Electrifying
Summary
I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by Runner, but I’m happy to report this is an awesome action movie and one of the year’s best. Ritchson and Wilson are buddy movie gold, the story doesn’t go the way you’d expect and the action is hard R too. Check it out on the big screen if you can.
Plot: A former soldier and his unlikely partner become the targets of a ruthless cartel while racing to complete a critical medical delivery and save the life of a little girl.
Review: Alan Ritchson is back in action, this time starring alongside Owen Wilson in this fun throwback to 80’s buddy movies. In Runner, Ritchson plays Hank Malone, a former soldier trying to save the life of a young girl with the help of his partner, Ben Bishop (Owen Wilson). What ensues is 97 minutes of beatdowns, chases and explosions and is easily one of the year’s best action movies.
I went into Runner expecting it to be a lighthearted buddy romp and it was for a while, but as the story progresses it gets more and more intense with several surprises and unpredictable twists. I love when a film isn’t afraid to do something different and despite seeming familiar at first glance, Runner has more depth than your average action picture and some moving moments you maybe wouldn’t usually see in a movie of this kind.
It takes about 15-20 minutes for the action to kick in, but it’s setting everything up in terms of characters and story. It has the classic buddy movie trope of the straight guy (Ritchson) and the annoying, but loveable loudmouth in Owen Wilson. They are forced to work together to transport a medical delivery to a young girl however, a cartel needs the package for their own needs. What I liked is that the villain Damian Zaldivar (Rodrigo Santoro) isn’t quite what you expect even if you are never in any doubt he is the bad guy. He is wonderfully unhinged but still very human.
Ritchson once again proves he is a new Legend of Action and he gets plenty of brutal beatdowns and I can tell you this; there is no way Runner is PG-13. This movie is super violent and has plenty of swearing too, so make sure you get out there and support the genre we love on the big screen.
As the movie progresses the action gets crazier and the finale is just a surge of adrenaline. It’s well paced and I was shocked that I was feeling a little emotional by the end which was not on my bingo card tonight.
The score is epic with some great choirs during the action scenes especially towards the end and it’s got me looking forward to seeing it again ASAP.
Overall, Runner is one of the best action movies of the year where someone actually gets killed with the seat of a bicycle. If that doesn’t please you then maybe this isn’t for you, but if you’re a fan of old school action with a modern twist and surprising heart you’ll have a great time.