Review of Logan's Run (1976) by Joe A — 08 Jun 2012

Logan's Run is a story of a supposed 23rd century utopian society. The only problem is that you are only allowed to live till thirty then you are sent to "Carousel" where your body is destroyed and you are then reborn with "Renewal"... or are you? Michael York plays Logan 5 a "Sandman", who is basically a cop who terminates "Runners", those who try to flee Carousel and escape Renewal. When word spreads of Sanctuary, a place where people can go to flee Renewal and live out their lives in peace, Logan 5 is ordered to find, infiltrate and destroy Sanctuary. But, in order to do so, his lifeclock is set ahead from 26 to 30 years old and now the Sandman becomes a Runner and is himself hunted by his best friend and Sandman, Francis 7(Richard Jordan). But, as he runs for his life, his quest for Sanctuary becomes more and more personal as he finds out the truth about his former perfect world. Logan's Run is a fun, light, 70s sci-fi adventure based on a novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. The film is very 70s and the nostalgia adds to the enjoyment of it. The SPFX are cheesy (but won an Academy Award in 1976) and some of the drama borders on campy but, there are actually some cool ideas here and it's fast moving and entertaining. York gives a good performance and he, like the rest of the cast, take the proceedings seriously and it helps us go along with it. Director Michael Anderson also takes the material seriously but, keeps it moving too, so it doesn't become preachy or bogged down in it's own messages about the cost of trying to achieve perfection. David Zelag Goodman's script only borrows the basic premise of the book and crafts a sci-fi tale that fits in with the type of films made at this time, filled with action but, not without a moral. By today's standards, Logan's Run can be a bit silly but, not in a bad way. The film has heart and that helps. Also stars Jenny (An American Werewolf In London, Avengers) Agutter as fellow Runner and love interest, Jessica 6 and a strong performance from Jordan as Francis 7 whose refusal to accept that his beliefs might be wrong only fuels his need to destroy Logan and set everything "right". Extended cameos by Farrah Fawcett and Peter Ustinov. A fun, sometimes silly,but very entertaining, 70s sci-fi flick. Spawned a short lived TV series with different actors and an even lighter tone.

EXTRA TRIVIA: William Devane was originally cast to play Francis 7 but, left to work with Alfred Hitchcock when Roy Thinnes was fired from Family Plot. Rumor has it that Devane was Hitchcock's first choice and Thinnes was fired simply to allow Devane to take the role.