Review of Running Man, The

Introduction

When The Running Man was first released, it seemed like just another generic action movie, with Arnie as the typical, invulnerable hero battling against amazing odds to emerge triumphant at the end, with a heavy dose of wisecracking on the way. However, even then the social commentary beneath the mindless violence was obvious, and the satire just as evident. Fifteen years on, and The Running Man seems almost prescient. O.K maybe things aren`t that bad. The world based loosely on the Stephen King novel hasn`t come to pass and the dystopian vision of the future seems hopelessly dated rather than cutting edge. Yet in this world where reality TV rules the airwaves, how far away is the idea of lethal game shows? Big Brother and Survivor are relatively harmless, where the worst that can happen is character assassination. Yet the Taleban Regime in Afghanistan used defunct football stadiums for public executions. As we become more and more desensitised to violence and mans` inhumanity to man how long before we stop watching gladiatorial combat by proxy in Robot Wars and start clamouring for the real thing.

I always get a sinking feeling when a movie starts with a scrolling text announcing "In the Year 20**, the world has degenerated due to nuclear war/disease/pollution/lack of resources". It`s usually an unfounded feeling, but on a few occasions such text usually presage the most banal stories ever put to celluloid. Fortunately this is one of the better movies where the text sets the scene quickly and concisely. This time it`s the lack of resources option that has forced the creation of a police state. Rules are strictly enforced, and feeding their bloodlust with the most popular game show in history controls the populace. The Running Man, presented by Damon Killian pits convicts against hopeless odds, all the brutality televised while the prisoners serve out their sentences in the most lethal way. Should they win, they are guaranteed their freedom and a happy life of luxury. Ben Richards is one of the enforcers of the police state, who falls from grace when his conscience stops him from firing on innocents. Imprisoned and sentenced to hard labour, he and some political prisoners, Laughlin and Weiss stage a daring escape. Their freedom is short lived though, and when they are recaptured, they find themselves fighting for their lives against hi-tech gladiators on The Running Man. Richards is all for escaping the labyrinth that are the ruins of LA, but Laughlin and Weiss have another agenda. The ruins hide the satellite uplink that the government uses to broadcast their propaganda. If they can find the uplink code, then the rebels can broadcast the truth and win their freedom from oppression.

Video

It`s time for the rot to set in. When I placed my order for the Running Man, I ordered a DVD with an anamorphic picture and DD 5.1 sound. When the final product fell on my doormat it was as different from advertised as possible. The picture is still advertised as 16:9 compatible on the packaging, but that only applies to the Universal logo and the menu screen. As soon as the film starts, everything shrinks. Yes, it`s a 1.85:1 letterbox transfer and not a great one at that. There is evidence of artefacts in the murkier and misty scenes. The film is largely set in the dark and gloom and this isn`t helped by the low contrast. The low resolution of the letterbox format makes for a less than ideal picture. In fact the image often seemed blurry, even for letterbox. There has been no effort to renovate the print, and it remains just as dirty as I remember on my aged videotape. The Running Man never had high production values and feels even more now that it was filmed in a quarry. It really has a low budget feel throughout, but the story and action is just as effective despite all this. The picture is mediocre at best, but it has a few advantages over the videotape. It`s widescreen for one, also the film has a lot of colour rich scenes, all blue or all red in eighties primary colours. These bleed heavily on my VHS often making the scenes incomprehensible. This is far less evident on the DVD and is definitely an improvement, no matter how marginal the quality of the disc.

Audio

So much for the promised DD 5.1 remix, what we get here is the bog standard DD 2.0 stereo soundtrack that the film originally had. If you like eighties music then I`m sure you`ll appreciate the Harold Faltermeyer soundtrack. It may be all synths and drum machines, but it suits the movie well and punctuates the pace and tension well. Watch out for the John Parr song over the end credits, fellow eighties fans. The dialogue is nice and clear, but the sound is a missed opportunity. An action movie like this could have done with a surround mix. The rocket pods hurtling down the chutes are just begging for some surround effects.

Features

The final nail in the coffin. A hideous static menu giving you the choice of scene selection, trailer and the option to play the movie are all that you get. You don`t even get subtitles or an inlay card.

Conclusion

The Running Man has dated, but not completely. It betrays its eighties origins with every image of Lycra and big hair. But underneath the mindless violence, the slick eighties presentation and the cheesy dialogue, the social commentary is even more valid than it was fifteen years ago. When it comes to television and spectacle, we are as a society more voyeuristic than ever before. Governments are more about spin than policies and when you hear lines like "I`m your court appointed theatrical agent" or "Get me the President`s agent" they somehow sound far more plausible now than the obvious jokes they were in 1987. In this respect, The Running Man has a lot in common with Paul Verhoeven`s Robocop, but it hasn`t stood the test of time half as well. The low budget is quite obvious now and the sets seem quite restrictive and cheap. Paul Michael Glaser directs with a light touch and it often feels like a pop video.

Despite that, the story is good even though it bears little resemblance to the Stephen King novel. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in the peak of fitness here and every bulging muscle reminds us why he became such a superstar in the first place. This was when films were made around his prominent talents, being strong and shooting bad guys. Here he goes up against a whole host of kitted out WWF wrestlers and he outdoes any of his previous work in terms of wisecrack quotient. Every despatch of a bad guy warrants at least one comment and usually gets two. This is what Arnie movies are about. Maria Conchita Alonso is Amber Mendez, the love interest and she is suitably feisty as the musician who gets caught up in the revolution. Supporting Arnie is the always-redoubtable Yaphet Kotto as Laughlin. He provides a bit of class to the cast, but he is simply overshadowed by the Austrian oak and exits far too soon. The revolutionaries in this film, Mic and Stevie are played by pop legend Mick Fleetwood and son of pop legend, Dweezil Zappa. Speaking of WWF wrestlers, one of Arnold`s foes is played by onetime commentator and US Governor, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, here playing slightly against type as Captain Freedom a stalker turned commentator who hardly gets a word in edgeways. Richard Dawson plays the villain of the piece, Damon Killian wonderfully, and it`s his portrayal of the nemesis game show host that makes this film work. Having cut his teeth on Family Feud, (Family Fortunes in the UK) he has the wherewithal to carry of the part and he steals this film to some extent. His banter with his number one fan, Agnes is reminded me of Graham Norton`s on screen antics with audience regular Betty.

If you are a fan of this film as I am, then this lacklustre DVD will be something of a disappointment. This title was released with same specs in Region 1 and I had hoped for some improvement after all this time. Your guess is as good as mine whether there will be a Special Edition down the line but if you can`t wait, you`ll find the asking price is ridiculously high for this bare bones release. But look for a decent discount first. I got my copy for less than a tenner on the day of release and at that price I`m satisfied with my purchase.