The Running Man (2025)★ 6.6/10

Stephen King is having a great year watching so many of his books be adapted into shows and movies. The latest one is the 2nd adaptation of THE RUNNING MAN, the first released back in 1987 with Arnold Schwartzenegger. This one is very different, more in line with the book, which coincidentally took place in 2025. This story is about Ben Richards (Glen Powell), a notorious hothead. Having trouble keeping a job, desperate to heal his sick daughter, he has no choice but to participate in the most deadly, most profitable, reality TV show, The Running Man. 3 contestants try to survive 30 days, being hunted by…the Hunters. Citizens can also win money if they spot them using their phones. Contestants are required to film themselves for ten minutes per day, dropping off the tapes in specific mailboxes. The longer you survive, the more money you get. Nobody has ever won. What follows is a high-octane cat and mouse adventure filled with random side characters popping up, commentary about the governmental manipulation of society and how unbalanced the economy is, and of course, Glen Powell using a disguise and showing off his abs. I swear, it must be in his contract at this point. Director Edgar Wright has given us some absolute bangers throughout his career, among my favourites are the Cornetto trilogy (look it up, I had to), SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, BABY DRIVER, and LAST NIGHT IN SOHO. THE RUNNING MAN might be his weakest movie, but it’s such a high bar. It has a relentless pace, although I did feel the length at a certain point. It has a good message of corporate greed and how the media can do pretty much whatever they want with A.I. and deepfakes. The script here is great, up to a certain point in the third act. I feel like it has way too many conveniences. It’s a little eerie how we’ve been seeing many adaptations of King’s more dystopian works this year. Is big Hollywood trying to tell us something? Wright does know how to shoot great action scenes though. Yes, sometimes I had to stretch my believability muscle, but at least I was having fun. It’s very entertaining, but only if you don’t think too hard about it. As with most movies she’s in, I needed more Katy O’Brian. The antagonists are mostly bland, except for Colman Domingo playing the host of the show, bringing his enigmatic charm and energy. Other fun and memorable side characters are played by William H. Macy and Michael Cera. The tone of the movie shifts quite a lot. It can be fun, ridiculous and entertaining, but also serious and bleak at times. The third act is a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the film. What we have here is a crowd-pleasing, action-packed, often funny, “stick it to the man”, “cat and mouse” adventure with a messy script that’s thankfully heightened by Powell and the talented team behind the camera. You’d think a movie called THE RUNNING MAN would have Tom Cruise, but nope. You don’t have to run, but I recommend walking to the theater for this one.

entretenida

Para ser una película de Edgar Wright, su participación y trabajo no sobresalen, ni siquiera se notan, es como si todo eso hubiera quedado opacado por una visión ajena y vacía. Funciona como una película de acción regular y convencional, pero hasta ahí. Es decepcionante.

Distopía Woke. La pareja no es convincente. El reparto estuvo mal seleccionado. Visualmente entretenida pero el guion muy flojo.

un aceptable remake

muy interesante me parece que es la parodia de cualquier dictadura en el mundo

Veré primero 😸

Buena película

Buena peli, divertida

Exelente

'The Running Man' es una película que junta el thriller distópico con la acción y algo de ciencia ficción, en una persecución implacable e impredecible. Muy buen rol de Glen Powell, en lo físico y exigente, pero no llena del todo el papel de un héroe de acción. Destacado también a nivel emocional. Josh Brolin y Lee Pace hacen de muy buenos antagonistas, sobretodo el segundo. También, Daniel Ezra, Michael Cera y Emilia Jones hacen de buenos acompañantes del protagonista. Cera eleva bastante el nivel del fime, gran incorporación, junto a un excelso Colman Domingo. Bastante explosiva, compleja y entretenida. Esta película toca diversos temas, bien sean sociales, autoritarios y morales, pero su desarrollo con exceso de humor y situaciones fuera de contexto hacen que no se puedan tomar en serio los primeros. Buena distopía, diseño de producción, fotografía y banda sonora. También, un trabajo de cámara dinámico, tomas y edición versátiles que llevan a una atmósfera de mucha tensión y acción increíble.