Plot: What’s it about?
Jack Ramsay (Tom Selleck) is a police officer who serves on the Runaway Squad, a team of agents who specialize in runaway robots. The robots usually serve their purpose well and don’t cause problems, problems do happen and this crew makes sure the damage is minimal. In a strange phenomenon, a rash of robot crimes have been occurring and some even have lethal results involved. While robots sometimes malfunction and such, this seems to be the work of a sinister force and Ramsay is determined to discover the truth behind the crimes. Ramsay and his partner Thompson (Cynthia Rhodes) are called into the case after two engineers were murdered by robotic creations, but it seems as though this just the start of this madness. As they poke around and seek information, they find out the robotic assassins could be part of a new weapons project being headed up an evil genius, Charles Luther (Gene Simmons). Soon Ramsay and Thompson find themselves under attack from the robots and as they begin to close in on Luther, the danger becomes even more intense!
While Tom Selleck, Gene Simmons, and Michael Crichton might seem like an odd assemblage of talent to some, they combine to create a terrific and very campy science fiction thriller in Runaway. I’m sure many will pass this off as schlock, but I know my collection wouldn’t be complete without it. I mean what more do you need than Tom Selleck vs. Gene Simmons, with Michael Crichton’s writing/directing and some mechanical spiders tossed in for good measure? I admit this is more for guilty pleasure reasons than cinematic achievement, but I can’t help but love this flick. Now with this DVD version, there’s no more waiting for it to show up on cable plus it features an anamorphic widescreen transfer! The story is very cool and though it loses some steam at times, still delivers a solid overall scheme. Of course Selleck and Simmons aren’t known for their superior acting, so Selleck is rather static while Simmons takes it way over the top. This is a good thing though, as it makes sure you never take the film too seriously. If you’re a science fiction buff who wants some offbeat cinema this is a perfect choice, but make sure you give it a rental unless you’ve seen it before.
This film was written and directed by Michael Crichton, who has written many terrific films and even directed a few solid flicks. I’m sure most will remember Crichton for his work on Jurassic Park and The Lost World, but he also has many, many other excellent works under his belt. While Runaway isn’t among his finest work to be sure, it still ranks as one of my personal favorites. In this movie Crichton shows his flair behind the camera as well as writing and while he is better with the pen, he still hands in a solid movie. A rather basic movement and composition selection is complimented by some very cool (though campish) visuals. I’m sure with a larger budget and what not this could have been more realistic, but I like it just the way it is now. If you want to see more of Crichton’s directing I recommend Westworld, Coma, and The First Great Train Robbery. I also recommend some of the films he penned such as Twister, The 13th Warrior, The Andromeda Strain, Rising Sun, and of course the dinosaur flicks. Tom Selleck (Mr. Baseball, Folks!) gives his usual static performance, but it fits his character well and never detracts from the film. In a terrific and extreme performance, Gene Simmons (Detroit Rock City) goes over the top and then some as Luther. The supporting cast includes Cynthia Rhodes (Dirty Dancing, Flashdance), Stan Shaw (Snake Eyes, The Great Santini), G.W. Bailey (Police Academy’s Captain Harris), and Kirstie Alley (Village Of The Damned, Drop Dead Gorgeous).
Video: How does it look?
Runaway is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version also included on the disc’s flip side. This is easily the best this movie has ever looked and fans will be leaping for joy when they see this transfer. There is some grain at times and the image looks a little dated, but overall this is an excellent visual presentation. The colors seem bright and free from bleeds, while flesh tones are natural at all times. Contrast is sharp also with accurate shadow depth and no visible detail loss. I saw some very minor artifacts, but no serious compression flaws. Another superb transfer for a Columbia/Tristar catalog title!
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses 4.0 surround track which creates a nice atmosphere for this film. Jerry Goldsmith’s excellent score is present of course and it sounds very good in this mix. Of course this isn’t as immersive as a full 5.1 surround mix would be, but it still sounds great and packs a nice punch. All the elements seem to be in order and I found no serious flaws in this mix anywhere. The dialogue comes through with no complaints and always sounds clear and clean. This release also includes a stereo surround track in English and a Spanish mono track, as well as English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes some talent files and theatrical trailers for this and other Columbia/Tristar science fiction release.
