The Running Man (1987)
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Richard Dawson
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser
***Now streaming on Netflix***
I was utterly fascinated with game shows as a kid. Growing up, I remember spending summer vacations watching nothing but Pyramid, Card Sharks, Tic Tac Dough, Scrabble, and too many others to count. I would "play" the game show host, creating my own versions of Jeopardy. It was kind of a far-fetched dream to become the next Wink Martindale or Pat Sajak. Well, that certainly didn't happen, but because of that childhood fascination, The Running Man has been on my list of movies to see for probably fifteen years. I had never gotten around to it until now, but thanks to instant viewing on Netflix, I managed to watch it.
And, after all these years, it should come as no surprise that The Running Man it's really just a typical Ah-nuld movie that reeks of the cheesy actioners of the 80s. But it was fun and an enjoyable diversion -- a film with a great story that's hampered by some poor execution.
The year is the super-futuristic 2017 and the government has taken over all aspects of American life. Arnold is Ben Richards, a government officer who is framed in the murder of 1500 innocent civilians. He's sent to jail, but escapes, only to be caught again and put on the most popular television show -- The Running Man -- where criminals attempt to earn their freedom by evading burly guys named Seekers who set out to kill them.
The best part of this film isn't Arnold or the various deaths (which are shockingly tame and unexciting) or the "pro wrestling" and football players who act as the Seekers (oh, Jesse Ventura...). Instead it's Family Feud emcee Richard Dawson as Damon Killian, the host of the game show. He's witty, devious, and, as most game show hosts are, winningly charming. It certainly helps that his part in the flick as the "reality show producer" is the most resonant in today's society of The Bachelorette, Jersey Shore, and [insert VH1 trash here]. It's the role of Killian and the game show itself that prop The Running Man up. The action (unfortunately) and the acting (which is to be expected in a silly 80s flick like this) fall to the wayside and simply aren't that good.
The RyMickey Rating: C
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