The Running Man

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Blu B It's all over the place for 85% of the runtime honestly but does come together enough for a satisfying enough ending. The acting is all over the place but alright enough as a whole I guess. Arnold is alright here, he's just doing his thing. Making one liners every other scene, saving the day, getting the girl, Bob's your uncle. The host of the show reminds me of the crazy host from The Wizard. I swear they should've got Gene Hackman for the role instead. The villians like Subzero and the other mercenaries are ridiculous, to bizarre, and sometimes I don't even know. The other actors can be very forgettable because we really don't get any development of hardly any characters beyond the bare basics of Arnold and the game show host. It feels like almost a Dwayne Johnson type of cut out character you see if that makes sense. The cinematography is also all over the place. It's so bizarre, gloriously dated, and just cool but crazy. Sometimes it's like watching a Texas chainsaw Massacre 2 fever dream, other times it's more 80's than it is Sci-Fi, and other times it's off the wall where I don't even know. It's gives off Blade Runner/Robocop type vibes but never really knows what to do with all of it. The game show sets are surreal as well especially because of the lighting. It's something though I'll give it that. It's not like they didn't try. It can look a bit cheap though at times, the special effects are alright, and again it's confused. Everything else isn't bad though. The music kind of works because of the 80's but it isn't really Sci-Fi. This is very jumpy and you can tell stuff is missing at points. In between crazy fights we don't even get any development or quiet moments or introductions or setups to the next villian or game. It just throws us into it and than cuts around. I swear half the film Arnold isn't even in this because it jumps around so much. But it does come together enough in the end and I can still tell what's going on but man it's sloppy most of the time. It also has a very weird tone where it's clearly self aware and comedic but also a horror movie at times too it feels like and it's just bizarre. But it does come together in the end and has some commentary on the media being a bigger threat than any form of big government. What srikes me is how we really don't see any big buildings, corporations, or much military sets in this. It's all the game show and I think if it wasn't so bizarre and slowed down and took itself more serious it would have something here. But it's a entertaining, flawed, dated, but unique Sci-Fi flick. anyone who is a big fan of any actors here, or 80's Sci-Fi may get a kick out of checking this out. I would be open to seeing this remade honestly. I think there is opportunity here. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/23/25 Full Review Taiga B Arnold is a framed criminal, a fugitive and a runner. This is a great movie about the dangers of what could happen if a totalitarian regime took over the country and allowed a violent and deadly game to control it's population. There's some great one liners by Arnold and there's enough action in the mix for a very entertaining movie. It may not be Schwarzenegger's best movie, but it's still an 80's classic. It starts off with Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) in a helicopter, who refuses to shoot a bunch of innocent people and goes against his orders. He fights back against his team and gets knocked out and framed for killing a bunch of civilians. This leads him to be at some sort of labour camp in which they manage to escape from and Ben escapes to his brothers apartment. When he arrives, he realizes that a woman is actually living there and he confronts her. She's very hesitant and does not believe that he's innocent. This follows up with her and Ben going on a trip to Hawaii, but she blabs her mouth in public and Ben gets caught by law enforcement. This leads to Ben being placed in this game show where he has to fight for his life. If sci fi movies are for you, this is a must see! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/13/25 Full Review Audience Member This is a absolute 80's classic that stands till this very dark. It's got some of the best greatest one liners by Arnold Schwarzenegger in cinema history that still makes me laugh and smile 😁 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/08/25 Full Review Nick O From 1984 to 1991, Schwarzenegger was the undisputed heavy weight champion of horror/sci-fi flicks. Besides The Terminator, this dystopian murder-sport thriller is prime evidence of just how true that claim is. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Richard B If you're a male who grew up in the 80s/90s and you can't have fun with this movie I feel sorry for you. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/27/25 Full Review alan g Too clichéd with predictable plot and wooden acting. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/22/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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