week television show (hmmm, Big Brother?) and fight for his life. The prize is a full pardon for your crimes, a loss means death.

Society is now a police state (hmmm?) and the people are distracted by endless game shows on television (hmmm?). News is heavily censored and "edited for television" (hmmm?). Ben Richards' crime of disobeying orders has been spun by the networks -- they show a film of him firing on the unarmed crowd, and earning himself the nickname "The Butcher of Bakersfield". Now he will have the chance to win his freedom on The Running Man, but the odds are well stacked against him. By his side are two freedom fighters who are hoping to find the source of network transmissions so they can jam it, and broadcast the truth of what the world has become.

The Running Man is not a great film. It's an 80's Arnold film, but with the benefit of 20+ years of hindsight, it is incredibly eerie how some of these things are coming true. Draw your own conclusions. There's enough action for everybody, as Arnold must battle "Stalkers" on The Running Man. Much like the gladiators on American Gladiators, these stalkers will do everything they can to stop Arnold from winning. They include:

* Sub-Zero as played by Professor Toru Tanaka
* Fireball (Jim Brown)
* the opera-loving Dynamo who has a punk-looking suit that can fire electricity
* Buzzsaw, so named for his use of a chainsaw as a weapon
* the retired Captain Freedom (Arnold's friend Jesse Ventura)

The show is run by Damien Killian (subtle!), played by former Family Feud host Richard Dawson. Nobody could have played this role better than Dawson. While playing a game show host was not a stretch for him, Dawson was absolutely flawless in the role. Other famous names include Yaphet Kotto (Alien) as another Running Man contestant, Mick Fleetwood as former-musician-turned-freedom-fighter named Mic (I like to think Mick is just playing the future version of himself) and a very young Dweezil Zappa.

The blu-ray disc has enough bonus features to keep you going after the film has ended, including audio commentaries and featurettes. The audio is really nice, mastered in sweet, sweet 7.1 surround. When Arnold is in that little pod heading down to The Running Man's play area, the sound was awesome. If you have 7.1 at home you need to check this out. I really enjoyed the sound.

If you like other cheesey Schwartzennegger movies such as Total Recall or Last Action Hero, add The Running Man to your collection. If you like movies with a stirring plot and excellent acting, avoid at all costs. But regardless of your feelings on this film, do try to pick up the book. I have always felt that a remake of this film, following King's book, is well overdue.

3 stars. Enjoy.

In the Running Man,Arnold Schwarzenegger play a man framed and wrongly
convicted of a crime in the future.His sentence:being a contestant on a
brutal reality TV show where the inmates face overwhelming odds to stay
alive against their opponents,who are armed and also well protected
from head to toe.the game is basically rigged in favour of their
opponents.thus far no convict has ever made it out alive.but of course
Arnie is no ordinary inmate.this reality TV show makes what passes for
reality TV today look like Mister Rogers.anyway,the film is filled with
terrific action sequences,some wit courtesy of some classic Arnie one
liners.there are also some suspenseful moments,and some terrific death
scenes.the acting may not be stellar,but hey,it's Arnie,so who needs
good acting.overall,a very well paced,entertaining piece of work. 3.5/5

If there's another film out there featuring two future governors, I don't know what it could be. Ironically, both future politicians' characters actually reflect their future terms in office to some degree: Arnold is the independent tough guy determined to do what he thinks is right, while Jesse Ventura is a washed-up buffoon who can't be taken seriously. Then, of course, there's Richard Dawson, who funnels all those years of game show hosting into the role of Damon Killian, host of futuristic America's most popular game show, The Running Man.

There's really nothing complicated about The Running Man. Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) wrote the original short novel over the course of three days and published it pretty much as it was, with little editing to speak of. This is entertainment, not a deep psychological study of tyranny or a cinematic lament of 21st century American society. While the film does deviate from King's original novel (especially in terms of the ending), it does capture the adrenaline and animalistic frenzy that defines King's original vision. In the futuristic plot, America has become one big police state, a totalitarian society that controls the thoughts and actions of all citizens -- and keeps them happy through such wildly popular state-run broadcasts as The Running Man. Like the gladiator fights and slaughters of Christians inside the Roman Coliseum of old, this reality show stirs up the blood lust of all members of society, displacing the woes of their everyday life with the thrill of a deadly hunt for hardened criminals. It's The Most Dangerous Game on a societal level -- strip the victim of all humanity in your own eyes, give him a head start, hunt him down like an animal, and kill him.

Everyone wants to see Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) die. Government lies have labeled him the Butcher of Bakersville, the monster responsible for a vicious aerial attack on unarmed protestors at a food riot. In reality, it was the fact that he refused to kill innocent women and children that turned this ex-cop into America's most-wanted criminal in the first place. All the notoriety associated with him makes Richards the perfect contestant for ratings-obsessed Killian -- until, that is, Richards starts demonstrating the remarkably annoying habit of staying alive. (It really isn't all that difficult to outwit such over-the-top "stalkers" as an opera-singing dude wearing Christmas tree lights all over his body, a killer who can only do his stalking on an ice hockey surface, and Jim Brown.)

