The Running Man has always been one of my favourite Arnie movies; it is based on (but how much it follows I don’t know) a Stephen King Novel.

The plot is set in a future America where the country has no free speech and music and most entertainment has been censored so that it is un-threatening to the Government. To keep the people entertained, there is a worldwide smash TV show called ‘The Running Man’. This is a game show in which a criminal is placed in an abandoned wasteland and has to survive the attacks of ‘Stalkers’ who hunt them down, it is presented by Damon Killian (Richard Dawson – a real life Game Show Host), a real nice guy to the public, but really a nasty piece of work.
A man by the name of Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger – Predator) has been wrongly imprisoned for gunning down helpless civilians who were rioting for food. The government has made out that Richards shot the people down in cold blood, when the truth is; he refused to fire at all against orders.
With some help from fellow inmates Laughlin (Yaphet Koto – Alien) and Weiss (Marvin J.McIntyre – Short Circuit) he mounts a jailbreak. As his friends go to join the resistance, led by Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac!) Ben leaves to meet his brother.

However, when he arrives at his Brother’s apartment, it turns out he has been taken away for a minor crime, and his apartment is now owned by Miss Amber Mendez (Maria Conchita Alonso – Predator 2). Taking some of her money and her travel pass, he forces her to take him to Honolulu, but at the airport, she blows his cover and he is taken away.

Killian comes to Ben, asking if he will appear on the Running Man, revealing that he might get a pardon, or at least a trial by jury (!). Ben tells him where to go and Killian blackmails him, showing him a video of Laughlin and Weiss, and informing him that if he doesn’t take part, they will do it in his place.

When the time comes to take to the arena, Ben discovers that he has been had, as Killian is putting his friends in anyway. Before being fired down to the battleground, Arnold fires out his classic line “I’ll be back” to which Killian brilliantly replies “Only in a re-run”.

The first challenge the three will face is Professor Sub-Zero (Professor Toru Tanaka - Revenge of the Ninja) a giant who wields a razor bladed hockey stick, which he uses to launch mine pucks.
Ben stuns the crowd by killing the Gladiator, but he is only the first, as Ben will have to deal with the combined might of the chainsaw loving Buzz-saw (Gus Rethwisch – House 2) and the electro powered opera singer Dynamo (Erland Van Lidth – Alone in the Dark).

But, suspicious Amber has been caught snooping around the files of the TV company and is caught and sent into the arena as well.

Will Ben and co survive the attacks of Dynamo and Buzz saw, as well as the final Stalker Fireball (Jim Brown – The Dirty Dozen)? Will they find out how to expose Killian and the government? All is revealed in the rest of the movie.



This is the kind of movie that is just brilliantly entertaining. Sure some of the special effects are a bit flaky (Dynamo’s electric shots), but this was the eighties, so a little leeway can be given.
This is one of Arnie’s best performances in my opinion, he fires off his famous one-liners at a rapid rate in this movie, and does his hardman stuff brilliantly as always.
Richard Dawson is awesome as Killian though, he is actually one of my favourite Arnold villains in that he isn’t actually tough, he is just smart.
Maria Conchita Alonso does her role justice, looks good in a skin-tight suit and even has her own memorable line “there’s nothing funny about a dickless moron with a battery up his A**”.
Sadly, Jesse Ventura (Predator) has little to do in his role as Captain Freedom, a retired stalker. All he really does is a little bit of interviewing and going into a strop because Killian won’t let him battle Richards hand to hand.


The movie only really has one memorable song, and that is the theme tune, but it is pretty cool and catchy.

The Running Man is an 80s action-Sci-Fi movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it. If you were expecting any sort of award winning stuff, you will be disappointed, but if you go into the movie looking for the right things, it is incredibly enjoyable.
The action scenes are great, and the movie is great entertainment, and I think it’s memorable villains put it above most of the action movies released in this time.

Year: 1987
Titles: The Running Man





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD