Reviews (117)

One Of My Very Favorite Movies!
I LOVE this movie. It was the first vdeo I ever bought for myself and is one of the sweetest, most romantic, and funniest movies I've seen. DB Sweeney is gorgeous as the loveable, girl chasing,less than brilliant ex-hockey god, and Moira Kelly plays an excellent, evil, spoiled typical rich primadonna figure skater from Connecticut. Techncally, it is hard to believe a hockey player could be transformed into a figure skater, but view it with an open mind and you will fall in love with this movie too!

Entertainment at its finest
Kate Mosley, a tempermental figure skater without a partner, and Doug Dorsey, a former hockey player knocked out of the game after taking a bad shot to the head, team up to become a pair of figure skaters with hopes of going to the olympics. That, in a nut shell is the basic premise behind this movie, but the journey of getting there is the real heart of this movie.

The romance which develops between the two lead characters adds nothing new to the genre and follows the standard formula almost to the letter. The initial hostility they shared towards one another at the beginning, the byplay that develops as they get to know one another, the leading towards romance, the inevitable misunderstanding, and then finally getting together. However, the two leads are both attractive people, and they have a strong onscreen chemistry together which makes their romance seem believable, and a joy to watch.

The figure skating in the movie is highly enjoyable to watch, even for someone like me who isn't into figure skating as a general rule. I do have to wonder whether the finishing move they use at the end of the movie is really possible to pull off though. It might have just been me, but I couldn't see how they could have pulled off enough momentum to really do the move, because it didn't really look like it could have worked to me. However, that's only a minor complaint, and the move did look good, so whether or not it's physically possible isn't only a secondary concern.

So, if you enjoy romance movies, and have some liking for figure skating, I recommend you check this movie out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

LOVABLE COMEDY
The movie was so great for.. it make me inlove specially to KATE(D.B. SWEENEY. She is so beautiful on that movie.. It is the movie that touch me a lot, the soundtracks of a movie and the story. the couple which they fall inlove with each other are mostly common in the movie, but this movie is such thing that u will touch ur heart.. "TOE PICKS".....!

A Disappointment
Having done figure skating for many years of my life, I was looking forward to seeing a movie about the sport, but this one definitely failed to deliver. When it origianlly premiered in the movie theaters back in 1992, I was 12 and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, so about 10 years later I decided to buy it on DVD. That was definitely a mistake! This movie lacks a lot of the sophistication that an adult viewer may appreciate. After seeing it again as an adult I realize how unrealistic, over dramatic and predictable this film is. I mean to start with, how and why did an Olympic level pairs skater become partners with an injured hockey player to begin with? In real life that would obviously never happen. The movie has a few funny moments, however it's very cheezy. Truly a disappointment. If you insist on seeing this movie, I would highly recommend renting it first.

Funny and not too saccharine
This movie has the best of intentions, and I'm glad to see a little grit and sexiness thrown into the mix. There are not many movies on figure skating, or good ones, so I'm glad to have run across this. Some of the verbal exchanges and put-downs will crack you up: 'Why don't you just chuck it all and open up a think tank?' Very funny. And a little something for both sexes. I don't know how the average female feels about D.B. Sweeney, but Moira Kelly definitely gives the guys something to think about. This movie clips along at a brisk pace and while the drift of the plot is pretty conventional, it has a couple surprises and is a pleasure to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Not a good DVD, but a Good Arnold flick
The Running Man tells of a future world where convicted fellons are put on a game show "The Running Man" and are placed in arenas along with psychotic stalkers who are there to kill these guys in record time all for the entertainment of the American people.
The film is great but not perfect. I love the way the film portrays society, as basically a bunch of mindless and gullable media slaves. Which some would argue is true for our society today, where we believe everything served to us on television and radio, not considering that maybe the people behind these stories are money hungry, heartless liars. It was almost like a future version of the Roman Empire, where upper class Romans found the most violent and bloody sport with slaves getting butchered in an arena as pure entertainment. This film uses the likes of rich corporate adults as the shows mainstream audience loving fellons get butchered the same way.
The films special effects are ahead of its time, with believable gore and movie props like futuristic cars and buildings.
Richard Dawson is great as the gameshow's host, as a lovable teddy bear on screen, and a greedy, self-involved liar backstage. The remaining cast do thier jobs well, although they could have found more talented actors. Arnold is Arnold, without him, this movie wouldn't have the box-office appeal that it did, nor would it have the appeal on todays audience that it did. And even though his one liners after each death border on stupidity in this film (with a lot of the other dialogue), his Arnoldness simply makes up for it.
This movie was a great and unique idea and it was executed just fine, I own this dvd and like it a lot. Although, giving us simply a trailer as an extra simply sucks. I wouldve like to hear some commentary on it at least. Oh well...

