The Running Man (1987) User Reviews

The future IS the 80's

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 7/10 · 6 May 2004]

Of all Arnold's mid-'80s movies who would have thought that most relevant today would be The Running Man. A chilling and surprisingly realistic tale of reality TV gone mad. It may have been far-fetched back then but not so now. Not when you think about it. Currently, Reality TV shows are either scraping the bottom of the barrel or desperate to raise the bar. If the next one isn't more controversial as the last, it's a dud. How long will it be before we really do see shows like The Running Man? How long before we have 'court-appointed theatrical attorneys' or the entertainment division of the Justice Department? There is so much satire and intelligence in this movie that may have been missed back in 1987 that is desperate to be seen again considering the current state of TV shows.

The biggest message of all is 'You are being lied to'. It's no secret that the Government and the media work in cahoots. And the masses believe what the media tells them to believe. It's a very scary state of affairs and unless more accurate representations of the truth emerge we may easily accept a brutal show like the Running Man in the near future. It's no secret that Reality TV is not very realistic. It's edited and reshaped before being aired and it's only what the networks want you to see. Usually it's far from the real truth.

Although rather different than Stephen King's book (the ending is completely changed) the script does conform to the typical Arnie formula. Yes, he does have numerous and very corny one-liners and he does say 'I'll be back' (which he never REALLY said that often anyway, when you think about it) in the most ironic situation yet but he's still a zillion times better in the role then Christopher Reeve or Dolph Lundgren would have been (these two were considered BEFORE Arnie believe it or not).

The director is none other than Dave Starsky himself (Paul Michael Glaser). It may not be artistic but it is still strong enough to generate excitement and his use of neon and flourescent colors gives each individual set a pretty cool look. Andrew Davis (not a director I particularly like) was attached before Glaser, though no matter who directs, the film is still marred by a very heavy 80's feel.

First of all, Harold Faltermeyer's score (remember him?) is incredibly dated and robs the action scenes of any timeless integrity. And the fashion sense of the movie is far too excessive to be convincingly set in the future. Apart from the dated feel, the only other thing that bugs me is the poorly staged shoot-out that passes as the climax.

This new DVD is a zillion times better than the original release. Gone is the horrid letterbox picture. In its place is a brand new hi-definition 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The colors sparkle and literally pop from the screen. The new Dolby 5.1 EX and DTS ES soundtrack are also amazing. There constant use of the surround channels to great effect and the bass is strong and powerful. Definitely one of the best re-masters I've seen so far. Two intriguing documentaries, a trailer and a 'Meet the Stalkers' gimmick are included in this 2-disc set that comes in a rather neat slip case.

He Said He'd Be Back..."The Running Man" is Fun No Matter How You Slice and Dice it...

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 28 March 2003]

"The Running Man" is based on a story by Richard Bachman, a.k.a. Stephen King writing under pseudonym.

It takes place in the near future, where everything is run by the media and the government. Kind of like right now. In the future, there isn't much selection on television. All there is is "The Running Man"--hosted by Damon Killian (Richard Dawson, host of "Family Fortune" in real life)--a show that features convicts, or "runners" being chased by madmen, or "stalkers." It's a bit like a futuristic gladiator sport. No one ever, ever wins the show. But Schwarzenegger has yet to play. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Ben Richards, also known as The Butcher of Bakersfield, for firing upon a crowd of humans in a food strike. Only one problem. He's been framed--he never shot anyone. After Arnie escapes from jail, Damon Killian wants his hands on him for the show--so they hunt him down and bring him in. Damon offers Ben a deal--if he goes on the show, he'll let his friends from jail go free. But if he doesn't...he puts his friends on. So Richards agrees to play the game, only to find that Damon has put his friends-from-jail in the show anyway. Right before being launched in the arena, Ben Richards says to Damon, "Hey, Damon. I'll be back." There is a pause. "Only in a rerun," Damon says. Yeah, right.

This movie is about as action-packed and adrenaline-punched an action movie you're going to see in a while. We see an excuse for Schwarzenegger being thrown into an arena with killers, where he must use his brains, strategy, and most of all muscles, to kill the stalkers. But the thing is, the excuse for throwing Schwarzenegger in the arena is a good one. They didn't completely ignore the plot; they don't even throw him in the arena until at least a half hour into the film. They set up the plot first, which is nice.

Arnold proves his acting talent is not just in his muscles once again. Too many people make fun of Schwarzenegger's acting skills, but to tell you the truth, I prefer him over Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone any day. Bruce and Sly are mumblers, in my opinion. Anyway, I like Arnold in this movie, because unlike in "The Terminator" where he is an indestructible cyborg, he is a vincible human with emotions in this film. We see a different side to Schwarzenegger, and it's pretty nice.

