I have a confession.
I am NOT a fan of action movies. Few have made my watch list.
In fact, a running joke among my closest friends (and I guess the entire interweb now!) centres around me falling asleep during a Terminator movie. Don’t ask me which one, I just remember waking up to a glimpse of Arnie and then promptly falling back asleep.
So even though I was intrigued by the premise of The Running Man, I doubted my staying power.
Instead, I found myself hooked.
The Running Man is a remake of the 1987 film, which in itself is based on Stephen King’s novel.
When the film opens, we find ourselves in a grim, distant future. Corporations have taken over the world and the general population lives in squalor and disrepair. Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is desperate for money so that he can take care of his sick daughter.
He decides to audition for one of the Network’s trashy, reality game shows. While he intended to get on one of the lower grade game shows, he ends up qualifying for The Running Man, a violent show where contestants have to outrun trained assassins, the Hunters. If that isn’t enough, the show also eggs the public on to report and take down the Runners. So unsurprisingly, no one has ever lasted the full thirty days of the season.
Powell’s Richards isn’t a macho, dumb jock. Yes, he has an almost distracting physique, but underneath the athleticism, you see a man who is raging against the system for the sake of his little girl. He is the good guy who is tired of being pushed over.
In this regard, Richards isn’t just an action hero but one with heart.
Punters have been quick to suggest that Powell could be the next Tom Cruise. After all, the two did form a close bond on Top Gun: Maverick and Powell considers Cruise a mentor.
While I did enjoy Powell’s performance, I would hold off on that title. It’s early days yet.
Michael Cera is an unexpected addition to the cast. He is known mostly for comedic roles but flexes his chops in The Running Man. Imagine a grown up Kevin McAllister (from Home Alone) who is now a rebel determined to expose the truth. His character was central to one of the most enjoyable scenes in the movie, and has me reconsidering buying my son a super soaker for Christmas.
While the movie does imply a dystopian future, there are eerie parallels to modern day.
Richards’ world is run by billionaires with stakes that complement and conflict with each other.
The general population is so poor that medication for the flu is on the black market. By merely competing for one week on The Running Man, Richards would be among the top 1% of the popularion’s wealthiest.
Sound familiar?
It is this connection to the real world that perhaps makes the film more compelling. We WANT Ben Richards to succeed. It is especially satisfying to see him stand up to the corporation.
We do get sufficient doses of this throughout the movie. However, while the ending was satisfactory, it felt rushed. While I do understand that the film is already over two hours long, I feel it could have benefitted from a more fleshed out conclusion.
Overall, The Running Man is an enjoyable watch. The scenes where Richards encounters the Hunters combines standard action fare with sylised violence. Instead of fully focusing on Richards’ adventure, I like how the supporting characters are interesting in their own right.
Perhaps this is why I didn’t fall asleep this time… and why I didn’t baulk when my husband suggested watching it a week after I initially previewed it.
The Running Man is now showing in cinemas.