Mediocre, but strangely likable and memorable 3.,5 stars
It's the future, and the world is in a violent, poverty-stricken mess. The biggest entertainment around is . . . a reality show. A very brutal reality show. Convicted criminals become contestants in a game-show where they either get killed as they run a gauntlet against a bunch of thugs, or they survive and get to move to Hawaii.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man wrongly convicted of a crime and chosen as a contestant in the lovely game-show described above. Of course, Ahnold can't take that lying down, so he proceeds to not only survive, but try to break this ugly set-up. Richard Dawson plays the host of the show, which is broadcast everywhere, and hams up it to perfection, as the ultimate it's-all-about-ratings smarmy egotist-with-a-smile.

I didn't like the repetitiveness at times of the action scenes, nor the bad, cheap settings somewhat hidden by bad lighting. I did like the general sense of tension created, as well as Arnold's genuine good-guy versus Dawson's completely-fake bad-guy. Not a movie to rave about, but fun to watch if you don't have much else to do.

Perhaps more topical now
While in 1987 this may have been simply another action star for Governor-to-be Schwarzenegger, viewed today this film offers more layers of meaning.

"The Running Man" is a reality show in which criminals are forced to run from bounty hunter-types who are given WWF wrestling style introductions and use a myriad of weapons to kill their prey. The audience cheers and boos mercilessly as the real-life people meet tragic ends. Seen today in the era of "Survivor" and "Fear Factor," among other reality shows, this movie offers much in the way of questioning the direction of such television. Is this the direction reality TV is going? Also good for a look at mass media and people's belief in what is told to them.

The movie is what it is. Fist-pumping commando, guns and heavy artillery. Schwarzenegger is wrongly framed for a crime he didn't commit and made a criminal in this Orwellian society in which the mass media is everything. He's forced into The Running Man world. There's some throw-away jokey lines after disposing of the heavy villains, but the real treat is watching real-life game show host Richard Dawson playing the slimy, evil host of The Running Man - the real villain in this movie full of larger-than-life killers.

Read the book instead
I read the book by Stephen King and I loved it! This movie is NOTHING like the book. The basic plot (and I mean VERY basic) is the same, but the events that take place aren't even close. I'm sorry I wasted my time with this sad excuse for a movie. I was very disappointed and I recommend to everyone READ THE BOOK INSTEAD!

Another great piece of 80s Arnie action megacheese!
Although I don't consider 'The Running Man' to be one of Arnie's best bits of action fare, it does have more than its fair share of those silly cheeseball moments that I ofttimes crave. I especially enjoy the part where our hero and his fellow contestants/captors take out the first obstacle: Sub-Zero, a deadly blade-wielding hockey goalie who looks a lot like that Odd Job guy. His referring to the late SubZero as "Now, just PLAIN zero!" is a prime example of bad action one liners at their best (worst?)!

Then there's Richard Dawson as the main heavy: a futuristic game-show host with all of the fake glee and smarmy oiliness you can bear! He also gives the best rebuttal to our hero's famous "I'll be back!" here, so be on the lookout for it! And not to go off on a tangent, but does anybody out there imagine how 'The Running Man' would've looked like had present 'Family Feud' host Louie Anderson played Killian, or am I the only one? Um... anyone? A little help here...?

Oh yeah, let's not forget future Minny guv Jesse Ventura as one of the game announcer/enforcers. His raucous, obnoxious blather and uber-macho posturing really adds a pro-wrestling feel to the competition as it unfolds! You'll definitely be feeling Minnesota (or is it FLEEing Minnesota?) after watchin' "The Mind's" performance here!
All in all, 'The Running Man' is one enjoyable waste of an hour-and-a-half for all you testosterone-driven action megacheese buffs out there!