Richard Dawson is surprisingly good as Damon. I love his charisma on screen. Of course he's good at playing a gameshow host--he himself was one--but he also has a very good acting talent. Check out the scene where he offers Arnold a deal for going on the show. Look how smug he is in that scene, and how well he delivers his lines. He envelops his character very well. An underrated actor if ever I saw one. He comes off slightly creepy and slightly likable.

This movie is good fun no matter how you slice and dice it. I've often noticed it has a bit of a weird vibe to it, but then I realized that's just the sci-fi/futuristic vibe of the film. I've felt it before when watching sci-fi films. There's something about them. When I watch a film, or a certain genre, I get different vibes. Sci-fi gives me a weird vibe that is undescribable. This film gives that vibe to me. It sounds weird, but I think a lot of people get "vibes" and don't realize it.

I recently viewed this movie twice in less than a day; once at night and once in the morning. It just goes to show how easy it is to watch. It is strictly a fun, action film with lots of imagination and charisma. Easy to watch with a high re-watch factor.

What would you rather do with 90 minutes of your life on a Friday night then watch Arnold Schwarzenegger get to knock some skulls together in a gladiator arena? Exactly.

4/5 stars -

Still a classic

[zakcarroll-93753 · 8/10 · 8 June 2022]

Running man is an absolute classic Schwarzenegger film. If you're looking for a smart political sci-fi drama don't worry about catching this one. If you're looking for a dumb political sci-fi action flic oh boy you're in for a treat. In true Schwarzenegger fashion this film is full of cheesy one liners and almost nonstop action. The story is compelling while still keeping things on the lighter side. It still seems like we're only one more bad election from this being our reality. The same people who scrutinize action movies like this are the same people who watch children's movies and criticize them for being "too childish". It's campy, it's corny and i absolutely love it.

Fun 80s sci-fi

[freemantle_uk · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

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.

Entertaining, but probably only for a select audience

[Wizard-8 · 26 April 2013]

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.

Cheesy 80's Brilliance

[TravisChelios · 7/10 · 27 January 2007]

(***Potential Spoiler***) The Movie is called Running Man, Its from the 80's, It stars Arnold Schwartzeneger and the Tag Line goes something like "A game nobody survives. But Schwarzenegger has yet to play". Honestly you should know what sort of movie to expect. So if Dumb action movies are not your thing then stay clear and reserve your comments to yourself, if not sit back have a few beers, maybe some Snacks, get a few Friends round and enjoy 90 Minutes of senseless Fun.

The Film is set in the not too distant future(2017). America is a military controlled state and the citizens are severely oppressed. Arnie plays Ben Richards, a former police officer who is wrongly convicted of the massacre of innocent civilians. Sent to prison, Arnie escapes only to be captured again. His only choice now is to take part in a sinister Game show where Convicted Criminals Face deadly opponents. Along with two other convicts William Laughlin (Yaphet Kotto) and Harold Weiss (Marvin J.McIntyre) and a woman Richards met along the way, Amber Mendez (Maria Conchita Alonso), Arnold must try his best to survive this game show hell.

Along the way Richards battles Maniacs with Chainsaws, FlameThrowers and Electro bolts. Expect the usual Action and Violence seen in films such as Commando and Predator and of course a few Golden "Arnie" Lines thrown in there all in the pursuit of delivering justice to Richards' Biggest enemy, the game show host Damon Killian (Richard Dawson).

If you want to watch a cinematic Masterpiece, see Casablanca or The Godfather. If you want to see a film regarded as Art, look at Fellini films. If you want to see a fun action ARNIE film watch the Running Man. Perhaps a bit dated (A not too dissimilar more recent film is perhaps Battle Royale) but arguably this film never gets old as it can be watched over and over again. Is it predictable? Yes. Is it Stupid? Yes. Is it Cheesy? Yes. But is it Fun? VERY MUCH SO, YES.

7.5/10

This one deserves a remake with more body count n mayhem but minus the spandex suits.

[Fella_shibby · 6/10 · 11 March 2021]

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs which I used to own. Revisited it recently.

I enjoyed 95 % of Arnold's films n action films of the 80s but i didn't enjoy this one then n not even now.

This one is very mild as ther r no brutal kills n the villains r more comic book style. Ther is absolutely no tension or suspense. The film does have some good one liners, the yellow spandex suit is hilarious, the Christmas tree guy is a big lol but watch out for those 80s dresses n moustaches inspite of the film set in 2019.

