In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their free... Read allIn a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen King(novel)
- Steven E. de Souza(screenplay)
- Stars
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen King(novel)
- Steven E. de Souza(screenplay)
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations
Videos3
- Dynamoas Dynamo
- (as Erland Van Lidth)
- Svenas Sven
- (as Sven Thorsen)
- Lennyas Lenny
- (as Eddie Bunker)
- Valdezas Valdez
- (as Anthony Penya)
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen King(novel)
- Steven E. de Souza(screenplay)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
- Taglines
- The year is 2019. The finest men in America don't run for President. They run for their lives.
- Genres
- Certificate
- R
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Rob Cohen purchased the rights to the Richard Bachman novel "The Running Man", he had no idea that Bachman was actually a pseudonym for Stephen King.
- GoofsIn the helicopter, Ben says, "I will not kill helpless people"; in the game show with the original "uncensored" footage of the massacre he says, "I will not kill helpless human beings."
- Quotes
Damon Killian: There are still two crack stalkers out there. Dynamo and Fireball. Who do you think will make the next kill?
Elderly Lady: Oh, boy. That's a tough one.
Damon Killian: Come on. You can do it. Who do you think?
Elderly Lady: Okay, I think the next kill will be made by... Ben Richards.
Damon Killian: Agnes, Richards is a runner. You gotta pick a stalker.
Elderly Lady: I can pick anyone I choose. And I choose... Ben Richards. That boy's one mean motherfucker.
- Crazy creditsAnnouncer's voiceover: "The Running Man has been brought to you by: Breakaway Paramilitary Uniforms, Orthopure Pure Procreation Pills, and Cadre Cola - it hits the spot. Promotional considerations paid for by Kelton Flame Throwers, Wainwright Electrical Launchers, and Hammond & Gage Chain Saws. Damon Killian's wardrobe by Chez Antoine, 19th-century craftsmanship for the 21st-century man. Cadre trooper and studio guard's sidearms provided by Colchester, the pistol of patriots. Remember, tickets for the ICS studio tour are always available for class A citizens in good standing. If you'd like to be a contestant on The Running Man, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to ICS Talent Hunt, care of your local affiliate, and then go out and do something really despicable! I'm Phil Hilton. Good night and take care!"
- Alternate versionsAn edited version was produced for network TV broadcast in which extreme violence was removed, and certain dialogue was redubbed by the original actors (eg. an expletive Barbera Lux uses at the end of the movie was changed to "Bullsquat").
- ConnectionsEdited into 5 Second Movies: Gamer (2009)
It takes place in the near future, where everything is run by the media and the government. Kind of like right now. In the future, there isn't much selection on television. All there is is "The Running Man"--hosted by Damon Killian (Richard Dawson, host of "Family Fortune" in real life)--a show that features convicts, or "runners" being chased by madmen, or "stalkers." It's a bit like a futuristic gladiator sport. No one ever, ever wins the show. But Schwarzenegger has yet to play. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Ben Richards, also known as The Butcher of Bakersfield, for firing upon a crowd of humans in a food strike. Only one problem. He's been framed--he never shot anyone. After Arnie escapes from jail, Damon Killian wants his hands on him for the show--so they hunt him down and bring him in. Damon offers Ben a deal--if he goes on the show, he'll let his friends from jail go free. But if he doesn't...he puts his friends on. So Richards agrees to play the game, only to find that Damon has put his friends-from-jail in the show anyway. Right before being launched in the arena, Ben Richards says to Damon, "Hey, Damon. I'll be back." There is a pause. "Only in a rerun," Damon says. Yeah, right.
This movie is about as action-packed and adrenaline-punched an action movie you're going to see in a while. We see an excuse for Schwarzenegger being thrown into an arena with killers, where he must use his brains, strategy, and most of all muscles, to kill the stalkers. But the thing is, the excuse for throwing Schwarzenegger in the arena is a good one. They didn't completely ignore the plot; they don't even throw him in the arena until at least a half hour into the film. They set up the plot first, which is nice.
Arnold proves his acting talent is not just in his muscles once again. Too many people make fun of Schwarzenegger's acting skills, but to tell you the truth, I prefer him over Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone any day. Bruce and Sly are mumblers, in my opinion. Anyway, I like Arnold in this movie, because unlike in "The Terminator" where he is an indestructible cyborg, he is a vincible human with emotions in this film. We see a different side to Schwarzenegger, and it's pretty nice.
Richard Dawson is surprisingly good as Damon. I love his charisma on screen. Of course he's good at playing a gameshow host--he himself was one--but he also has a very good acting talent. Check out the scene where he offers Arnold a deal for going on the show. Look how smug he is in that scene, and how well he delivers his lines. He envelops his character very well. An underrated actor if ever I saw one. He comes off slightly creepy and slightly likable.
This movie is good fun no matter how you slice and dice it. I've often noticed it has a bit of a weird vibe to it, but then I realized that's just the sci-fi/futuristic vibe of the film. I've felt it before when watching sci-fi films. There's something about them. When I watch a film, or a certain genre, I get different vibes. Sci-fi gives me a weird vibe that is undescribable. This film gives that vibe to me. It sounds weird, but I think a lot of people get "vibes" and don't realize it.
I recently viewed this movie twice in less than a day; once at night and once in the morning. It just goes to show how easy it is to watch. It is strictly a fun, action film with lots of imagination and charisma. Easy to watch with a high re-watch factor.
What would you rather do with 90 minutes of your life on a Friday night then watch Arnold Schwarzenegger get to knock some skulls together in a gladiator arena? Exactly.
4/5 stars -
- MovieAddict2016
- Mar 28, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Running Man
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $27,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $38,122,105
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,117,465
- Nov 15, 1987
- Gross worldwide
- $38,122,105
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
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