Review of The Running Man (1987) by Matthew L — 13 Jan 2009

The Running Man is a great movie for when you just want to turn something on to see some quick action. There is a cop who was framed and then imprisoned for crimes he didn't commit. He plans and executes and escape, but is later caught and sent to participate in a game show for criminals who "run" for their freedom. You'll get to see Arnold face off against "stalkers" who will try to kill him in interesting ways. The costumes some of them wear are a bit cheesy, but it's supposed to be a prime time game show, with an announcer in the style of "The Price is Right." There is also a good looking female costar named Maria Conchita Alonso. You can expect to see her in a tight aerobics-style suit.

This movie also touches on the potential for harm in the ability of the media to manipulate information to its own liking. In the movie, video footage is edited to make it look like Arnold's character committed the crimes. In the real world, if you watch the news in the US, you may see the same footage told from an entirely different perspective as you would if you watched it on Al Jazeera, an Arab news network. It happens all the time, and because people trust the news networks, they believe what they see.

So, the movie has a deeper meaning, if you're looking for it, but like I said, you can turn this on just to catch a flick with some great action in it!