Check out for Lin Shaye as the propaganda officer and Franco Columbu as the 911 Security Officer #2.

Is what it is

[sean-57842 · 7/10 · 17 January 2020]

Arnie in the Hunger Games, basically. Insert fire asf female accomplice, terrible bad guys and a pile of one liners and cigars, oh and the chief detective guy from Homicide: Life on the Street, and you've got The Running Man.

This movie predicted Alexa, Reality TV and Cultural Narcissism among other things

[kgehebe · 9/10 · 15 January 2020]

I remember renting this movie from a neighborhood video store back in 1987 or 1988. It was one of those movies that didn't interest me enough to see it when it was out in theatres. When I first saw it I thought it was fun and entertaining but too far fetched and too much gory violence. Its scary to watch it 32 years later and see how much has closer to home it hits now. An Alexa type system turns on TV and other appliances. The world economy has collapsed (Greece and other EU nations have faced similar economic crises in recent years) there are food shortages (Venezuela, the native country of Maria Conchita Alonso have empty grocery store shelves and unrest because of mass starvation). The U.S. government and the entertainment industry work in concert to keep the populace distracted by a savage reality TV show called The Running Man. Enemies of the state have no trial by jury they are merely turned over to the ruthless, scuzzy host of the show, played by Richard Dawson. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a member of the military who is railroaded by the State into participating on the show. (Keep in mind Reality TV wasnt even a concept until almost 15 years after this movie was made.) The Running Man is the #1 show on television with people caring more about the deadly cat and mouse game with the hunted actually being brutally killed on live TV with an enthusiastic studio audience cheering it on. (A chilling reminder of the desensitization of the culture in our current age of social media.) No interest in the constitution, freedom or human rights...free board games and household gadgets given away by Dawson to the audience is a much bigger draw. The movie even predicts millennial ignorance of classic TV (Gilligan's Island, is that the one with the boat? Who's Mr. Spock?)

The movie itself isn't brilliant film making or acting but 32 years on, it's not as much fun as it used to be because its too close to reality for comfort! I strongly recommend it, especially for younger viewers.

Silly and flat 80's sci-fi action movie but still holds a charm

[McQualude · 6/10 · 25 April 2009]

The Running Man is very silly. They use silly sound effects, the helicopter has a jet sound effect, the M-16s have hand gun sound effects, and there were a couple more examples I laughed about but can't remember now. The plot is a ridiculous but irresistible near future dystopian society that uses gladiator games to quell the masses and take their minds from their empty bellies. I've no doubt this movie would have been long forgotten if not for some very charismatic and memorable performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson. Jesse Ventura also appears with what looks to be a very bad toupee but isn't given much to do. My biggest pet peeve with this movie is the poor editing, we jump from scene to scene at times too abruptly. It isn't as if you'll have trouble following the story, but five minutes edited back in would have given the movie much better flow. Still this is an action movie and Arnold delivers while also delivering his trademark one liners.

The Running Man is all time Entertaining very fast Sci-Fi Action flick

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 15 October 2015]

The Running Man is a 1987 American science fiction action film loosely based on the 1982 novel The Running Man, written by Stephen King and published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso, Jesse Ventura, Jim Brown, and Richard Dawson (in his final film).

The Running Man is always all time Entertaining very fast entertaining Sci-Fi Action by novel ever made. My in depth movie review and retrospective of the underrated 80's sci-fi action classic, and one of my personal favorite films. As a kid I always loved this movie is the third best action movie in my opinion I love The Running Man to death, this movie was also made after success of Predator with co starring Jesse Ventura who opposite started with Schwarzenegger in Predator. Very underrated 80's sci-fi action classic, and one of my personal favorite films, I love this movie to death is my number 3 best Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.

The film is very underrated and very bashed and hated from the other critics and fans. In my opinion is very great fun Science Fiction Action film about a convicts who has to fight for survival in a game show. The film, set in a dystopian America between 2017 and 2019, is about a television show called The Running Man, where convicted criminal "runners" must escape death at the hands of professional killers.

1987 was a busy year for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Given his meteoric rise into the ranks of Hollywood's action elite, he accepted the opportunity to play the leading role in two science fiction films within the same year (Predator and The Running Man). The themes and setting couldn't have been more distant, yet they both garnered widespread acclaim, and helped bolster the former bodybuilder's career. I've always felt Predator is a superior picture to The Running Man (and imagine most sci-fi fans would agree), but when it comes to pure mindless entertainment, this is the disc to reach for.