As for the Special Edition extra features: Along with the usual director/producer commentary tracks-- both of which I bailed out on after the first fifteen minutes because they were so inane and uninteresting-- and such are a couple documentaries dealing with the movie's subject matter. The first is a half-hour-long talk about Constitutional rights and freedoms following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, and the other dealing with reality TV shows. I found both reasonably informative, although the former show had some of creepiest-looking interviewees I've ever seen in a documentary. Both of these were included to reflect the movie's central "duel-to-the-death-game-show" premise and dystopian backdrop, as well as its 'prediction-of-the-future'-style prescience. Personally, I think they're giving this over-the-top actioner a bit too much credit in being a mind-opening mirror of modern society. I mean, let's face facts: since when has the term "high-concept" and Arnold Schwarzenegger gone together in a movie? Is that the smell of overheating brain matter from you pondering my question that I'm smelling, or is it just me?

'Late ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Not a good DVD, but a Good Arnold flick
The Running Man tells of a future world where convicted fellons are put on a game show "The Running Man" and are placed in arenas along with psychotic stalkers who are there to kill these guys in record time all for the entertainment of the American people.
The film is great but not perfect. I love the way the film portrays society, as basically a bunch of mindless and gullable media slaves. Which some would argue is true for our society today, where we believe everything served to us on television and radio, not considering that maybe the people behind these stories are money hungry, heartless liars. It was almost like a future version of the Roman Empire, where upper class Romans found the most violent and bloody sport with slaves getting butchered in an arena as pure entertainment. This film uses the likes of rich corporate adults as the shows mainstream audience loving fellons get butchered the same way.
The films special effects are ahead of its time, with believable gore and movie props like futuristic cars and buildings.
Richard Dawson is great as the gameshow's host, as a lovable teddy bear on screen, and a greedy, self-involved liar backstage. The remaining cast do thier jobs well, although they could have found more talented actors. Arnold is Arnold, without him, this movie wouldn't have the box-office appeal that it did, nor would it have the appeal on todays audience that it did. And even though his one liners after each death border on stupidity in this film (with a lot of the other dialogue), his Arnoldness simply makes up for it.
This movie was a great and unique idea and it was executed just fine, I own this dvd and like it a lot. Although, giving us simply a trailer as an extra simply sucks. I wouldve like to hear some commentary on it at least. Oh well...

Mediocre, but strangely likable and memorable 3.,5 stars
It's the future, and the world is in a violent, poverty-stricken mess. The biggest entertainment around is . . . a reality show. A very brutal reality show. Convicted criminals become contestants in a game-show where they either get killed as they run a gauntlet against a bunch of thugs, or they survive and get to move to Hawaii.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man wrongly convicted of a crime and chosen as a contestant in the lovely game-show described above. Of course, Ahnold can't take that lying down, so he proceeds to not only survive, but try to break this ugly set-up. Richard Dawson plays the host of the show, which is broadcast everywhere, and hams up it to perfection, as the ultimate it's-all-about-ratings smarmy egotist-with-a-smile.

I didn't like the repetitiveness at times of the action scenes, nor the bad, cheap settings somewhat hidden by bad lighting. I did like the general sense of tension created, as well as Arnold's genuine good-guy versus Dawson's completely-fake bad-guy. Not a movie to rave about, but fun to watch if you don't have much else to do.

Perhaps more topical now
While in 1987 this may have been simply another action star for Governor-to-be Schwarzenegger, viewed today this film offers more layers of meaning.

"The Running Man" is a reality show in which criminals are forced to run from bounty hunter-types who are given WWF wrestling style introductions and use a myriad of weapons to kill their prey. The audience cheers and boos mercilessly as the real-life people meet tragic ends. Seen today in the era of "Survivor" and "Fear Factor," among other reality shows, this movie offers much in the way of questioning the direction of such television. Is this the direction reality TV is going? Also good for a look at mass media and people's belief in what is told to them.

