Plot: What’s it about?
While The Running Man might seem like a somewhat dated action/adventure movie from the 80’s, there’s no denying that it eerily predicts the future in ways we didn’t really expect. Consider, if you will, the fact that the movie is dominated by a sadistic game show that’s controlled by the government. The name of the game show? The Running Man, of course. At the time when it was released, this was just another “Arnold” movie, albeit a good one. Movies like The Terminator, Predator and Commando were already under his belt and though the film seems campy and dated today, The Running Man was a modest success at the time. Now back to the “eerily predicting…” part. The game show has criminals running from bizarre men with weird weapons. Granted, that hasn’t happened yet. But, when you think about it, how different is that fictional show than, say, “Fear Factor”? This show might even be worse than the one in the movie, as these people are doing it voluntarily! We watch on week after week as people (usually “beautiful” people, at that) risk their lives, eat pig intestines, they let snakes crawl over their skin, etc. – all for money. Correction – all for the chance of money. Are we crazy? Or has the world really changed that much in the seventeen years since this release that we don’t know it?
Based on Stephen King’s (writing as Richard Bachman) novel of the same name, we see Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) as a member of the military. He’s witnessed a food riot and is ordered to kill all 1500 civilians. Directly disobeying that order, he’s sedated by his crew and is then forced to live on a penal colony for the next eighteen months. Richards and some others manage to escape and it’s not long that he’s the most wanted man alive. This is until Killian (Richard Dawson) sees him and wants him to be a contestant on The Running Man. The show is already at the top, but Killian figures to improve upon that. Richards is coerced to “volunteer” for the show and two of his friends, Laughlin (Yaphet Kotto) and Weiss (Marvin McIntyre) show up as well. It’s then that the chase begins. The blood-hungry crowd wants Richards dead, but after killing a few of the “stalkers”, the tide begins to turn. Weiss and Laughlin have a different agenda, though, as they want to break into the satellite system and get the underground movement some new life. Will Arnold and company lose or will the evil stalkers win out and the government will continue to rule the world?
The Running Man certainly isn’t the best of Arnold’s movies, those belong to the Terminator films, it’s a look back at a time when he was still on top. Again, he is teamed with Jessie Ventura, though on opposing sides. I couldn’t help but laugh as the two wrestled to the death. Now the funny part is that these two guys are (or were) Governors of our states! Let me repeat that. Two actors, one a former bodybuilder and the other a former wrestler have governed two of our states! Why is that just now sinking in for me? And while the movie seems dark and dated, it was really ahead of its time when it came out. Any way you slice it, sit back and enjoy Arnold in a late 80’s movie that has more to it than meets the eye. Campy villains, an ex-game show host playing a game show host and the Governor of California in yellow spandex. What more could any movie fan possibly need?
Video: How does it look?
This film has seen more than its fair share of installments on disc. Granted, this is the 35th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray though I personally (as will most) prefer the 4K version. I don’t know if this is a blatant cash grab by Paramount or not. That said, the remastered Blu-ray image isn’t really that bad. In fact, it’s rather nice. We don’t get the wide color spectrum found on the 4K disc, but this has nice, bold colors, detail has been improved and grain removed. It’s a far cry from the early DVD offerings which, by comparison did look superior to their VHS counterparts (albeit, though, not by much). This isn’t the definitive version, by any means but if you’re looking for a great-looking “no frills” version – look no further.
Audio: How does it sound?
The film comes equipped with a DTS HD Master Audio mix which more than gets the job done. Some of the effects sound a bit dated and campy, but that’s also the allure of the movie. I found dialogue to be noticeably better, more defined and rich. The majority of the action takes place in the front speakers with plenty of stuff blowing up. The surrounds do make their presence known from time to time. Honestly, no complaints here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This one is for the fans only as it doesn’t contain any supplements. There are other versions out there if you want/need them, though.
The Bottom Line
Over three and a half decades later, The Running Man still holds up. It’s up to you if you prefer this version or the 2025 remake which stays truer to the novel. As far as the disc goes, it’s sans features but looks and sounds good. I’d personally recommend the 4K version.