The action sequences were great outstanding, the CGI wasn't in it at all, it was barely in it. The film is fast and very Entertained. The Running Man may not be the greatest 80's action flick, but it's still a relevant entry in the genre and well worth your time. Arnold Schwarzenegger was very very skeptical of Paul Michael Glazer been the director of the movie. And he thought it was terrible choose for Pal Michael Glazer because he was the last replacement. For me the film is fine and It doesn't look like a TV show. I don't think it is a TV show. I have enjoyed very much as anyone else did. I think The Running Man it's a film that it is a lot of deeper than people are giving a credits for. I really enjoy this underrated 1987 Sci-fi action film with Arnold Schwarzenegger! It was fun, pure adrenaline pumping game show-typed flick that's set in a futuristic time, loosely based on a Stephen King novel. It was great to see Richard Dawson coming from the original Family Feud to played an evil game show host. Lots of great action scenes all around. Arnold delivering his one liners w/ perfect timing....such a shame this film wasn't a big hit...but its now a cult classic. I always think Maria Alonso, Arnold's hottest co star. They have great chemistry. Maria is Arnold's type,I wish they had more scenes together.

THE YEAR IS 2019. Television is now ruling people's lives. The most popular "audience participation" game show is "The Running Man"-where convicts can win pardons instead of "parting gifts" by defeating murderous henchman known as "stalkers." The stalkers haven't had much of a challenge lately...until Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) comes along.

The Running Man (1987) is a cult classic film with Arnold Schwarzenegger based on Stephen King's Novel the most underrated film and one of my all time favorite films, I love this film to death.

The stalkers in the game show: Pofessor Subzero, Buzzsaw, Captain Freedom, Fireball and Dynamo are one the most memorable characters in the film, Professor Toru Tanaka,Gus Rethwisch, Jesse Ventura, Jim Brown and Erland Van Lidth De Jeude did a wonderful job portraying the stalkers in the game show in the film. Ben Richards is actually Arnold Schwarzenegger most memorable character of all time. I love the theme Music from Harold Faltermeyer and I love that film is set in the future that is what I love in this film. 7 B+

Read the book

[Scarlet_Fever · 3/10 · 16 March 2004]

On subsequent viewings this is not a bad film really, but i was so disappointed when i first saw it as in comparison to the book it is rubbish.

The book was written under Stephen King's pseudonym Richard Bachman and is the best thing he has produced under this nom-de-plum. A novel which is 100% plot and consequently moves like a steam train, it also provides a bleak 'Blade Runner-esque' vision of the future, but from a lower class perspective. I had high hopes for the film, but they were dashed utterly as the result wasn't anything like the book other than the names of a few characters and the basic premise of a game show where the prize is your life.

Social commentary? Gone. Bleak vision of the future? Minimal. Plotline? Gone. Cataclysmic ending? Gone.

A real shame and a missed opportunity for a truly great film and given the events on 9/11, probably missed permanently now - certainly no one is going to finance a remake with the original ending intact these days.

So, my advice is to see the film before you read the book. If you like the film then the book will come as a revelation and you will see my point of view, but if you have read the book already, then give the film a wide berth as you are bound to be disappointed.

However, it is not a total loss - viewed independantly of the book it is a reasonable Arnie movie, PMG does a pretty good job directing and the effects are OK for the time too. The score is also pretty good and in general the performances are up to the task. This is a 'Friday night after the Pub' movie, don't expect anything too deep, the book has depth, the film is all surface.

Dated, But still entertains

[liammurphy1 · 28 September 2003]

This Arnie veichle made in his 80's heyday is one of his better ones, It's a movie based on a Stephen King book of the same name. It stars Arnie as a convicted killer (framed of course!)in the near future - Where TV is everything, He's forced to take part in a sadistic game show called 'The Running man' with an equally sadistic host played by real life game show host Richard Dawson in which convicted killers are chased by 'Stalkers' with Chainsaw's and flametorches who aim to kill the bad guys on National Live TV with the audience going wild and choosing which stalker will make their next kill to win board games and other crap, Stalkers have NEVER been killed on the show - Will Arnie & CO in their silly lycra pants kick the crap outta them? Of course they will

All in all a likeable if dated 80's Arnie Flick

My Rating 8/10

Nothing like the book in the best way.

[max-p-m-reznik · 7/10 · 8 September 2019]

Don't watch this expecting something like the book, this is its own thing, and a pretty amazing thing I must say. Go into it expecting a classic 80s movie and you won't be disappointed.

