Rebecca’s Take
As disinformation runs rampant and the truth is under attack, “The Running Man” comes out at a timely moment. The dystopian blockbuster is the second adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel. However, it is not a remake of the 1987 classic that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I haven’t read the book nor seen the 1987 movie, but I was interested in the talent involved in the new film. Director/co-writer Edgar Wright and Glen Powell join forces, forming a dream team on paper.
“The Running Man” is a good film, but it falls short of being a great one. Featuring a fantastic lead performance by Powell, thrilling action and relevant themes, the sci-fi thriller is ambitious in its scope. But surprisingly, it lacks Wright’s fingerprints. The overstuffed film also suffers from script and pacing problems. “The Running Man” is the equivalent of running a marathon before limping to the finish line.
Set in the not-too-distant future, “The Running Man” depicts the U.S. as an authoritarian state. The government and media have become one entity, known as the Network. Wealth and health care are out of most people’s reach. For entertainment, people watch brutal survival reality TV shows that promise a big payday to the winners.
Working-class employee Ben Richards (Powell) is black-listed from getting a job after reporting bad working conditions. He and his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) are struggling to afford medicine for their daughter, who is sick with a fever. Growing desperate for work, Ben tries out for reality TV shows and lands on “The Running Man,” the most violent. For 30 days, Ben must fight for his life as everyone tries to kill him. That includes the Hunters, a bloodthirsty group of government killers. If Ben survives, he’ll win enough money to take care of his family.
When Ben goes on the run, he meets various people who want to help him — and those who want to turn him in. The farther Ben gets, the more he realizes how corrupt the Network is. With his life at stake, Ben realizes he may serve a bigger purpose: to challenge the Network’s all-mighty rule.
After a string of box-office hits, including “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Anything But You” and “Twisters,” the charming Powell leads an action flick for the first time in “The Running Man.” The role fits Powell like a glove, and the actor radiates charisma onscreen. Powell also displays his physical prowess. In one fun sequence, Powell wears nothing but a towel as he climbs a building, stealthily trying to evade capture. The actor also adds some humor as he switches between disguises.
As the hardened Ben, Powell harnesses the everyman’s anger and rage to survive. The actor makes us believe Ben has been fighting his whole life to exist. Powell also shows Ben can be vulnerable, willing to do anything for his family. Always on guard, Ben is a reluctant hero. He learns to trust others as he gradually understands he has become a symbol of something far greater than himself. The longer Ben survives, the more hope the show’s viewers have that they too can survive the oppressive world in which they live.
In “The Running Man,” Wright creates a gritty world that abandons the flash and pop of his previous films. The filmmaker is known for his stylish direction and clever scripts, including the Cornetto trilogy of “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz” and “The World’s End,” as well as the visionary “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and action-packed “Baby Driver.” However, “The Running Man” feels the least like an Edgar Wright film. The film comes across like a generic actioner in its first and third acts. But when it acts like a Wright film, it thrives.
During its second act, “The Running Man” sparkles when Wright’s imaginative flourishes influence the action. Ben crosses paths with off-the-radar activist Elton, played by an excellent Michael Cera, who reunites with Wright after starring in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” When the government’s forces catch up with Ben at Elton’s house, Elton sets off a series of booby traps. The sequences are creative, suspenseful and exciting, channeling “Home Alone.”
At two hours and 15 minutes, “The Running Man” is longer than it needs to be, yet not long enough. It packs in a lot of story and characters. The side characters Ben meets are interesting, but we don’t get to spend enough time with them. In addition to Elton, there’s William H. Macy in a glorified cameo as Molie, an expert in fake IDs and weapons, and the likable Daniel Ezra is enjoyable as Bradley, an underground activist. The energetic Katy O’Brien is underused as a fellow “Running Man” contestant. Lee Pace gets shockingly little screentime as a villain.
The film also has pacing and script issues. The third act introduces a new character, Amelia (Emilia Jones, “CODA”), who Ben takes as a hostage. By bringing in a new character so late in the game, it’s difficult for viewers to get a grasp on her personality and purpose. The ending also feels rushed and abrupt. It’s as if the film realized it needed to wrap up and decided to make a mad sprint to the finish.
The storytelling feels like chapters, even though they’re not labeled as such. With its segmented structure, “The Running Man” may have worked better as a limited series on streaming. It could have been told in episodes similar to “The Last of Us,” allowing its plot and characters more time to breathe.
A blockbuster with a social conscience, “The Running Man” tackles themes that resonate. The Network creates and spreads misinformation. The government puts out lies and distorts videos about Ben and the other “Running Man” contestants, encouraging audiences to hate them. The film addresses how information, even when it’s coming from a source that’s supposed to be reliable, can be manipulated to fit an agenda. It’s a valid question in today’s world. “The Running Man” also looks at the influence of reality TV, questioning what’s real and what’s not. The film asks us to consider how — and why — the truth is being distorted.
In exploring these themes, the film showcases two great performances. Josh Brolin excels as arrogant and opportunistic producer Dan Killian. The veteran actor is charismatic yet chilling in the villainous role. Colman Domingo shines as Bobby T, the outlandish host of “The Running Man.” The vibrant Domingo gives off an eccentric vibe similar to Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman, the host in “The Hunger Games” films.