The movie is what it is. Fist-pumping commando, guns and heavy artillery. Schwarzenegger is wrongly framed for a crime he didn't commit and made a criminal in this Orwellian society in which the mass media is everything. He's forced into The Running Man world. There's some throw-away jokey lines after disposing of the heavy villains, but the real treat is watching real-life game show host Richard Dawson playing the slimy, evil host of The Running Man - the real villain in this movie full of larger-than-life killers.

Read the book instead
I read the book by Stephen King and I loved it! This movie is NOTHING like the book. The basic plot (and I mean VERY basic) is the same, but the events that take place aren't even close. I'm sorry I wasted my time with this sad excuse for a movie. I was very disappointed and I recommend to everyone READ THE BOOK INSTEAD!

Another great piece of 80s Arnie action megacheese!
Although I don't consider 'The Running Man' to be one of Arnie's best bits of action fare, it does have more than its fair share of those silly cheeseball moments that I ofttimes crave. I especially enjoy the part where our hero and his fellow contestants/captors take out the first obstacle: Sub-Zero, a deadly blade-wielding hockey goalie who looks a lot like that Odd Job guy. His referring to the late SubZero as "Now, just PLAIN zero!" is a prime example of bad action one liners at their best (worst?)!

Then there's Richard Dawson as the main heavy: a futuristic game-show host with all of the fake glee and smarmy oiliness you can bear! He also gives the best rebuttal to our hero's famous "I'll be back!" here, so be on the lookout for it! And not to go off on a tangent, but does anybody out there imagine how 'The Running Man' would've looked like had present 'Family Feud' host Louie Anderson played Killian, or am I the only one? Um... anyone? A little help here...?

Oh yeah, let's not forget future Minny guv Jesse Ventura as one of the game announcer/enforcers. His raucous, obnoxious blather and uber-macho posturing really adds a pro-wrestling feel to the competition as it unfolds! You'll definitely be feeling Minnesota (or is it FLEEing Minnesota?) after watchin' "The Mind's" performance here!
All in all, 'The Running Man' is one enjoyable waste of an hour-and-a-half for all you testosterone-driven action megacheese buffs out there!

As for the Special Edition extra features: Along with the usual director/producer commentary tracks-- both of which I bailed out on after the first fifteen minutes because they were so inane and uninteresting-- and such are a couple documentaries dealing with the movie's subject matter. The first is a half-hour-long talk about Constitutional rights and freedoms following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, and the other dealing with reality TV shows. I found both reasonably informative, although the former show had some of creepiest-looking interviewees I've ever seen in a documentary. Both of these were included to reflect the movie's central "duel-to-the-death-game-show" premise and dystopian backdrop, as well as its 'prediction-of-the-future'-style prescience. Personally, I think they're giving this over-the-top actioner a bit too much credit in being a mind-opening mirror of modern society. I mean, let's face facts: since when has the term "high-concept" and Arnold Schwarzenegger gone together in a movie? Is that the smell of overheating brain matter from you pondering my question that I'm smelling, or is it just me?

'Late ... Read more

Amazon.com

Band of the Hand was executive-produced by Miami Vice creator Michael Mann, but this violent relic of the '80s begs for a smarter script and Mann's directorial flair. Instead it's got TV's "Starsky"--Paul Michael Glaser--seemingly asleep at the wheel, barely controlling a rainbow coalition of bad actors as punky Florida jailbirds, given a second chance when they're dropped into the treacherous everglades and whipped into a crack unit of urban warriors by a gruff marine (Stephen Lang) who supervises their juvenile "reform." One of the reluctant recruits has a girlfriend (fresh-faced newcomer Lauren Holly) who's tied up with local drug lords (Larry Fishburne, James Remar), and the inevitable showdown offers guerilla warfare in pastel shades. Wretched dialogue and lackluster action don't stop this from being a Vice-like guilty pleasure, populated by garishly costumed stereotypes and ending like the pilot for a TV series that never happened. Even the DVD liner notes admit the movie is "infamous"; accepted on those terms, it's a hoot. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Band of the Hand
Let me start by saying I love this movie. I first saw this film in the theatres during it's original theatrical release. I have this film on vhs. I have been waiting for the past few years for this film to be released on DVD. Finally it has arrived. I wish they had preserved the original theatrical aspect (widescreen), but at least they remastered the audio and video. The film itself stands as one of the best and most entertaining action films of the 1980's. This largely overlooked classic embodies the look, the feel and the attitude of 80's cool and features the most memorable soundtrack of this era. The story centers around a group of juvenile delinquents who have committed serious crimes and are given one last chance at rehabilitation.
This last ditch effort begins in the Florida Everglades and culminates in the "program" relocating to Miami. Once in Miami the ever reforming juveniles have to learn to work together, resist the temptation of their former lives and also confront the harsh realities of their past. Each character undergoes personal growth and ultimately they decide on their own to wage war on the local ... cartel and the action really heats up. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes action movies with humor and substance. Band of the Hand has excitement and flair to spare, considerably more than the standard fare.