Comic-strip Sci-Fi about a game to death starred by Arnold Schwarzenegger who takes cruel villains

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 12 November 2012]

The year is 2017 . The world economy has collapsed , food , natural resources and oil are in short supply . A police state , divided into paramilitary zones rules with iron hand . Television is controlled by the state and a sadistic game show called ¨Running Man¨ has become the most popular program in history . All art , music and communications are censored , no dissident is tolerated and yet a small resistance movement has managed to survive underground . When high-tech gladiators are not enough to suppress the people's yearning for freedom.. more direct methods become necessary . The finest men in America don't run for President . They run for their lives. A wrongly-convicted man must try to survive a public execution gauntlet staged as a TV game show and located in the bombed-out sections of Los Angeles . As a helicopter cop is assigned to massacre unarmed civilians , but following his arrest in tramped-up charges after failing his mission . Inmates are given a chance for pardon , all they have to do is survive an on going game with specially trained gladiators-assassins . Arnold and his friends taking on a series of massive opponents armed with flame throwers , spikes scythes chain-saws .

This exciting film contains action , thrills, suspense , blood , a little bit of humor and is plenty of graphical violence . Special effects laden adaptation of the Stephen King novel , under his Richard Bachman pseud , he wrote the story in 72 hours and was screen-written by Steven Souza , the film is based very loosely on the novel of the same name . The story deals with a futuristic TV game show in which each game are selected some convicts to participate in a brutal man-chase wherein felons are given the chance to run to freedom but have to elude the stalkers ; men who hunt them down and kill them in gruesome manners . 'The Running Man' game seen in the film was based upon an early 1980's Japanese game show called 'Trans American Ultra Quiz', in which contestants were tortured in various ways and the prize went to whichever contestant could stand the pain/humiliation the longest . The movie displays strong and realistic fights and excellent action sequences with bloody attacks and violent , blistering struggles . The picture belong to ¨dystopian world¨ genre as well as the tyrannical control by the government of ¨1984¨ and death games films such as ¨Battle Royale¨ (Kinji Fukasaku) and the recent ¨Hunger Games¨(Gary Ross). Arnold Schwarzenegger is an appropriate and powerful warrior , he steals the spectacle as one army man , as enemies are dispatched in turn ; in addition , he holds the brief comic relief . Dolph Lundgren and Christopher Reeve were interested to star in the movie, and Patrick Swayze had also been considered. Arnold , Governor of California , along with Maria Conchita Alonso have both starred in the Predator movies. Jesse Ventura , Governor of Minnesota , starred in the first Predator film . Ample plethora of secondary actors give bouncing performances as Professor Tanaka , Jim Brown , Yaphet Kotto , Zappa , Fleetwood and Sven-Ole Thorsen . Furthermore , Erland van Lidth's and Richard Dawson's last film. Thrilling and commercial musical score by Harold Faltermeyer , it was composed by means of synthesizer . Colorful and adequate cinematography by Thomas Del Ruth . The motion picture lavishly produced by Rob Cohen was well directed by Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky and Hutch) . Rating : Good . Well worth watching .

What would it be if made now and actually follow the novel?

[pdehaan · 6/10 · 6 January 2024]

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.

classic arnie, 80's action movie

[varsisava · 7/10 · 12 November 2019]

Adapted from a stephen king book (written under his richard bachman pseudonym), set in the future of 2017 and 2019, the movie tells the story of richard, played by arnold schwarzenegger, a wrongfully sentenced cop for killing innocent people. He escapes prison but is caught. He is forced to enter a tv game show called the running man. It is everything what you can expect from a 80's action movie. It has violence, our main hero: arnold schwarzenegger and of course lot's of one liners. If you don't take this movie too serious, you will be able to enjoy it. Just keep in mind that this movie was created in an era where films were made a certain way. It's also kinda fun to watch this movie in 2019, where the story is supposedly set.

"What a hot-head!"

[wierzbowskisteedman · 9/10 · 30 September 2004]

Mild Spoilers

In the near future, Arnold stars as Ben Richards, a wrongly convicted man coerced into playing 'The Running Man', a deadly TV game show where people have to keep moving to try and escape brutal deaths at the hands of the 'Stalkers'. Of course, people are expected to die eventually and its up to Arnold to prove the system wrong.

I haven't read the Stephen King book, but this is a great film regardless, one of Arnold's best. He does what he does best in the action man role, delivering death with unforgettable one-liners. Classics are probably the 'He was a real pain in the neck' after strangling a guy with barb wire, and 'He had to split!', referring to whereabouts he just chain sawed someone vertically. Dawson is perfectly irritating as the TV presenter, and all the 'Stalkers' are suitably camp. The action is violent, but its an action film. That's the point. The film is fast paced, and at 90 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.

