Better Late Than Never on "The Running Man"

Another old movie I recently saw for the first time the other day was "The Running Man". I'm really excited for the updated "Running Man" directed by Edgar Wright, so I wanted to see the original to get an idea of what I will be getting myself into. I fully understand that Edgar Wright is going to make a more competent and better looking movie, and that these two movies are based on an older Stephen King book, but I often opt for movie interpretations over books. I usually see the movie first and then read the book. I know that's backwards for some, but that's how I do it.

Anyway, I was pretty excited to watch the first "Running Man" movie. I have found that, since I'm older now, going back to 80's sci-fi action movies is a ton of fun. They're so broad and zany and funny and I have such a good time watching them now. I recently rewatched "Total Recall" and was so much more into it now than I was when I first saw it as a kid. I used to be weirdly scared of movies like that when I was a child, but now I truly adore them. I had this feeling going into "The Running Man". And this movie was everything I wanted it to be.

Right off the bat it is no wonder why Arnold Schwartzenegger was such a big action star back in the day. He didn't have to say much, he was hunky and strong and he knew that action was his genre. He is so watchable. This performance was so similar to his work in "Total Recall" and I loved that about it. Honestly, you could watch any action/sci-fi movie from this era starring Schwartzenegger and it is the same performance. He knew what to do, the writers knew how to write him and the directors just let him go off. It is perfect for the genre and era.

Maria Conchita Alonso gave a very good performance in this over the top movie. She added a levity and she wasn't on screen just to be a damsel in distress or a love interest for Schwartzenegger. She was tough and knew how to stand up for herself. When she pulled her hair back in a ponytail after being dropped into the game, you knew she was ready to fight. I loved it.

Some of the "stalkers", the people dropped into the game to hunt the contestants, were absolutely wild. We had a dude with an axe using it as a hockey stick. There was another guy with a saw who hung out with a guy that could sing and use electricity to their advantage. And then we had Jim Brown, Fireball, who could fly and had a gun that shot fire, and Jesse Ventura, the washed up "stalker" who thinks he can still play the game. These guys were sadistic and wild. They were also hilarious. Each had a pun that they would say, and when Shwartzenegger would end them, he made sure to tell them his own related pun. It was very funny.

And then we had Richard Dawson. I only remembered him from "Family Feud". He always creeped me out when I watched reruns of that show. It felt like he was groping every female contestant. That is pretty much what he did in this movie, but this time around he was allowed to curse. He was evil and insane and he gave a good performance. I read that many people said this was just him in real life, so I guess it was an easy role for him.

All in all this movie was so fun. I didn't realize how funny the movie was going to be, and it made me kind of miss when they did action movies like these. I hope, and am pretty certain that the new movie will bring all of the fun that the original had.

"The Running Man" is a great and fun watch. I cannot recommend this movie enough, especially if you watched them when you were younger. Go revisit this movie, it is one of the better ones out there. And it has me prepped for the new version. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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