The Running Man

Through the decades Hollywood has rebooted, remade, franchised, sequeled, prequeled and any other form that has all begun with an original idea. Sometimes they work and sometimes not, but suffice it to say, they usually profit--probably effective marketing. "The Running Man" is actually the third film that has been a remake of a Schwarzenegger film--the other two are "Total Recall" with Colin Farrell and "Predator". Originality is a thing of the past. 

In a near-future society, "The Running Man" is the top-rated show on television--a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins including Evan McCone (Lee Pace) with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show's charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort for his family including his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson). But Ben's defiance, instincts and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite--and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall, and all being hosted by a sensationalistic cretin, Bobby T (Colman Domingo).

Others to round out the cast are William H. Macy as Molie, Michael Cera as Elton Perrakis, Emilia Jones as Amelia Williams, Sean Hayes as Gary Greenbacks, Martin Herlihy as Tim Jansky, Daniel Ezra as Bradley and Alex Hoeffler as Duninger.

This was directed with grit and intensity by Edgar Wright ("A Fist Full of Fingers" '95, "Shaun of the Dead" '04, "Straight 8" (TV movie) '04, "Hot Fuzz" '07, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" '10, "Baby Driver" '17, "The Sparks Brothers" '21, "Last Night in Soho" '21) plus others films, TV, music videos and videos. This filmmaker's ability to place his actors in situations where they exude that certain look he's striving to achieve is captivating and powerful. His resume is a who's who of eclectic work and this film is no exception. It was effectively written by Michael Bacall ("Manic" '01, "Bookies" '03, "Scott Pilgrim vs, the World" '10, "Project X" '12, "21 Jump Street" '12, "22 Jump Street" '14) plus TV, a music video and a video, and Edgar Wright ("A Fistful of Fingers" '95, "Shaun of the Dead" '04, "Straight 8" (TV movie) '04, "Hot Fuzz" '07, "The Adventures of Tintin" '11, "Ant-Man" '15, "Baby Driver" '17, "Last Night in Soho" '21) plus other films, TV, shorts and videos, based on the novel by Stephen King. This was an interesting film in that especially now, as opposed to the 1987 version certainly is a film that one can see where our society is going--where everyone is pitted against one another by the big corporations in the guise of a television show--how convenient. The film started out strong, but then spiraled into a film attempting to find itself with a couple of places of disjointedness and an issue with sequencing. However, once these writers found the film, the story then soared into the film they were looking for. These are good writers--bad day at the laptops? Not sure, but it did need a little more polish. The visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) were seamless, and were an improvement of the 1987 version, but they should be considering there is a 38 year difference. 

If you enjoyed the 1987 version, you'll like this easily. It, like its predecessor, reminds us that its not about money, greed, shallowness, and violence in order to co-exist as human beings. It's all about love, family, peacefulness and understanding of one another. As aforementioned, this film simply reeks of the mentality we are seeing today in our society--it's practically scary. 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                    Rated: R                                     133mins.