With a lot going for it, “The Running Man” makes a marathon effort before it runs out of steam. The film boasts an outstanding lead in Powell, exciting action sequences and pressing issues. It also has a talented director in Wright, but could have used more of the director’s creative flair.
The film tries to pack in too much, depriving some characters of screen time and rushing the ending. “The Running Man” is still a good film, but it had the potential to be much more.
3 out of 5 stars
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Michael Cera in a scene from “The Running Man.” (Ross Ferguson/Paramount Pictures via AP)
Joe’s Take
I haven’t delved as deeply into writer/director Edgar Wright’s filmography as I should have, but “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is one of my favorite movies with its constant laughs, endless creativity and kinetic energy. “Baby Driver” ramps up the intensity, but keeps the fun, imagination and fast pace. Because of his greatness, a certain level of expectation comes with an Edgar Wright film. It’s not just an expectation of great quality, but also an expectation of what the film will give audiences.
Through watching the trailers, it seemed like “The Running Man” would fall right into Wright’s wheelhouse. It also had co-writer Michael Bacall, who also co-wrote “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “21 Jump Street” and “22 Jump Street.” I expected fun, witty dialogue, nonstop action and a consistent pace. Unfortunately, this movie had only flashes of what Wright fans crave.
Glen Powell has had a quick rise to stardom and rightfully so. He’s one of the most charismatic and likeable actors out there today. He’s a natural actor and stands out in any role. He’s once again excellent as lead Ben Richards. He masters the physicality and puts his body on the line, doing his own stunts to make the film as real as possible. He’s also charming and funny, while dipping into drama whenever he needs to. He certainly elevates the film. The only thing holding him back was the film itself, not allowing him to fully spread his wings, but we’ll get to that later.
Josh Brolin (Dan Killian) is a chameleon, and he chews up every scene. This time he’s the billionaire villain in charge of “The Network” which airs the brutal reality TV show “The Running Man.” Even though he’s pure evil, you can’t help but like him. He just has a charismatic flair that makes you smile.
Also, find a role for Colman Domingo (Bobby T) in every movie and he’ll always elevate it, no matter how small the part. I would watch him read a phone book, because he’d somehow make it interesting. One of my favorite parts of the movie is his dialogue in the last five minutes of the film. He is having a blast in this role, and it is awesome every time he steps onscreen or just hearing his voiceover. Domingo probably has 10 minutes of screentime, but the movie is alive every moment he is a part of it.
When this film is in gear, it’s fun. The action is well-shot, and the combat scenes are clear. The film also boasts sharp cinematography and a production design that helps build the world and establish an alternate reality without having to tell the audience what year it is.
Although it has so much going for it, “The Running Man” gets held back by trying to accomplish too much. When I saw the film had a runtime of two hours and 15 minutes, it concerned me. A film like this should probably be about one hour and 45 minutes tops. That was about the length of the film we reviewed last week, “Predator: Badlands,” which told a full story and was great. “The Running Man” had pacing and tonal issues and way too many characters.
For a film called “The Running Man,” there’s plenty of downtime. An apartment action sequence, a booby trap “Home Alone” scene powered by Michael Cera and an explosive stunt with Powell’s character prove the best parts. A lot of that is in the trailer. The rest of the film is all over the place. It introduces so many characters who are strong actors, including Katy O’Brian (Jenni Laughlin), Emilia Jones (Amelia Williams), William H. Macy (Molie), Daniel Ezra (Bradley) and a weirdly underutilized Lee Pace (Evan McCone). The problem is there are too many, so we don’t spend a lot of time with any of them.
The film also ramps up and then grinds to a halt and then ramps and then grinds to a halt. There’s no flow to the film, as the pacing is so off. Also, it doesn’t know what tone it wants to be, so it picks multiple tones. I didn’t expect a serious movie, but it takes on real-world issues. I don’t have a problem with that, but the film never found the right balance with its fun and action and serious turns, especially in the third act. The last half hour of this film is kind of a blur, and loses its fun very quickly. And the last 10 minutes don’t seem real because they feel rushed.
At two hours and 15 minutes, how did this film feel rushed? It’s because it didn’t focus on the right things. The film didn’t do the Ben Richards character justice. It didn’t show enough scenes of his past to make you understand the man. He’s so angry and he seems to have this superhuman strength, but why and how? I just needed a little bit more on his character before the game show started. It also didn’t allow Powell to have enough fun with it. As good as he was, I think the writing and plotting held him back. He could have further elevated the film if the writing unleashed him.
Limit the characters and the downtime, focus more on your lead and ramp up the pace and keep it consistent and you have a much better film. Instead it gets bogged down in the drama and the message, forcing it to sprint to the finish. I felt very strange leaving the theater as to what I thought of the film.
Ultimately what I fell on is “The Running Man” is OK. It has flashes of what the film could have and maybe should have been. I was entertained enough by a few sequences and the greatness of Powell, Brolin and Domingo, but it lacks focus and doesn’t quite meet the standard of a Wright film. How tough I am on Wright in this review only speaks to his greatness. I will always have so much respect for Wright and this movie certainly doesn’t take away from that. However, it didn’t have enough of his stamp on it to make it another one of his unforgettable projects.
3 out of 5 stars