Pure 80's goodness!
So long.....I have waited so long for this movie to be released on DVD. Last year, I was forced to buy a well used and badly warn VHS copy on Ebay. Forced, you say? Yes, Forced. This movie is goodness. That's all there is to it. I saw it on cable when I was a kid and it quickly became one of my favorite movies of all time.
Please, do yourself a favor and buy this movie. As some people have said above, they really do not make them like this anymore. It's got that special something that modern movies lack...and I'm not just saying that because I'm older now, and that's what older people are supposed to say about things from their chldhood. It's a fact. My praises cannot do this movie justice. You have to watch it to understand. Band of the Hand is hidden and forgotten treasure. Those who call it corny, or say the acting is "bad" simply do not get it. I get it, and I hope you do too.

Finally, on DVD.
One of the many movies I thought worthwhile, but unavailable on DVD.

Until now...

Glad to see "Band of the Hand" is finally out. Far from a perfect film, it captures a bit of those heady 1980s in a time capsule.

I saw this film when it originally came out - one of the few who did - and I've always refered it to friends as Miami Vice's "What I Did on Summer Vacation" movie.

Now, if we can only get the Miami Vice series out on DVD...

Great 80's time capsule even if it's not great
Band of the Hand is one of those movies that you can watch as a time capsule of teen-focused films of the 1980's. Rather than focus on the angst of upper middle class kids and their love lives, Band of the Hand looks at the criminal element of the era. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky and Hutch) and produced by Michael Mann (Miami Vice), this film is more visual than visceral. The premise is only slightly realistic (and only more recently so, as rehab programs vaguely similar have cropped up in the 90's), but it's fun to watch.
The characters are sinister bad boys, but not so much so that you can't love them. There's the drop dead handsome drug dealer, a new wave looking kid who committed patricide (but only because the guy beat his mother and sister), two gang members (one Puerto Rican and one black), and a rough uneducated car thief.
We see these boys commit their crimes and then get busted - all done in a very Miami Vice sort of way. They are all relegated to a new experimental rehab program that involves them surviving on their own in the everglades. If they graduate (which you know they will) they'll move into a really rough area of Miami and learn to live in the city.

Not only do these boys succeed, they do so with flying colors. Rehab is a wonderful thing! This is obviously a liberal conscience at work - none the less it is fun to watch.

I won't spoil the film (because I do enjoy the film even if it is trite and overly empathetic to the characters), but suffice it to say there is a lot of excitement and eventually - intrigue and action in this film.

My complaint is that the film is very uneven. It seems to be bits of several films stuck together. There's a sense of a three act play at work - and the third act is where the fun is.

The acting is good and the interaction of the young and older actors is believable, even if the script is silly.

In the end, you'll enjoy this bit of escapist 80's fun.

Finally!
This is a great movie. At the time, Miami Vice was king (still is to me)and this has the same flavor, just with a coming of age storyline. The charachters are kind of like a group from the Magnificent Seven and the Dirty Dozen combined. All in all, a fun action movie with some good messages just under the surface. Biggest thing about this movie is the incredible soundtrack! Used to have the tape, and would kill for a cd. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Great flick!!!
I don't understand why people keep giving this movie bad reviews! Kazaam is pure fun!!!

The story is very well-written - it's about a genie, a very large genie. This movie would have been good even without Shaq. However, with him as the star, Kazaam is a fantastic movie.