With Starsky and Hutch's Paul Michael Glaser at the helm, and made in the wake of the success of The Terminator, previously this film was probably seen as just another mindless action vehicle for Arnold, and very far fetched. But today, anyone who watches a lot of TV could see how the film is getting closer to reality. I wouldn't be surprised if I turn on the TV in the 'near future' and see a show not to far from this.

On that depressing note, I must however recommend 'The Running Man' to anyone who likes the 80s, Arnold, ridiculous acts or violence or just a good action film. 9. 5 / 10

I'm into survival not politics

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 11 December 2009]

**SPOILERS** Futuristic film about a totalitarian government that had taken over the US and uses the media to keep the public in line and satisfied with blood lust-like shows. The most popular being the brutal "Running Man" hosted by its giggling psycho host Damon Killian, Richard Dawson.

It's when Killian saw a news clip of former L.A cop Ben Richards, Arnold Schwartznegger, running from the police with his bulging muscles and perfect physique he saw his lagging ratings for his show-The Running Man-jump up at least 10 points. Richards had been framed for the notorious Bakersville Massacre where, during a food riot, some 60 civilians were gunned down by the L.A.P.D police helicopter that he commanded. With Richards now in custody he'll be the feature act in the next Running Man show where survive of the contestants, like Richards, is almost non-existent.

Getting away from all the preliminaries leading up to the main event the film really gets started when Richards is given the chance to save his life by withstanding and defeating all the stalkers on the show who are out to finish him off. Right away Richards sees what a lying lowlife swine Killian is by him having his two friends Laughlin & Weiss, Yaphet Kotto & Marvin J. McIntire, who escaped along with him from a government gulag put in the same position that he's in: Fighting for their lives against impossible odds as contestants on the show. That was something that Killian promise Richards he wouldn't do if he agreed to participate and go on the show.

With his new found girlfriend-whom he picked up along the way- Amber, Maria Alonso, Richards takes on the best and most effective stalkers that Killian could throw at him making mince meat fried chicken and Susi out of them. This doesn't save either Laughlin and Weiss who in the end are killed during the savage and brutal game.

***SPOILERS*** Richards who was only interested in his own survival turned his interest to overthrowing the ruthless and Nazi-like government when he saw first hand what they've been doing to him and his fellow Americans in enslaving them in both body as well as mind. With a new outlook on life and the sorry state that America is in Richards after dispatching the stalker squad that was out to kill both him and Amber turned his attention on Killian, who with his gang of goons no longer around to protect him, and gave him a taste of his own medicine!

P.S Even more effective then surviving the game of "Running Man" Richards with the help of his late friend Weiss, who was an electronic genius, was able the break the secret code that controls the broadcasts of the country's media-via satellite-outlets. By him doing that the American public were finally able to get the truth of how their Fascist Government lies to as well as manipulates them! And even more important they'll also be able, by rising up against it, to finally put a stop to it! One of those truths that comes to the surface is just how Richards himself was railroaded by the government in taking responsibility in the Bakersville Massacre. Which in fact as the original news video tapes showed, before they were altered, he tried to stop!

Undeniably entertaining, with some genuine nice moments

[tomgillespie2002 · 4/10 · 15 November 2012]

A quasi-disturbing trend in '80's American cinema was the wisecrack; innocuous in some genres, it even extended to the horror film, with the child killer (paedophile if you want a 21st century tag) Freddy Krueger - who would flaunt his quips after extravagantly offing a "youngun". Within the action film, it was Schwarzenegger who was the king of the one-liners. The Running Man offered the perfect vehicle for this fashion of dialogue, with its structure of death-for-survival. In the future (2017 to be precise) the worlds economy has crashed leaving many homeless, and the state runs the entertainment industry - in this science fiction world, television ratings are raised by the depiction of violence and humiliation; as long as it is justified with criminality.

Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) is an ex-cop, wrongfully imprisoned for a helicopter attack on civilians. In the opening scene we see the "real" event, as Richards refuses to shoot innocents, and ignores orders. As we are in familiar sci-fi themes, this dystopic police state, and its control of the media, manipulates the facts to create a criminal. Escaping a maximum security prison (which seems surprisingly easy to break out of), Richards heads for his brothers in the city, whilst Laughlin (Yaphet Kotto) and Weiss (Marvin J. McIntyre) head for revolutionary activity. But the butcher of Bakersfield (the name attributed to Richards by the falsified media story) is too buff, and far too athletic to not be used in television most popular gameshow (its title used for this film), and Killian (Richard Dawson) spots the potential of this "contestant" in a prison break video.

