Logan's Run Just Ho-Hum

As a kid growing up in the 70's I used to lap up any sci-fi that came my way, even prior to the genre boom that Star Wars brought on. One of those films was Logan's Run, a futuristic story much like THX 1138 where humanity has sealed itself away from the natural world and live obliviously in a seemingly Utopian modern society.
Except, as with all utopias there's a catch; everyone must die at 30, and hopefully be reborn into the next generation. Unless you run.

At the time I loved Logan's Run. The high tech city. The cool guns. The robot 'Box'. The lasers of the face change clinic. The great effects. Just fantastic to a six year old.

Now, I only half love it. The effects ain't that great (the opening shot of the domed city is abysmal), the city is obviously a 70's shopping mall and the costumes seemingly rejects from an aborted 70's Star Trek series. Worst is the story and pacing. When the action takes place in the future city it's pretty good stuff with tons of neat SF concepts, action scenes, philosophical discussions and character development...not to mention those still cool guns. But once Logan runs and is out of the city taking dips in a lake, wandering over-grown American landmarks and making smalltalk with an eccentric Peter Ustinov the film grinds to a complete stop and never recovers.

The casting is somewhat mixed. Ustinov just pisses around (if made today Depp would have a field day dressed up in old age make up), Richard Jordan is pitch perfect as the driven Sandman who never understands his friend's Logan's perspective, and Michael York is mostly fine as the hero...except when he gets bug eyed and hysterical, shaking the leading lady as if to dislodge her head from her neck.

Which brings us to Jenny Agutter. Talk about boy hood crush; beautiful, cute and a posh, English accent. No scrub that, I still love Logan's Run and I want to keep it in my cellar and never, ever let it out.