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Movie:		9.0
Picture:		6.0
Sound:		6.0
Extras:		7.0
Score:		7.0

Director(s):	Paul Michael Glaser
Writer(s):	Steven E. de Souza (Screenplay), Stephen King (Novel)
Starring:	Arnold Schwarzenegger • Jesse Ventura • Maria Conchite Alonso • Marvin J. McIntyre • Richard Dawson • Yaphet Kotto
Genre:	Action • Sci-Fi
Release Date:	February 09, 2010
Rated:

List Price:	DVD - $14.49 ; Blu-ray - $11.99
Amazon:

Somewhat unfairly sneered at by critics as a misguided exercise in overblown camp dressed up as satire, and relegated within Arnie's overall body of work to the category of "minor Schwarzenegger" (as if such a thing even exists), this dystopic actioner stands the test of time as an overlooked, under-appreciated gem. A riotously over-the-top vision of a world gone mad, where government and the entertainment industry work in harmony to promote the status quo and the oppressed masses are distracted by television, encouraged to direct their anger at manufactured enemies of the state who run the gauntlet of a high-tech gladiatorial arena in a fight for their very lives.

It also serves as a somewhat seminal, landmark moment for the Great Man, earmarking the moment when at the zenith of his popularity and the height of his prowess Arnold went meta. The tagline for the original 1987 release of The Running Man referenced not his character in the film, but the Austrian Oak himself, reading: "A deadly game no-one has ever survived...but Schwarzenegger has yet to play." Based on a short story by Stephen King, adapted by the great god of down and dirty genre fiction Steven de Souza (48 Hours, Die Hard 1 & 2, Beverly Hills Cop) what strikes you most about this trashy, techie pulp is how oddly prophetic it is, expertly sketching out so many of the defining characteristics of what we now know as the "reality television" genre before anyone had ever even conceived of such a phenomenon.

From the idea of casting to create conflict, the vicarious nature of the heightened, contrived format, and the extreme edification to fit a pre-determined narrative, it's all here. The Running Man might wear the clothes of an action movie, but this is at heart very much a film about the power of media and about selling - be it soda pop or the truth. But it's not all one way, anti-establishment soap-boxing. De Souza and director Paul Michael Glaser understand that consumers ultimately bare the responsibility, taking time to skewer the worst aspects of yuppified, eighties America and it's obsession with owning things, no matter how pointlessly derivative (The Running Man home game, anyone?), egged on by a masterful performance by Richard Dawson as the sleazy host of this sick and deadly game show.

In terms of where it ranks in the annals of grand dystopic cinema, The Running Man lacks the unapologetic nihilism of the likes of Death Race 2000, and the jet black humor of Robocop. What it does have going for it is subtext out the wazoo and twenty-years' evolution of our increasingly manipulated media to back it up. And it has Arnold, with the great monosyllabic hulk battling a gallery of impossibly costumed, ex-professional wrestlers (including his old mate and fellow future politician Jesse Ventura), all of whom are sporting physiques that make his own seem positively modest by comparison. Other frankly bizarre casting choices include Mick Fleetwood, drummer of seventies blues rockers Fleetwood Mac, as leader of a ragtag revolutionary band, aided by poodled haired teen Dweezil Zappa, who help Arnie to smash the state long before he ever thought of running for Governor of one.

Blu-ray Bonus Features

This disc, while admittedly a better transfer than the original, is not the greatest advert for the capabilities of Blu-ray. The fluorescence of the studio and the constant low-light of the game zones were never going to make for an great picture. Some grain persists, and the sound mix is patchy at best.

What extras there are were taken from the 2-disc edition released back in 2004, but of those not all appear to be present (where is "Meet The Stalkers"?). Two commentary tracks are included, one by Exec producer Rob Cohen and the other by director Glaser and his producer Tim Zinnemann. Both are hidden away in the audio set-up options. Sadly it seems a little too much time has passed, with both men struggling to recall the events of the shoot, nevermind offering insight into them.

The two best features from the 2-disc edition remain, however. "Lockdown on Main Street" is an activist featurette laying out the sweeping powers granted to the executive branch in the Patriot Act after 9/11. Best of all is "Game Theory" which offers a brief but pointed insight into the psychology of the reality television phenomenon through its concept, exhaustive development, ultimate execution and potential future. We may yet see The Running Man or something like it on screens in our lifetime.