The Special Edition release comes with two DVDs, featuring newly remastered widescreen and full-screen versions of the film. Frankly, given the lackluster look of the film, I see no evidence of remastering. Then there are two audio commentaries included (which I haven't bothered to listen to) ' no Arnold, just director, producer, and executive producer. And then there are the other special features, none of which are at all special. The "Meet the Stalkers" feature is trivial and boring, the "Game Theory" documentary commenting on the state of reality television is tangential and bland, and the documentary on privacy in post-9/11 America is a bad addition any which way you look at it. A ridiculous piece of liberal propaganda, "Lockdown on Main Street" features twenty-five minutes of hysterical liberals bemoaning the fact that our government is actually doing all it can to stop future terrorists before they can kill and maim ordinary citizens such as themselves. Whether you agree with this tripe or not, it's pretty sad that an entertainment DVD should be politicized with such a one-sided diatribe (although it's hardly a surprise, given Hollywood's unabashedly leftist agenda).

While in 1987 this may have been simply another action star for Governor-to-be Schwarzenegger, viewed today this film offers more layers of meaning.

"The Running Man" is a reality show in which criminals are forced to run from bounty hunter-types who are given WWF wrestling style introductions and use a myriad of weapons to kill their prey. The audience cheers and boos mercilessly as the real-life people meet tragic ends. Seen today in the era of "Survivor" and "Fear Factor," among other reality shows, this movie offers much in the way of questioning the direction of such television. Is this the direction reality TV is going? Also good for a look at mass media and people's belief in what is told to them.

The movie is what it is. Fist-pumping commando, guns and heavy artillery. Schwarzenegger is wrongly framed for a crime he didn't commit and made a criminal in this Orwellian society in which the mass media is everything. He's forced into The Running Man world. There's some throw-away jokey lines after disposing of the heavy villains, but the real treat is watching real-life game show host Richard Dawson playing the slimy, evil host of The Running Man - the real villain in this movie full of larger-than-life killers.

Although I don't consider 'The Running Man' to be one of Arnie's best bits of action fare, it does have more than its fair share of those silly cheeseball moments that I ofttimes crave. I especially enjoy the part where our hero and his fellow contestants/captors take out the first obstacle: Sub-Zero, a deadly blade-wielding hockey goalie who looks a lot like that Odd Job guy. His referring to the late SubZero as "Now, just PLAIN zero!" is a prime example of bad action one liners at their best (worst?)!

Then there's Richard Dawson as the main heavy: a futuristic game-show host with all of the fake glee and smarmy oiliness you can bear! He also gives the best rebuttal to our hero's famous "I'll be back!" here, so be on the lookout for it! And not to go off on a tangent, but does anybody out there imagine how 'The Running Man' would've looked like had present 'Family Feud' host Louie Anderson played Killian, or am I the only one? Um... anyone? A little help here...?

Oh yeah, let's not forget future Minny guv Jesse Ventura as one of the game announcer/enforcers. His raucous, obnoxious blather and uber-macho posturing really adds a pro-wrestling feel to the competition as it unfolds! You'll definitely be feeling Minnesota (or is it FLEEing Minnesota?) after watchin' "The Mind's" performance here!
All in all, 'The Running Man' is one enjoyable waste of an hour-and-a-half for all you testosterone-driven action megacheese buffs out there!

As for the Special Edition extra features: Along with the usual director/producer commentary tracks-- both of which I bailed out on after the first fifteen minutes because they were so inane and uninteresting-- and such are a couple documentaries dealing with the movie's subject matter. The first is a half-hour-long talk about Constitutional rights and freedoms following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, and the other dealing with reality TV shows. I found both reasonably informative, although the former show had some of creepiest-looking interviewees I've ever seen in a documentary. Both of these were included to reflect the movie's central "duel-to-the-death-game-show" premise and dystopian backdrop, as well as its 'prediction-of-the-future'-style prescience. Personally, I think they're giving this over-the-top actioner a bit too much credit in being a mind-opening mirror of modern society. I mean, let's face facts: since when has the term "high-concept" and Arnold Schwarzenegger gone together in a movie? Is that the smell of overheating brain matter from you pondering my question that I'm smelling, or is it just me?

'Late

This overly predictable sci-fi/action yarn (based on a story by Stephen King which he wrote under the pen name Richard Bachman) stars good 'ol Arnie as a wrongfully accused man forced to fight for his life on a TV game show in the year 2017. Former Family Feud game show host Richard Dawson is great as the slimy evil game show host, and the rest of the cast includes Maria Conchita Alonso (as a love interest who believes Arnie's innocence), and the late Yapphet Kotto as one of Arnie's pals. However, the Running Man warrants new viewing today, just to see future governors Arnie and Jesse "The Body" Ventura bash heads. Oh the irony. Artisan decided to release a "Special Edition" version of the film, but why in the heck does it have to be on 2 discs? The extras are minimal and one disc would have served it's purpose, plus such features like the Lockdown on Mainstreet and Game Theory documentaries are pure fluff. All in all, if you own the single disc edition, don't feel the need to upgrade.

