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Rating: 3 out of 5
The Running Man is one of those movies that isn’t horrible but isn’t great. Before films like The Hunger Games and Death Race, where the setting is in a dystopian United States. People got their ultimate pleasure from watching violent television shows that pit people against each other in life and death situations. The Running Man is one of the first of these movies. You might be thinking to yourself, isn’t that a popular dance fad? Yes, it was. People dancing to the old ’90s hit song called “My Boo” by Ghost Town DJ’s. Seemed like everyone was doing it. Beside that, back to the review.
Staring larger than life action star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the only way to describe this film, is an action movie that puts some of the worst one-liners with the concept of a hit tv show. The Hunger Games on steroids that seems to have more action stars than anything else. It’s literally watching a video game combined with a comic book combined with some inadequate comic relief.
Here is the movie. In the year 2017 (yep, we have officially passed the year), the world economy has completely collapsed. The United States has ultimately become a totalitarian society. All borders have been sealed off. Society has become a militarized police state, where the government has censored all film, art, literature, and communications (Anyone read the book 1984?). Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) is a cop who flies a helicopter gunship. He is ordered to fire on citizens who are rioting. Refusing to fire on innocent civilians, he is attacked by his very own crew when they subdue him and knock him unconscious. Richards is jailed, accused of false charges, and assigned to a penal colony. Life goes on as society has become used to fabricated news. The government has gained full control over the media. They believe the best way to control the population is by broadcasting several game shows where convicted criminals fight for their very lives. The most popular of these shows is “The Running Man,” which is hosted by the tv ratings king Damon Killian (Richard Dawson). The Running Man consists of three criminals who are given a chance of freedom if they can defeat the heavily armed and showman like killers who are guest stars on the show. Richards and his friends Harold Weiss (McIntyre) and William Laughlin (Kotto) escape from their prison with TV footage capturing their daring escape. Dawson, sensing that he can take his shows rating to new levels, want Richards as his new contestant. As Richards is arrested, he soon will become the star of a hit show that will pit him against some of the most dangerous and famous killers that TV has to offer.
Is the movie entertaining? Yes, it is, in all the worse ways. The whole premise of the story is laughable, but what do you expect from a movie that revolves around a game show. Take some of your favorite tv shows and add in some death to the all (The Price is Right meets Locked Up). The last half of the whole film is the actual game. Dawson, in all his entertaining glory, introduces a killer. The killer in a display and name (Fireball, Captain Freedom, Dynamo, Buzzsaw, and Subzero) that would make any WWE wrestler proud shows off their trademark and then head into the area after Richards and his friends. As Richards kills each one with the very weapon that made them famous, you bet you’re a** that is an oh so bad pun that follows. Here are some splendid examples: “Killian, here’s your Subzero, now plain zero.” or “He had to split.” after facing off against Buzzsaw.
Schwarzenegger continues to play the role of the buff person who seems to be able to take on all comers with no problems. He seems to have no problem taking on any of the competition with ease. The star of the movie and “show” is Richard Dawson. If you don’t know who he is, he was the original host of Family Feud. Dawson pretty much plays himself in the film. I don’t know if he was the egotistical, sleazy host in real life, but he comes off so believable and fun-loving. It seems like you would actually like to be on his show because he is so engaging and fun.
The rest of the cast is what makes this movie so much fun to watch. It’s almost like they went around and asked any popular action heroes or pro wrestler to be in this movie. The movie had Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Erland Van Lidth, Professor Toru Tanaka.
The Running Man is a fun movie that is filled with laughable action, out of this world characters, and a TV host that many dreams of meeting. Even though it is a crazy futuristic film, that is not that much futuristic now, the film is still a great watch.
