As a kid who grew up in the ’80s a fan of larger-than-life action heroes, I loved 1987’s The Running Man. I even did a video for it not too long ago, going through all the reasons why. But that film, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, bears very little resemblance to the novel by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King. Years later, Edgar Wright brings a more faithful adaptation to the screen, and while its frantic energy and balls-to-the-wall performance by Glen Powell are entertaining as Hell, it doesn’t feel like it will hold the same long-lasting appeal as its predecessor.
While King’s book, about a dystopian future in which an oppressed society is entertained by government-sponsored game shows of death, is grim in the way much of his work is, Wright’s version of The Running Man is a fast-paced and loaded with comedy. That’s perfect for Powell, whose self-destructive husband/father Ben Richards is more brazen than Schwarzenegger’s laconic bulldozer. But the attempts at parody don’t really click because they don’t feel like they are of our moment. For example, Josh Brolin’s evil network producer Dan Killian is just a sleazeball who manipulates players into The Running Man, a game show in which players must survive out in the world for a month while Hunters try to kill them. Killian has no qualms about altering footage and telling lies to tell the story he wants to tell. Honestly, he pales in comparison to some of the shit we see out there with our media today. So the satire feels kinda weak, and that’s across the board. One of the things I love most about the original movie is how prescient it was about the corrosive effects of reality television on a cowed society. There’s a lot more that Wright could’ve commented on, and just doesn’t.
Once you get into the meat of The Running Man, the game itself, that’s when the film is truly a blast. Richards seems like a good guy, but he’s also his own worst enemy. Fired from multiple jobs for “insubordination”, he’s desperate for cash to pay for his ailing child. While his wife (Jayme Lawson) begs him not to sign up for The Running Man because contestants never come back alive, he can’t deny the big money it offers. The cool transport tubes are back, given a visual upgrade, of course, and there’s a lot more technological sizzle. Wright has never had a problem constructing wild action sequences, and puts Powell through a veritable battlefield of shootouts, obstacles, and sick car chases. While I miss the colorful villains of the past, Lee Pace is pretty badass as McCone, the chief Hunter on Richards’ trail. They have an insane fight aboard an out-of-control plane that is only hurt by the presence of Emilia Jones as a character who is shoehorned into the plot in the final act and never feels like she belongs there.
I’m a big fan of Wright as a filmmaker, as he’s made some of my favorite movies of all-time. That said, he has a tendency to pack too much into his movies, and The Running Man is no different. The final hour or so feels heavily edited, introducing poorly written characters and rushing to a finale that, while still satisfying, could’ve used some more time to cook. Then again, perhaps Wright was getting antsy about the runtime which clocks in at a hefty 133-minutes. The original was a tight 101. It’s a bit sad that with so much time, supporting players like Katy O’Brian, William H. Macy, and Michael Cera don’t get nearly enough to do. They’d kill for Yaphet Kotto’s screen time. Colman Domingo brings a much slicker vibe than the late great Richard Dawson as host of The Running Man.
Those concerned that Wright will ruin their childhood with The Running Man shouldn’t worry. His film is propulsive, funny, and exciting if disappointingly overlong and unwieldy. It’s also nothing like its predecessor, so both movies can be enjoyed on their own for different reasons. But in case you are still a bit worried, Wright has you covered with a clever Schwarzenegger cameo where it’s least expected. See, Arnold told you he’d be back, and it didn’t even take a rerun.
The Running Man hits theaters on November 14th from Paramount Pictures.