Trashy looking and predictably fun Arnold vehicle based on a Stephen King novel (which he wrote under the name Richard Bachman) has Arnold as a cop turned into a scape goat for the government to pawn off the murder of protesting civilians who escapes prison, only to be recaptured and forced to play the ultimate reality TV show - "The Running Man", in which he must outwit and overpower a group of sadistic killers called "stalkers" who are armed with razor bladed hockey sticks, chainsaws, death rays and flame throwers. Will he survive?
Professional Wrestler Jesse Ventura, who played one of Arnold's soldiers in "Predator", plays the one "stalker" who wants to fight Arnold hand to hand. Ironically, both men later wound up in politics.
Dark lighting, a very 80s soundtrack and wardrobe, and ironically, a self mocking Richard Dawson provides a better foil to Arnold than any of the stalkers do, at least in terms of his personality. Arnold is fun to watch as usual, and somehow he looks better with a beard. If this movie were being made now, it would be called a comment on reality TV and the lengths networks will go to entertain the public, and in a way, it kind of was then. And like all women, Maria Conchita Alonso looks better with her hair down.
- Ben Richards: a 40 years old, 6'2'', Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Amber Mendez: a 30 years old, Maria Conchita Alonso.
- Damon Killian: a 54 years old, 5'9'', Richard Dawson.

Let's make one thing clear-- this is not a brilliant piece of filmmaking. It is painfully dated in its look and feel, much of the acting is marginal (Arnie has improved a LOT since!), and the musical score reminds one of nothing so much as a bad mid-80's teen angst hairspray-fest. Maybe a porno. A bad one at that.

But I love this movie! I find the silly dialog and excessive violence (and there are PLENTY of both!!!) more ironic then anything else. The choice of Richard Dawson as the host of the "Running Man" show proves to me that irony was what the producers were going for.

This disk is worth buying just to watch the Battle of the Future Governors. Ventura v. Arnie. The irony grows...

My wife and I have debated the value of this movie for years (OK, I keep telling her what a great flick this is, and she rolls her eyes and laughs at me). I have defended it as a brilliant if somewhat cheesy social commentary for years. She thinks its a dumb explolsion-fest (truth is, we're both right...). When it came out, it would have been easy to dismiss this as a silly vision of the future, but not today. Mix together WWF wrestling, Survivor, Fox News, and Cops, and-- guess what?-- you've got Running Man! Show this one as a double-feature with RoboCop (make RoboCop the second feature- its wittier, more ironic, more violent. But the music is just as bad).

On to the DVD-- the video is probably as good as one can expect from a medium-budget movie of the day. Not bad, considering, but the picture is often a bit muddy and soft around the edges. Again, you can only milk so much out of the source, and this aint exactly 'Gone With the Wind', so you can only expect so much effort in the remastering. The DTS track is really a waste for this movie-- I got nothing extra out of the dialog or sound effects from the higher-end sound. The score sounded very clean, but, well, the score sucks, so whats the point?

I feel compelled to make a comment on the one Feature added to the movie-- the short documentary on the Patriot Act. First, its mediocre, and had the feel of something slapped together. Second, I think a piece on manipulation of the media would have fit better with the theme of the movie. It was an adequate, factual piece, though, and it is a sensible, but not perfect addition to this disk. I do not understand so-called Republicans that bristle at this sort of stuff, though. Have you all lost sight of what a "conservative" actually is? Read the Church Report that blew the lid of of J Edgar Hoovers wierdness when he chaired the FBI (mentioned too briefly in the feature). Look at the authors. Goldwater. Baker. REAL conservatives who saw big opressive government as the biggest threat to our nation. I find it silly and tasteless to see what is quite obviously a co-ordinated assault against anything that doesnt suit the views of the current administration as part of these reviews.

The newly-remastered picture is so much clearer and more vivid than the original release and the DTS soundtrack is an awesome addition. After having heard it, I would've bought it for the DTS, alone. Who knew that a 17-year-old movie could be remastered to DTS quality and 6.1 surround so well (including very targeted use of the rear channels).

The extras are another story, as many people have stated. The "Lockdown on Main Street" is a thoroughly one-sided political statement. If it should be anywhere, it should be on PBS, not on an action movie DVD. It feels like execs at Artisan were determined to put this documentary out there and picked "The Running Man" from their upcoming catalog as the best suitor.

The "Game Theory" documentary is just a piece in which creators and participants of reality TV shows pat themselves on the back for their popularity. Perhaps fans of reality TV would find it interesting, but I didn't.

In summary, the new remastering of the movie is "special," but nothing else on either of the discs is. As someone else said, buy it for the movie. The extras may make my stomach turn, but the movie is one of the best remastering jobs I've ever seen.