Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
Like the recalcitrant flapper valve on my Porcelain Seat of Contemplation and Reflection, I'm back, having had a few personal glitches that kept me from being able to function properly for a while.
Why do I use such a device for reflection, you ask? Well, at the touch of a lever it provides the gentle sound of swirling water, which is conducive to meditation, on hot days the porcelain keeps cool, which makes it a good place to sit, and there is a convenient roll of paper nearby to note down any thoughts I may have. I won't tell you what my wife uses this paper for...it's just too horrible to contemplate.
Yet Onward....
The Running Man , based on the fine and suspenseful book by Stephen King of the same name, stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a police helicopter pilot in a future era who is framed for the mass murder of hundreds of civilians, and sentenced to a unique fate...either be executed, or appear on a wildly popular game show style program in this media-dominated city titled "The Running Man" and take his chances...if he lives, he goes free..if he is captured, he is killed. Rather like the old gladiator matches of ancient Rome, a bit of barbarism in a future society.
What the general public doesn't know is that the hundreds of civilians were rioting, and Richards refused orders to bomb them to smithereens. Yet media is King in this future Los Angeles, and Richards is condemmed on television and chooses "The Running Man" program to decide his fate. In an eight-block cordoned off section of the city he must survive and face several "Hunters" who will kill him if they find him.
These Hunters, all wildly popular "folk heros" to the public, are an odd bunch if I ever saw one. They include Sub-Zero, A sumo-esque thug with a hockey stick, Buzz-Saw, A huge blonde biker baddie with chainsaws as weapons, (a bit of a cut up, one might say) Dynamo, a big dude strung up with lights who can shoot lightning, Fireball,a spooky man in a fireproof suit equipped with flamethrowers, (A Must Have at all weenie roasts...in fact, it's fun to watch Arnold roast this weenie) and last, and certainly least, the Governor of my home state of confus..er..Minnesota, Jesse Ventura appears as
Captain Freedom ~ Multiple time Hunter champion who tries to come out of retirement to bust up Ben Richards after Richards has sliced, diced, roasted and/or toasted his buddies.
Incidently, "The Running Man" show is hosted by Richard Dawson in the role of Damon Killian, a meglo-maniacal dude if there ever was one. He oozes charm and coldness onstage, and looks as though he is a true snake in human form. Dawson does this so well it's almost eerie, and his the character that's fun to hate.
Anyhow, Richards must run this gauntlet of assorted freaks and survive, with the odds piled against him, and decides to go even better... he's going to not only live, he's going to see Killian go down hard, at his hands.
It's a movie with a grueling pace; and Richards is more unique among Schwarzenegger's action roles in that he is not invulnerable, bleeds plenty before the conclusion, and doesn't always know exactly what to do. Arnold pulls this off with gritty intensity... he captures the role and the sheer agony Ben Richards faces very well. The stunts are excellent, the special effects are fine, and there is a great deal of high-velocity action. It's a great mix of suspense, action, and drama.
Yet it takes a running jump away from Stephen King's book. In the book, Ben Richards is a down on his luck unemployed Joe Public who wants nothing more than to earn a good living for himself and his starving family, so he applies to be a contestant on "The Running Man" game show. The prize for the winner is a million dollars tax-free. The losers die horribly at the hands of the Hunters. Instead of being confined to an eight-block area...the Runners are allowed to travel anywhere they want all over the country to elude the Hunters, and the general public is encouraged to report Runner sightings for cash.
King's book goes farther into Ben Richard's struggles and pain, and the dramatic conclusion is far and away better than what the movie serves up; although the movie's end has some very satisfying moments.
Both are good fare... and the movie is definitely worth watching for suspense and action fans, and the book is an excellent addition in the Stephen King genre.
This is my very delayed entry in the Stephen King Write-Off Part 2 hosted by TheUnknown285. Please check out the other excellent participants listed here.
Yours until Jesse Ventura attempts Shakespeare, thereby causing all Minnesotans to hide at the sounds of "Yo Juliet! Wherefore are ya, babe?"
- Hugh U. Kidden
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: VHS Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age
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