Although I ultimately preferred the bleak, dystopian brutality of the original and its gauntlet-style action against demented gladiatorial wrestlers, Edgar Wright manages to make this futuristic metropolis an entertaining playground of opportunity in its own right.
In the near future, “The Running Man” is the top-rated show on television; a deadly competition where contestants must survive 30 days anywhere in the world, all the while being tracked by “hunters”: professional assassins hired to kill and equipped with their own financial and survival agenda. Hot-tempered family man Ben Richards is convinced by the show’s ruthless producer Dan Killian to enter the game as a last resort in order to earn the money for his sick daughter, against his wife’s wishes and understandable concerns – after all, no one survives until the end. Ratings soon skyrocket as Ben’s defiance, instincts and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite, as well as a threat to the entire system…
Glen Powell brings the charisma and acting range to a part that Schwarzenegger owned with muscle and deadpan one-liners, lending the story vital emotional stakes absent in the 80s version, which pretty much came down to straightforward survival and revenge against a corrupt game show. Corruption is still front and centre in this modern retelling of Stephen King’s tale, as technology (specifically, AI) is abused, but it’s also infused with social commentary on media manipulation and consumption to give it more timely thematic resonance.
Overall, ‘The Running Man’ is not one of Wright’s best, as it lacks some of his signature directorial flourishes and kinetic editing style that often injects more energy into his work, but it’s a solid dose of science fiction nonetheless that kept me engaged from start to finish, delivering more than enough action spectacle across its 2-hour runtime.
Score – 7/10
The SS Criticism 