The Running Man (2025)

I was afraid of this already....

Actually, I didn't "dare".

Comes from the same book as the long walk, which I haven’t seen yet.

Yesterday I made a last-minute trip to the cinema.

I could have easily joined this film.

I have to say, the first part before the break was really fun to watch.

After the break....

Pffff, immediately thought of home alone, what a mess!

two and a half stars for the first half

Translated from Dutch · View original

Powell possesses a quality shared by Adam Sandler: they're incredibly sympathetic, a quality Sandler used brilliantly in Uncut Gems, where you still end up loving him. But in The Running Man, it works just as well. The beginning, for example, moves incredibly fast, but from the very first second, you root for Powell. That's nice. The man isn't even particularly charismatic, but with him as the lead, it works quite well.

The story isn't particularly remarkable, if only because we've already seen dozens of iterations of it in 2025. But the film is skillfully made, and while I wasn't entirely convinced by the world it's set in, the flair and verve make that irrelevant while watching. Action and quieter moments are neatly interspersed. All in all, skillfully made but also very solid; nothing truly remarkable happens anywhere. The theme is also sometimes hammered home rather unsubtly, and the film runs fifteen minutes too long. But I wasn't bored. 3.0*.

Translated from Dutch · View original

It's great that the assistant directors and the rest of the crew were mentioned first in the final credits. You never see that. Respect, Edgar!

The film was simply decent entertainment. It could have been much shorter, and at times, the film didn't know what it was: black comedy or serious drama.

Which irritated me a bit at times, but you still get to see good to very good action scenes, with a good Glen Powell; who was convincing.

The original remains the better because of the perfect running time, Arnold's cheesy lines, and the commentary that was for that time.

Apparently, Edgar Wright wasn't allowed to incorporate his ideas into the film. You can see that here and there (for example: the opening, the music selection), but I expected it to be much more.

The studio interfered too much again. It could have been much better.

Ultimately, it's a fine film for a night at the cinema. But one you'll quickly forget.

Translated from Dutch · View original