Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Arnold Schwarzenegger | ... | Ben Richards | |
Maria Conchita Alonso | ... | Amber Mendez | |
Yaphet Kotto | ... | William Laughlin | |
Jim Brown | ... | Fireball | |
Jesse Ventura | ... | Captain Freedom | |
Erland van Lidth | ... | Dynamo (as Erland Van Lidth) | |
Marvin J. McIntyre | ... | Harold Weiss | |
Gus Rethwisch | ... | Buzzsaw | |
Professor Toru Tanaka | ... | Subzero | |
Mick Fleetwood | ... | Mic | |
Dweezil Zappa | ... | Stevie | |
Richard Dawson | ... | Damon Killian | |
Karen Leigh Hopkins | ... | Brenda | |
Sven-Ole Thorsen | ... | Sven (as Sven Thorsen) | |
Edward Bunker | ... | Lenny (as Eddie Bunker) |
In the year 2017, the world economy has collapsed. The great freedoms of the United States are no longer, as the once great nation has sealed off its borders and become a militarized police state, censoring all film, art, literature, and communications. Even so, a small resistance force led by two revolutionaries manages to fight the oppression. With full control over the media, the government attempts to quell the nation's yearning for freedom by broadcasting a number of game shows on which convicted criminals fight for their lives. The most popular and sadistic of these programs is "The Running Man," hosted by Damon Killian. When a peaceful protest of starving citizens gathers in Bakersfield, California, a police officer named Ben Richards is ordered to fire on the crowd, which he refuses to do. Subdued by the other officers, the attack is carried out, and Richards is framed for the murder of almost a hundred unarmed civilians. Following a daring jail break months later, Richards is... Written by Curly Q. Link
Arnold stars as a wrongly convicted federal criminal who escapes a futuristic prison. Once out he promptly is recaptured and put on a television show called the Running Man. A show where one must make his way through a labyrinth being pursued by trackers that include a chainsaw wielding maniac to a hockey playing sumo. It makes for an entertaining ride though it differs greatly from the Richard Bachman novel from which it came from (aka Stephen King). In that story there was no game show arena, rather you just went to the outside world trying to elude the trackers as best you could and the longer you kept hidden from them the more money your family got. Here it is different and look who is in it. With Arnold you need larger than life villains to go against him and also of note is Richard Dawson who is actually rather good as the host of the demented show. Let's face it though, he isn't exactly differing drastically from what he used to do all the time. So what do you get here? Lot's of action and wham bam finish and a little social commentary thrown in for good measure. You also get an entertaining movie that won't keep you on the edge of your seat, but will pass some time in a fun way.