The Running Man [Blu-ray]The Running Man [Blu-ray]
The year is 2019. Television is now ruling people’s lives. The most popular “audience participation” game show is “The Running Man”– where convicts can win pardons instead of ”parting gifts” by defeating murderous henchmen known as “stalkers.” The stalkers haven’t had much of a challenge lately…until Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) comes along. Wrongly convicted of slaughtering 1500 innocent people, Richards is the next contestant to fight for his life…and his freedom. When ”R
Rating:  List Price: $ 19.99 Price: $ 10.60 |
(out of 136 reviews)
Review by Jon for The Running Man [Blu-ray]
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The newly-remastered picture is so much clearer and more vivid than the original release and the DTS soundtrack is an awesome addition. After having heard it, I would’ve bought it for the DTS, alone. Who knew that a 17-year-old movie could be remastered to DTS quality and 6.1 surround so well (including very targeted use of the rear channels).The extras are another story, as many people have stated. The “Lockdown on Main Street” is a thoroughly one-sided political statement. If it should be anywhere, it should be on PBS, not on an action movie DVD. It feels like execs at Artisan were determined to put this documentary out there and picked “The Running Man” from their upcoming catalog as the best suitor.The “Game Theory” documentary is just a piece in which creators and participants of reality TV shows pat themselves on the back for their popularity. Perhaps fans of reality TV would find it interesting, but I didn’t.In summary, the new remastering of the movie is “special,” but nothing else on either of the discs is. As someone else said, buy it for the movie. The extras may make my stomach turn, but the movie is one of the best remastering jobs I’ve ever seen.
Review by Barron Laycock for The Running Man [Blu-ray]
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In this wry and entertaining take on a world gone crazy, where corporate rulers routinely engage popular sport activities to distill public anger and frustration and to try to distract common people from civic unrest, we find perpetual everyman Arnold Schwarzenegger caught in the vise-grip of official lies when he escapes from maximum security prison only to be caught and selected as the latest “contestant” (read `intended victim’ here) for the overwhelmingly popular television program called, appropriately enough, “Running Man”. The point of the game is for the contestant to survive being hunted down by a sewerful of villains while trying to make his way through a nightmarish maze. The villains are a bit campy, ranging from an outrageously garbed electric man who dispatches virtual lightning bolts to fry his prey out of existence to a chainsaw freak who attempts to hack his victims to death while riding his motorcycle. Yet the action sequences more than make up for the sometimes-silly dialogue. The supporting cast is composed of veterans like Richard Dawson as the venomous game-show host and producer, who manipulates every aspect of the game to reach the storyline he has laid out. There are also a lot of cameos here, from Mick Fleetwood as a revolutionary to Jessie “The Body” Ventura as a sports commentator to Jim Brown as one of the slayers. The special effects are well done, and the action sequences provide plenty of vicarious violence for the moviegoer. Of course, Arnie has a waft of throwaway one-liners, and we know we are in the hands of experience when he tells Dawson the “he’ll be back”. Dawson, of course, not knowing whom he is dealing with, blows off the threat. But the moviegoer knows Arnie will be back, and that he will win the day. This is not an intellectually satisfying film, but it is a good, sold action adventure based on an early story of Steven King’s that will keep you amused and entertained. It provided one of a series of sequential hits for Schwarzenegger, and helped to cement his reputation as a bankable superstar. Great stuff for wiling away a snowy winter day. Enjoy!
Review by Kevin Wolf for The Running Man [Blu-ray]
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(minus one star for the sound)I have seen this movie several times, mostly on television, and I have always found it to be a very exciting and watchable movie. Like other reviewers, my biggest problem with the movie is that it is the same scene over and over. But even so, when you throw in Arnold (i still cant spell his last name), you are guaranteed to taken for the ride of your life. while not an actor with much dramatic range, he still seems to be the only actor who can appear in a movie like this and make it seem like it was the role he was born to play. Dawson is terrific as the almost-likable villian Killian, and the girl in this goes perfectly with arnolds character. If you like action, blood, excitment, and more blood, then check this one out. It may not be the most intellegent movies to come out of the 80′s, but it is one the most fun and exciting. Now, whay isn’t there a dolby digital track on this disc? I thought the main point of owning dvds is the picture AND the sound. pro logic may cut on vhs, but not on dvd. I’m waiting to see if they’ll rerelease it with dts or dd. good movie, cheap disc.
Review by for The Running Man [Blu-ray]
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This one is definitely a keeper! Schwarzenegger makes this film both Action packed (so much that the action was seeping out of my VCR!!! ) as well as chaotically fun! Forget about “I’ll be back” this one has got some of his best ever one liners! As well as some great action scenes which make you think that maybe this time he doesn’t make it! The host of the game show, Richard Dawson, who was the ex-Family Feud host as well, played a great part in being the Devilish Host of the sadistic mayhem that they call a game show! The supporting cast is also a treat with Maria Conchita Alonso and Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Overall, this was one Action packed movie right from the get go! This one will thrill both Arnold fans as well as Action thrill seekers alike! 5 Stars!
Review by Kolors for The Running Man [Blu-ray]
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The year is 2017. America is ruled by a brutal police state. The government owns the media and lies to the public through it. Music, movies and any another art form is censored. America’s favorite television show: Running Man. A game show where convicted murderers and menaces to society fight it out in a Gladiator style battle to the death against “Stalkers” for a chance to win prizes like a trial by jury or an acquittal. Based on a short novel by Stephen King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, 1987′s The Running Man should be an entertaining movie, which it is, but should also be a reminder of how grateful we should be to live in a free society. The problem is that it doesn’t. It’s more of a grim prediction which isn’t too hard to imagine in 12 years with the way things are going. With America’s desensitized obsession with violence and knack for reality tv, it isn’t hard to see the two being combined in the years to come as our morale continues to decay. Just last month there was a swat raid on a perfectly legal electronic music event near Salt Lake City, Utah where police used excessive force at a peaceful gathering. Police also used excessive force just recently at the annual Punk Rock Picnic in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Even after that, the site musicisnotacrime org posted information about police brutality at the event and their site was attacked and shut down by excessive downloading and bandwidth drainage where the IP number addressed back the Kenosha police’s website. The police obviously wanted the site silenced and the Freedom of Speech held no concern. And let’s not all forget about the Patriot Act or the Rave Act. Are the ideas in The Running Man far from the way things are today? Sadly to say, they are not.
Enough ranting, The Running Man is a great movie and can still hold my attention after all these years. One of Arnold’s best for sure. That’s it for me.