This is the movie that made Shaquille O'Neal a huge movie star. The script is very well-written, and accentuates Shaq's acting abilities. Every time Shaq speaks, you'll realize just how intelligent he is - it's kind of like listening to Einstein lecture.

Also, I think it is hilarious (you will too!) that he's so much bigger than the kid who rubbed the lamp! Everytime they are both standing, I almost lose it - it's gut-bustingly funny!

My only complaint is the lack of a DVD! Why isn't this already out on DVD? The studio could make so much money!

ok...
if shaq didn't try and rap, this movie would get one more star! haha im serious... his singing is atrocious! anyway's the kid in this movie is precious! i feel soo bad for him that his dad is a jerk ball! it's a cute movies im sure the kids will love. i would only buy this on video not dvd. or rent it. i don't have any little kids in my house, but this would be a perfect movie for 9-14 ages. i liked it when i was that age

Action Packed Thriller of the Season!
For years the pundits said he would never make it. "go home" they said, "your finished in this buisness."

But being the fighter he was, Shaq carried on.

When he announced to the world he would begin a career in acting, the world thought he could never make it. But make it he did. His debut movie, Kazaam, proved once and for all that Basketball players can act.

His star performance in Kazaam was topped only by his rap career.

Silencing his critics, Shaquille went on to perform in many great commercials, such as Burger King and Radio Shack.

Shaq is such a great actor and Basket ball player. I am glad he is my friend.

This movie rocks
Shaq is a genius. I've seen him play basketball and his acting skills are far superior. If he's a method actor, he has successfully demonstrated a new method that no one has ever seen before. I also went to NYU film school and this movie was used in class as an inspirational tool. Forget about the whole genie aspect. I mean, a seven-foot black dude comes out of a bottle and grants wishes! This movie deserves 30,000 stars. If I had a genie I would wish for Kazaam II.

KAZAAM IS OFF THE FASHIZZLE DIZZLE
this is cleary the best movie ever created, by humans (that would exclude good burger, which of course was made by kaola bears). Shaquille O'Neal is a very talented actor and rapper, plus i heard he plays a little basketball. I wonder if he's any good. There are many hilarious scenes in this instant classic. My favorite part is when shaq makes it rain candy. I LOVE IT!!!
i own 13 copies (no joking here) in short its a hilarious tale of a genie played by shaq. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In this action thriller based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as "Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans will want to watch more than once. And check those credits--choreography by Paula Abdul! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Not a good DVD, but a Good Arnold flick
The Running Man tells of a future world where convicted fellons are put on a game show "The Running Man" and are placed in arenas along with psychotic stalkers who are there to kill these guys in record time all for the entertainment of the American people.
The film is great but not perfect. I love the way the film portrays society, as basically a bunch of mindless and gullable media slaves. Which some would argue is true for our society today, where we believe everything served to us on television and radio, not considering that maybe the people behind these stories are money hungry, heartless liars. It was almost like a future version of the Roman Empire, where upper class Romans found the most violent and bloody sport with slaves getting butchered in an arena as pure entertainment. This film uses the likes of rich corporate adults as the shows mainstream audience loving fellons get butchered the same way.
The films special effects are ahead of its time, with believable gore and movie props like futuristic cars and buildings.
Richard Dawson is great as the gameshow's host, as a lovable teddy bear on screen, and a greedy, self-involved liar backstage. The remaining cast do thier jobs well, although they could have found more talented actors. Arnold is Arnold, without him, this movie wouldn't have the box-office appeal that it did, nor would it have the appeal on todays audience that it did. And even though his one liners after each death border on stupidity in this film (with a lot of the other dialogue), his Arnoldness simply makes up for it.
This movie was a great and unique idea and it was executed just fine, I own this dvd and like it a lot. Although, giving us simply a trailer as an extra simply sucks. I wouldve like to hear some commentary on it at least. Oh well...

Mediocre, but strangely likable and memorable 3.,5 stars
It's the future, and the world is in a violent, poverty-stricken mess. The biggest entertainment around is . . . a reality show. A very brutal reality show. Convicted criminals become contestants in a game-show where they either get killed as they run a gauntlet against a bunch of thugs, or they survive and get to move to Hawaii.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man wrongly convicted of a crime and chosen as a contestant in the lovely game-show described above. Of course, Ahnold can't take that lying down, so he proceeds to not only survive, but try to break this ugly set-up. Richard Dawson plays the host of the show, which is broadcast everywhere, and hams up it to perfection, as the ultimate it's-all-about-ratings smarmy egotist-with-a-smile.