Captured and forced to take part in The Running Man, Richards (along with Laughlin and Weiss and the ubiquitous damsel (Maria Conchita Alonso) who is picked up along the way) has to face a series of stalkers, who hunt them down in a fight to the death. Simply put, it is a kind of underground gladiatorial entertainment, and with the over the top stalkers (including Fireball (Jim Brown) and Buzzsaw (Gus Rethwisch), who all have specific modes of weaponry) they face a game- like structure to get to the next level. In this structure we find the linguistic genius (sic) of Schwarzenegger, as he sardonically "explains" within one comedic line, what happened when he killed another man (for example, after raising buzzsaw's chainsaw to his groin, he is asked what happened to him, and Richards replies "He had to split" - hilarity!

Some of the films themes resonate within our popular culture to this day. Now, I'm in no way stating that this film was prescient, or even that it was ahead of its time. The presentation is certainly of its time, and many of the ideas can be found elsewhere (within literature, Orwell's 1984 is standard for dystopian futures), such as Peter Watkins' Punishment Park (1971). What the film does highlight when viewed in another century is that the general populous has become far more media savvy that ever. We are used to the idea that anything we watch on television (particularly when we consider the mass of reality TV that litters our airwaves) we are watching something edited for the purpose of entertainment. In The Running Man, the audiences are unaware that manipulation is rampant within both current affairs and entertainment broadcasting.

I think I may have just taken a Schwarzenegger film far too seriously. This is an '80's gung-ho action film, that perpetuates the throw-away, comic book violence that prevailed - after all, America was defeated in their last war (Vietnam) and, I'm guessing, had to make war and violence accessible to children! This frightening concept would become more concerning when many adult action ideas were transferred to Saturday morning cartoons (both Robocop and Rambo were translated to cartoon, and they were based on two of the most violent films of the decade). This digression is not too far away from The Running Man, as it does often feel like it is directed at a younger audience, despite the bloody violence, it is very much a cartoonish and immature approach to what could have been a more cerebral comment on mass entertainment.

Based on a book by Stephen King (Writing as Richard Bachmann), the film does have some interesting elements to it. In our modern world of multi- channel, on-demand entertainment, a large segment (the majority in fact) of the media we consume, is so insipid, so incredibly dumbed-down, that it would be easy to argue that these forms of visual pleasure are produced as a form of control (you know, keep them in line by feeding them s**t that rots the brain). In The Running Man, the largely homeless population gather round the over sized screens that litter the skyline to watch state-controlled gameshows, and they find their entertainment in the death of others. When Richards begins to beat the stalkers, the audience start gunning for the supposed "villain". Therefore, the film seems to be making the point that death is what people want to see, even if it is the wrong type of death.

Despite all of these transgressions, this was one of the favourites as a youngster. It is undeniably entertaining, and has some genuinely nice moments, and offers some interesting visions of a future that was inevitably there in 1987, but in which has been exacerbated over the last 30 years of increasingly dumb entertainment. Within standard television production modes, The Running Man is not inspiring film making (it was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, who was Starsky in Starsky and Hutch, and also directed many episodes of Miami Vice). There is probably no doubt that this will be remade, as the ideas and themes are still very relevant today, but lets hope that if it is remade, they forget about the muscles and gladiator iconography, and focus on the manipulation through entertainment. And please, never, ever put Schwarzenegger in a Lycra jumpsuit!

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Awesome Action Film With Great One Liners From Arnie!

[callanvass · 9/10 · 10 September 2004]

This is an awesome action film with great one liners from Arnie!. It's stylishly made, with lots of tense action to keep one satisfied. The Characters were awesome, and Richard Dawson, is very menacing as the main villain. Yes it has tons of plot holes,however it's highly highly entertaining, with a great ending as well. It had a great story, too it, and Arnie and Maria Conchita Alonso had great chemistry together. The Character development was also pretty good, with, some superb performances. The Directing is great!. Paul Michael Glaser, does a very good job here, with awesome use of colors, keeping it stylish throughout, awesome camera angles, and overall keeping the film at a very fast pace! good job. There is a little bit of gore. We get a few bloody gunshot wounds, exploding head, slit throat, bloody chainsaw slices, skinless corpses, blood, and an impaling. The Acting is great!. Arnold Schwarzenegger is AMAZING as always, he is excellent in the acting department , has tons of hilarious one liners, kicks that ass, and as always is a big physical presence!, and was tons of fun to watch! (Arnie Rules!). Maria Conchita Alonso, does well here, she was really cute, and had good chemistry with Arnie!. Yaphet Kotto, is decent here, with what he has to do, which is not much. Marvin J. McIntyre, is good as the geeky type guy, he was cool!. Richard Dawson is awesome as the main villain, and was very very menacing, and he was fun to watch. Jesse Ventura,Jim Brown,Erland van Lidth,Gus Rethwisch,and Professor Toru Tanaka, all do what they have to do very well as the stalkers. Overall a MUST see! ****1/2 out of 5

