Review of The Running Man (1987) by Stuart K — 05 Aug 2013

Based on the 1982 book by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman), and directed by Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky from Starsky and Hutch. Razz), a last minute replacement for Andrew Davis, who was unceremoniously sacked after one week.

This is a sci-fi action film which paints an unflattering picture of our future, but within this film lies what was to come in The Hunger Games (2012). In 2017, Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a police pilot who was convicted of an accidental massacre and has been sent to a labour camp, from which he escapes from.

America has become a totalitarian police state, where criminals are put on live TV shows, and massacred before the cameras. Richards is captured, and made to take part on The Running Man, a TV show hosted by Damon Killian (Richard Dawson).

Richards is soon put before vicious serial killers and has to fight to survive, but he succeeds against most of them, and teams up with resistance leader Mic (Mick Fleetwood) to bring down Killian and the totalitarian government.

It's very dated by today's standards, and it is very over the top with a lot of cheesy action, but it has some good moments throughout, Arnie does good as our unfortunate hero thrown into this hellish game.

It says more about Reagan's American than it does about what was to come in the world.