Director Edgar (Shaun of the Dead/Last Night in Soho/Baby Driver) Wright's The Running Man is, of course, a revision of Stephen King (Richard Bachman)'s Orwellian novel and a remake of the 1987 cult classic of the same name, which was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, adapted by Steven E. de Souza and headlined by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The new Running Man, which Wright cowrote with Michael (Project X) Bacall, does re-ignite De Souza's interpretive flair (with several RoboCop retouches), though such is downsized with a subdued, though no less competent cast, its tone more earnest than in the original, which is known for its marginal, Huxley-woven satire. The redux is also more Bondian, if only due to its turf-trotting steer, as opposed to the mayhem anchored to a "Game Zone." In truth, comparing Running Man 1987 to Running Man 2025 is akin to comparing Death Race 2000 to Death Race 2008.
In Running Man 2025, Ben Richards, played by Glen (Twisters/Hit Man) Powell, is an uber-indignant man who struggles to make ends meet and enters The Most Dangerous Game, reality show to supplement his family, much to his wife (Jayme Lawson)'s disapproval. Josh Brolin plays show-creator Dan Killian, a somber and sadistic imprint of Richard Dawson's 1987 villain, with Coleman Domingo sharing aspects of the latter as the game's charismatic host, Bobby T. Thompson.
Additional cast members include friends, foes and incidentals (all social archetypes to some degree or another), portrayed by Daniel Ezra, Michael Cera, Lee Pace, Katy O'Brien, David Zayas, Emilia Jones, Karl Glusman, William H. Macy and Debi Mazar.
While the original flaunts ahead-of-its time, technological concepts, such as an A.I. brawl to mislead the public, the new version leans more on grounded desperation within a heartless landscape. It, too, however, is the tale of an underdog who must overcome the odds (in this instance, surviving thirty days being hunted as inexhaustive obstacles are thrown his way, exasperated all the further by omniscient drones). Step by step, Richards averts death and in so doing, achieves mass appeal among the lower echelon through is skin-of-the-teeth triumphs, but does that mean he wins in the end? Maybe, but then again ...
Like Glaser's movie, Wright's Running Man is a guys' flick, albeit one with political commentary (often lopsided and therefore sometimes too absurdist for its own good), so if one wants heavy-handed, tender-loving moments, this one won't indemnify. The Running Man remake knows its core audience and doesn't disrespect its explosive yearnings. Whether it's as good, better or less than the original all comes down to personal perception, but for the here and now, the retelling succeeds in its goal, which for the sake of delivering action-adventure is all that matters.
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