I didn't like the repetitiveness at times of the action scenes, nor the bad, cheap settings somewhat hidden by bad lighting. I did like the general sense of tension created, as well as Arnold's genuine good-guy versus Dawson's completely-fake bad-guy. Not a movie to rave about, but fun to watch if you don't have much else to do.

Perhaps more topical now
While in 1987 this may have been simply another action star for Governor-to-be Schwarzenegger, viewed today this film offers more layers of meaning.

"The Running Man" is a reality show in which criminals are forced to run from bounty hunter-types who are given WWF wrestling style introductions and use a myriad of weapons to kill their prey. The audience cheers and boos mercilessly as the real-life people meet tragic ends. Seen today in the era of "Survivor" and "Fear Factor," among other reality shows, this movie offers much in the way of questioning the direction of such television. Is this the direction reality TV is going? Also good for a look at mass media and people's belief in what is told to them.

The movie is what it is. Fist-pumping commando, guns and heavy artillery. Schwarzenegger is wrongly framed for a crime he didn't commit and made a criminal in this Orwellian society in which the mass media is everything. He's forced into The Running Man world. There's some throw-away jokey lines after disposing of the heavy villains, but the real treat is watching real-life game show host Richard Dawson playing the slimy, evil host of The Running Man - the real villain in this movie full of larger-than-life killers.

Read the book instead
I read the book by Stephen King and I loved it! This movie is NOTHING like the book. The basic plot (and I mean VERY basic) is the same, but the events that take place aren't even close. I'm sorry I wasted my time with this sad excuse for a movie. I was very disappointed and I recommend to everyone READ THE BOOK INSTEAD!

Another great piece of 80s Arnie action megacheese!
Although I don't consider 'The Running Man' to be one of Arnie's best bits of action fare, it does have more than its fair share of those silly cheeseball moments that I ofttimes crave. I especially enjoy the part where our hero and his fellow contestants/captors take out the first obstacle: Sub-Zero, a deadly blade-wielding hockey goalie who looks a lot like that Odd Job guy. His referring to the late SubZero as "Now, just PLAIN zero!" is a prime example of bad action one liners at their best (worst?)!

Then there's Richard Dawson as the main heavy: a futuristic game-show host with all of the fake glee and smarmy oiliness you can bear! He also gives the best rebuttal to our hero's famous "I'll be back!" here, so be on the lookout for it! And not to go off on a tangent, but does anybody out there imagine how 'The Running Man' would've looked like had present 'Family Feud' host Louie Anderson played Killian, or am I the only one? Um... anyone? A little help here...?

Oh yeah, let's not forget future Minny guv Jesse Ventura as one of the game announcer/enforcers. His raucous, obnoxious blather and uber-macho posturing really adds a pro-wrestling feel to the competition as it unfolds! You'll definitely be feeling Minnesota (or is it FLEEing Minnesota?) after watchin' "The Mind's" performance here!
All in all, 'The Running Man' is one enjoyable waste of an hour-and-a-half for all you testosterone-driven action megacheese buffs out there!

As for the Special Edition extra features: Along with the usual director/producer commentary tracks-- both of which I bailed out on after the first fifteen minutes because they were so inane and uninteresting-- and such are a couple documentaries dealing with the movie's subject matter. The first is a half-hour-long talk about Constitutional rights and freedoms following the 9/11 attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, and the other dealing with reality TV shows. I found both reasonably informative, although the former show had some of creepiest-looking interviewees I've ever seen in a documentary. Both of these were included to reflect the movie's central "duel-to-the-death-game-show" premise and dystopian backdrop, as well as its 'prediction-of-the-future'-style prescience. Personally, I think they're giving this over-the-top actioner a bit too much credit in being a mind-opening mirror of modern society. I mean, let's face facts: since when has the term "high-concept" and Arnold Schwarzenegger gone together in a movie? Is that the smell of overheating brain matter from you pondering my question that I'm smelling, or is it just me?

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