Most folks know a dystopia when they see one. It’s not all Escape from New York (1991), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), or The Hunger Games (2012); sometimes it looks exactly like your regular life does just with more distinct class lines, hyper-regulated communications, and over-regulation of personal choices. It’s government overreach combined with an excess of consolidated wealth and power for conglomerates that benefit the few versus the many. This is a core element of Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running Man, written under the name Richard Bachman, and adapted twice for theaters. The first is considered among the classics that make up actor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s extensive action catalogue of the 1980s and 1990s. At 39 years old, the notions of the film remain strangely timely, even if the specifics within the script didn’t age as well.
After refusing to open fire on a group of peaceful protestors, military pilot Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) is not only sent to a political prison, the entire blame for the massacre that unfolded is put on him as the media dubs him “The Butcher of Bakersfield.” Eighteen months later, he escapes from prison with the aid of two freedom fighters, but, rather than join their cause, he abstains and tries to get away on his own. Unfortunately, he’s captured again, but instead of going back to prison, he’s offered a slot on popular prime time program The Running Man in exchange for his freedom. Tasked with surviving four areas, each with their own gladiator to face, Richards and his fellow Runners will be forced to do anything they can to survive.
The following home release review is based on a retail Blu-ray edition provided by Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment via Alliance Entertainment.
With the recent home release of director Edgar Wright’s 2025 adaptation starring Glen Powell as Richards, one thing to immediately note about the Blu-ray edition of the 1987 Paul Michael Glaser-directed film is that the digital code included doesn’t redeem for Glaser’s film, but Wright’s. Now, this may delight folks who want a copy of both films (and this is a “glass half full” perspective, especially because it seems to redeem for a 4K UHD edition according to iTunes, making it a cheap way to get it), except if you’re buying the 1987 adaptation, you likely don’t want the 2025 one, nor should you expect it. One surmises that there’s a backend error with Paramount in their home release department given the identical titles. So if you purchase the 1987 edition and the process of digital redemption results in their offering the 2025 adaptation, reach out to Paramount and they may be able to offer a replacement. Just make sure to keep all your proof of purchase handy.
Also worth noting that this Blu-ray appears to have initially released in March 2023, just in time for the 35th anniversary. Unfortunately, other than a different cover design, the Blu-ray includes zero supplemental materials — no commentary, featurettes, or gag reels, not even an image gallery or trailer. All that is included (outside of the possibly janky digital code) are sound and language options. A 4K UHD edition in both standard and steelbook versions was released at the same time as the Blu-ray edition and it appears to be the same. 2027 marks the 40th anniversary, so perhaps a new release will arrive that may make a re-purchase more enticing; however, unless enhanced picture (HD or UHD vs. SD) and sound (5.1 Dolby) is a driving factor for your enjoyment of The Running Man, you’re likely still fine with the DVD or VHS in your collection. The film looks and sounds solid in its HD presentation, making the choice to upgrade one you won’t necessarily regret.
What’s fascinating upon rewatching the film, however, is recognizing things that are very much of the era, things that should remain there, and the elements which still feel prescient. The Running Man is as quippy as ever, each death punctuated by a one-liner (sliding scale of effectiveness) with some of the best moments being when the film isn’t trying to be a smartass. One such moment is when Richards is informing Maria Conchita Alonso’s Amber of his plan to escape the country using her travel pass, his answer to her question about why she’d agree to forcibly assist him punctuated by his lifting the workout equipment she’s on that’s bolted to the floor. It’s a signature 1980s anti-hero moment that flaunts Richards’s (i.e. Schwarzenegger’s) strength and allows for a moment of levity for the audience as we know (though Amber doesn’t) that he’s no threat. Unfortunately, his threatening dialogue to her, as well as that of one of Amber’s coworkers regarding Richards, does come off as distasteful, a marker of an era wherein machismo was everything in action films and women were just things to be saved or screwed. The structure of the film is such that that first 40 minutes are setup before Richards enters his first RM sector with the remaining runtime a mix of repetitive confrontations and the eventual comeuppance for Richard Dawson’s The Running Man host, Damon Killian. The trick here is that Richards doesn’t have an arc nor does he grow or change. He went from government stooge to violent killer, which really isn’t that much different except as to whether he draws a paycheck. Richards kills to survive, sure, but his quips imply a certain pleasure from it and, when asked to join the resistance in the end, his only desire is to kill Killian — which he does in very 1980s fashion. There’s no growth, no challenge, no change, a standout difference from other titles like Total Recall (1990) or Last Action Hero (1994). Speaking as someone who holds a fondness for Commando (1985) and True Lies (1994), there’s absolutely as much room for the laser-focused killer hero as there is the character-driven one; it’s just strange to reconcile the version one remembers upon The Running Man’s initial release versus what it actually is. Richards is not someone we should root for, he’s very much a product of both the fictional world in which your choices are comply or die and the real-world excess of the 1980s in which heroes could do anything as long as the on-screen characters like them, their body count is high, and explosions are big.
With so many adolescent moments in my cinema-going or home-watching tied to Schwarzenegger, it’s odd to finish watching The Running Man and feel dissatisfied. This can be a sign of just aging out of something; an awareness of issues that, themselves, didn’t age well; or the fact that King’s fictional version of 2017 is a little too close to the real 2025. In light of that fact, with the wealth and resource gap growing wider, global conflicts only increasing, and selfishness being the aura of the era, a protagonist out for himself just doesn’t land as it once did. That doesn’t mean fans can’t or shouldn’t still enjoy the 1987 edition. It has its charms. If this is you and you’ve yet to pick up the HD edition, only do so if (a) you’re less concerned about bonus features, (b) don’t care about the digital edition, or (c) are incurious about a possible 40th anniversary edition in 2027.
No bonus features included with this edition.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital March 14th, 2023.
For more information, head to the official Paramount Pictures The Running Man webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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