Stephen King Story Worth Watching

[cheryl-142-917207 · 7/10 · 9 June 2019]

Suzanne Collins owes a debt to Stephen King for this story. Before The Hunger Games there was The Running Man. The idea of media control and propaganda isn't new, but the updated Gladiators-style competition story is a brilliant indictment of the power of the press. Set in a game show format, with Richard Dawson as a caricature of himself (Let's Make A Deal), the action is blended with humor for lots of fun.

Not worth the title 'The Running Man'

[DutchECK · 1/10 · 30 October 2004]

I am a big fan of Stephen King. I loved The Running Man. So obviously I was very excited that someone had made a film of it. And when a local network showed the film, I was in heaven. I was all ready for a night of fun!

The first indicator that something was wrong was when I noticed that someone had cast Arnold Schwarzenegger. I could simply not believe that a man who got famous for films filled with runnin' an' shootin' could play a more cunning part, as was described in the book. I still was convinced that this would be a good film, however. Who knows, maybe Arnold had some hidden talents?

Well, he didn't. I soon found out that the only reason he was even cast was because someone had re-written the entire story to MAKE it about fightin' an' shootin'. Yup, it was a standard Arnold-film: hero is done wrong, hero solves problems by flexing his mighty muscles and scaring everyone away and hero gets the girl.

I was stunned. This is NOT what the book said at all. I know that books can't be put on screen literally, but this didn't even have ties to the book. Stephen King should have openly denounced any affiliation with the film and he should have forbidden using the title The Running Man for this shameless waste of film. I don't say it often, but this film was BAD. If I weren't at home watching, I'd have tossed rotten tomatoes at the screen. Once again: bad.

(Note that I used 'someone' a lot. I did this because I'm sure a lot of people are ashamed to have worked on this and I don't want to embarrass them even further by naming them here)

A rollercoaster of a movie - great fun

[King_Opossum · 18 April 2000]

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!!!!!!

"The Running Man" is also a thinking man.

[Mr_Censored · 7/10 · 14 July 2009]

"I'm not into politics; I'm into survival." - Ben Richards

It's rather funny – well, scary – how ahead of its time "The Running Man" was when it came out 22 years ago. Since its release, reality TV has become the norm, as audiences tune in week by week to watch people humiliating and sometimes endangering themselves for a payday. In the film, it's convicts and the outcasts of society who are thrust into the game, given a chance to earn their freedom that almost always ends in death. A bit skewed from the reality-TV of today, but as our culture progresses, it can't help but feel like this is what we are building towards. The film seems to stumble upon these themes by accident, though, inadvertently becoming relevant to today's times.

At its core, "The Running Man" is less of a socially conscious techno-thriller and more of a prototypical 80's Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle. All the trademarks are there -- from the one-liners and puns to the over-the-top action and stunts-- to make it an Arnie classic. Everyone's favorite Austrian is in top form, and is matched by the lovely Maria Conchita Alonso as a love-interest who is thrust into the game when she makes enemies with the government. Arnie's "Predator" co-star and also-future-politician Jesse Ventura has a bit part as one of the bad guys and hams it up appropriately and while it's nice to see Yaphet Kotto in another sci-fi classic, he isn't given much to do. The direction by Paul Michael Glaser is adequate and captures the zany action nicely, but the film can't help but look and feel dated, especially when it comes to wardrobe choices and the music in the film. This can be forgiven, though, as many 80's flicks have fallen victim to the same things.

Even though the imagery and technology within the movie doesn't exactly resemble the future we are living in today, its themes sure do, and that's what makes "The Running Man" worth coming back to time and time again. It's more intelligent than the average bear, and aside from having Arnie in his prime, has enough social commentary to stimulate the brain and keep it feeling fresh. Hopefully reality-TV doesn't go this far South, but if it does, Arnold Scwarzenegger and company will be there to say "I told you so." As for me, I'm betting on a remake sometime in the next few years.