The Running Man (1987) Dir: Paul Michael Glaser
- Ridley Coote
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
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Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, and based on the novel by Stephen King, this dystopian science fiction film has been vaguely on my radar for a while, but it was the Edgar Wright directed remake that finally pushed me to watch it. I wasn't really sure what to expect, beyond Arnold Schwarzenegger and violence, but I was hoping for something reminiscent of the fun I've had with other 80's classics.
I couldn't help but be amused by the goofy 80's visuals that the film dripped at every turn. The costumes were very silly, especially for the villains, who looked ridiculous. I couldn't take them at all seriously - I just didn't believe for a second that they were actually revered killers. Of course, I did enjoy all of the practical effects usage, I just wish some of it had looked a bit better, especially when it came to those antagonists.
I thought that the story was pretty good, right up until the moment that Arnold's character actually became the titular 'Running Man'. From there onwards, the film just got a little too silly for my personal taste. It just became a bit of a tonal and narrative mess, and it almost totally lost my engagement. I spent much of the final act waiting for the film to finally end, which is never a good sign. I really thought I'd enjoy the actual 'Running Man' section of the film a lot more than I did, but unfortunately not.
The iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger brought his familiar blend of comedic talent, macho man charisma, and action hero physique, but the writing of his wrong lyrics accused protagonist wasn't that great, particularly in the aforementioned dud of a third act. His co-star; María Conchita Alonso, had a similar run, in that she started off pretty strong - I was enjoying her acting a fair bit - but she was hampered by the ridiculous way her character was factored into the events of the third act. Of the remaining cast members, I still thought it worthwhile to mention the likes of Richard Dawson, Yaphet Kotto, and former wrestler Jesse Ventura, who all had a rather mixed time of it in their respective supporting roles.
Overall, whilst the novelty of this film wore thin quite quickly for me, I can still see why others have enjoyed it over the years, particularly at the time of its release. I must admit, I wasn't super encouraged to watch the remake, based on the original, but I feel like I'd enjoy it more than this nonetheless. For what it is, this is an okay action film, but it really isn't much more than that. I was hoping for more, either in quality or fun, but it kind of half-delivered on both of those things.
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