Meandering with bursts of entertainment
Summary
The Running Man has moments of entertainment, but is overly long, preachy, and the action we do get is shrug-inducing.
Plot: Ben Richards (Glen Powell) goes on The Running Man television show to earn money for his sick daughter.
Review: As a huge Stephen King fan, I have read The Running Man multiple times – it’s one of my favourite King stories. A dark tale of determination and our fascination with macabre spectacle, set in an unequal dystopian future, is a stark and gripping narrative. The 1987 Schwarzenegger movie, while adding a cartoonish quality to the story, did a better job of adapting the tale than it’s given credit for. A remake was not necessary; however, we were promised that “this one follows the original story more closely.” Sure, sure.
So, was it closer to the source material? On the surface, yes. However, saying this movie embodies the themes of the King’s story better than the 1987 adaptation is incorrect. If anything, this movie is cartoonish as well, with over-the-top performances and a sometimes ridiculous narrative style (especially near the end). It follows the actual events in the King story more closely, I would say, but I think it actually does a poorer job of capturing King’s vision.
The movie is shot beautifully. It was filmed in the UK (including large pieces in Scotland), and it looks slick and gorgeous. The set design effectively supports the story’s narrative. The soundtrack, like most soundtracks these days, is non-existent. On the surface, this is a competent film that does an excellent job of presenting the broken, polarized world that the story aims to convey.
As for the characters and the performances, they are serviceable. Powell demonstrates that he can carry a movie in this role, and his angry, belligerent performance brings life to the film. Josh Brolin is wonderfully evil as the antagonist, an elitist television producer who prioritizes the product above all else. Colman Domingo is charismatic as the host of The Running Man. Lee Pace is menacing as the lead hunter, and Michael Cera is wacky as the outsider rebel who helps Powell. The acting power is present in the film, and they do the best with what they have to work with.
Which isn’t saying much. This movie is surprisingly dull at times and far too long. The audition process, a significant component of the book’s narrative, comes across as routine and uninteresting in the film. There isn’t a lot of action in the movie, and when we get it, it’s not that impressive. Some quick cuts at the end of the film lessen what would have been a much-anticipated hand-to-hand combat scene. There is an explosion, a chase, and there are elements of action, but it doesn’t feel cohesive. It’s more like the director was making a comedy/drama and occasionally remembered he was supposed to be making an action film.
Probably the most damning part of the movie is its preachiness, which contributes to its slow pace. The story of The Running Man is rife with social commentary, and doesn’t need to be drawn out – it’s pretty obvious what the story is saying. However, this movie clocks in at 133 minutes, and it doesn’t need that run time. You could have easily cut out the Michael Cera role altogether, expanded the Daniel Ezra part as he was essentially fulfilling the same type of role, and it would have been fine. Continuously reminding us that Richards is doing The Running Man for his wife and daughter is also unnecessary; in the book, he leaves them to go on The Running Man, and we never see either of them again. I didn’t pine for those characters in the book – this is Ben Richards’ story, and his original quest transforms during the story. That’s the point of the exercise and really, after Richards auditions for the games, we don’t need to see the wife and daughter again.
Do I recommend this movie? No, not really. The story is darker and takes more daring chances than this movie does. The Schwarzenegger film is more memorable, features better action, and has more engaging characters. This movie is really for the snobby elitists who like to sound cool by providing soundbites like, “Oh, this one is closer to the original story, so it’s better,” without even reading the original novel. If you’re one of those people, then by all means, see this movie. However, if you’re not, other than the occasional witty line or brief burst of action, there’s nothing here for you.