THE RUNNING MAN
Starring: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Jayme Lawson, Lee Pace, Katy O’Brian, Michael Cera, William H. Macy, Daniel Ezra, and Emilia Jones
Director: Edgar Wright
AMARÚ
For a movie tailor-made to fit Edgar Wright’s stylish directorial flair, The Running Man is surprisingly muted. That’s probably because it vacillated tones so often that the visuals could never settle into any kind of groove, and that’s the film's biggest issue. While Glen Powell goes full ham-fisted fuck the system, the story turns from schlock to serious and back so quickly that characters, plot points, and action bits arrive and disappear in a flash. If we’re going to pay homage to 80s camp, then stick to it; otherwise, what’s left is a lot of false starts to fun ideas that often fizzle out.
ADRIANO
The Running Man is the most disappointed I've been this year. That's not to say it's bad; it has some fun energy and entertainment value, thanks in part to Glen Powell's movie-star charisma, alongside Colman Domingo chewing the hell out of his scenes. However, Edgar Wright's signature freneticism is oddly absent, aside from a few split-second moments, making the action uncharacteristically flat. It's a serviceable action-comedy at worst, but with an extra dose of punches being pulled with its totalitarianism messaging. I wouldn't be this upset had it not been Wright, but it's too forgettable for such an amazing filmmaker.
PAIGE
For most of the runtime of The Running Man, I was quite entertained. The cat and mouse chases and action sequences were fun as hell throughout, and Glen Powell proves he has the charisma to be an action star. Where the movie goes off the rails for me is in its third act. By that point it becomes tiresome, as it continuously beats you over the head with its themes, and the story has nowhere near the depth needed to make me fully care about what it’s trying to say. Overall, it has a lot of ingredients to be a great action movie, but it’s missing the impact needed to leave a lasting impression.
Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick, Adriano, and Amarú join Matt to take A Bigger Bite out of The Running Man HERE.