Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3248 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-08-19
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In this action thriller based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as "Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans will want to watch more than once. And check those credits--choreography by Paula Abdul! --Jeff Shannon

Special Features
16:9 Wide Screen
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Synopsis
Set in 2019, an ex-cop framed and convicted of mass slaughter, becomes a contestant on the most popular game show in which convicted felons race for their lives in decimated L.A. in hopes of a pardon. Adapted from a Stephen King novel.

Customer Reviews

futuristic violent fun! (for all regions)
Always had a soft spot for this cheesy but entertaining Arnie vehicle.
The story is set in the future about a uber-violent tv gameshow where convicts are forced to fight to the death in some quite elaborate ways.
Cue some classic Arnie one-liners, action and chase sequences, topped off with a great ending.

Features the great Yaphet Kotto, and the lovely Maria Conchita Alonso.
Trivia; Maria and Arnie, both faced the alien 'Predator', Arnie in the original Predator (Special Edition) [1987] and Maria in the unimaginably titled but underrated Predator sequel Predator 2 (2 Disc Special Edition) [1990], also similarly set in a violent future.
This was of course before the alien-v-predator franchise tarnished it forever...

They've really pushed the boat out here on this 2 disc version, with a great remastered anamorphic,(unlike the standard version[ASIN:B00005JSGU The Running Man [1987] [1988]]] widescreen (and fullscreen) print, 5.1EX,6.1 DTS-ES soundtracks, commentaries, documentaries etc. making this the definitive DVD version to get.

Note; although listed as region 1, i tested it in both a region 1 and 2 locked player, and it appears there is no regional coding applied, and why indeed should any older title such as this have any?

A great film full of the usual Arnie action and with an interesting premise.,
When I first saw this movie, I looked at it as, well, another 1980's action flick with Arnold Schwarzenegger literally devouring his enemies. It was entertaining, but it had something of a pro-wrestling mentality. It's a pretty good movie. It does recreate the look and feel of many of the WWF superstars, and it also includes former pro-wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura. It seemed to me that it was pure entertainment, as was pro-wrestling itself. However, something changed my mind. It was near the beginning of summer, when the news came that wrestler Owen Hart died of an accident at a wrestling event. His death shook me up, and it was hard for me to like wrestling anymore. After something like that, you realize that in some ways, "The Running Man" is true to life! It's about people fighting for their lives on a game show. The audience cheers for death and for blood. The more people are killed on the show, the higher the ratings go. Killian, the show's host, is a poke at WWF owner Vince McMahon, who, for the sake of ratings, has taken his wrestling federation farther than what anyone has ever seen before. Back then, it used to be Hulkamania, which was decent entertainment. Now, it's loaded with sex, violence, and blood.

What went wrong? I don't know but reviewer Main Man can tell you all about it due to his high knowledge of wrestling. It's been close to a decade since I seen wrestling and the last straw was when Owen Hart lost his life over a stunt to please the fans!

Aside from that, "The Running Man" actually tries to tell something important about the television entertainment we are having nowadays. If we take a quick look at some of the most daring and wretched ones of today's game shows we can note that even though they don't slaughter people yet they do almost everything else to keep the audience happy - no matter how immoral it might get. Here's a futuristic vision of a show called "The Running man". It still looks a pretty absurd and ridiculous from today's point of view but we're certainly heading to that direction. Slowly, perhaps, put that's the course.

This movie can be seen as what it also is: excellent action movie and alongside with "Conan the Barbarian - Collector's Edition", "The Terminator", "Commando (Director's Cut)" and "Predator (Widescreen Collector's Edition)" it's one of the greatest Schwarzenegger classics of the 80's. He celebrated his 40th birthday in 1987, everybody found him a believable man of action, people loved him and actually took him and even his amusing Austrian accent seriously. If I look at "The Running man" and compare it to Schwarzenegger's most recent films this one makes me very nostalgic. He's so soft nowadays. But then again, 80's are in the past. In "The Running man" we have lots of cruel and brilliant fights, exciting and funny chases, maniacal bad guys with interesting weapons and among many other good things Arnie's famous "I'll be back" -one liner. Yes sir, I like it.

I Will Runaway With You
The future had turned into a 80s hell were the rich are richer and the poor are close to rioting. Rather than deal with the problems that their regime has caused the fascist government of the future aim to suppress the hordes by keeping them glued to the TV. The most popular show at the moment is one called `The Running Man' that sees convicted criminals being chased through deserted city blocks by well paid Stalkers. If the convicts escape they are given huge piles of wealth, if they are caught they invariably die. The newest competitor is one Ben Richards a former helicopter pilot who is accused of opening fire on a peaceful protest. This is all lies, but it won't stop mad game show host Killian from sending him and his friends down the pit. Can Richards and co survive the likes of Buzzsaw, Sub Zero and Dynamo long enough to win the game and perhaps bring down the government?

`The Running Man' is classic 80s Arnie and one of his best. It is incredibly dated and Arnie can not act, but these elements add to its unique charm. I don't understand why the future looks so 80s - perhaps it's a revival of some sort. The film was violent for its day, but it now pretty light and would potentially sneak into a 12A (except for the swearing). If you are looking for some great cheesy action thrills then `The Running Man' is unlike any other film around. IMO a science fiction classic that can be bought very cheaply on DVD. Is it worth paying extra for a HD copy of the film? I imagine that the film it was shot on means that there is little point.

Sammy recommendation