I Had The Shirt For It...But You F**ked It Up!

There's something special about Schwarzenegger's early back catalogue. From Commando through to Red Heat, that period brought a new, high concept, medium budgeted, no-brain action-fest from the Govinator every year, without fail. In the midst of this, Arnie gave us 1987's The Running Man, based on a short Stephen King story. A high concept science fiction tale set in a totalitarian police state, Ahnuld's cop is imprisoned for disobeying orders. When the lunk escapes, he's swiftly captured and forced to participate in the game show of the title; a televised gladiatorial event designed to empty the prisons of scum while keeping the increasingly unrestful population off the streets. Arnie, of course, gets mad.

On the downside, The Running Man, always looked and felt a bit 'basic'; bland cinematography, cheap, uninspired sets, and a director (in Starsky and Hutch's Paul Michael Glaser)lacking in imagination.

Fortunately it's nowhere near enough to scupper a fast moving story, great one liners, Haroild Faltermeyers great 80's score and some varied and superbly staged action sequences. It's the broad character stuff that really brings this to life whether it be Richard Dawson's charismatic but ruthless game show host, Maria Conchita Alonso's feisty latino sidekick or the array of 'stalkers' sent to hunt Arnie down (I wonder what Senator Jesse Ventura thinks of this now as his performance as the posturing, yet cowardly stalker, Captain Freedom, is a spot on comedy showcase for his talents).

There's a nice bit of social satire running through this about where future TV's morality might be heading (although in the case of fake TV show 'Climbing For Dollars', I swear the Japanese have already got there). It's a bit dated now, on virtually every level, from the cheesy 80's glam rock that adorns the end-titles to the baggy, late 80's fashions. But it's sooooo easy to watch and re-watch The Running Man that all criticisms are forgiven. Even the yellow spandex.