There are a lot of ingredients a film needs, for it to stand out amongst its peers as an example, of the best that the art form has to offer. In regards to that, the story is of the utmost importance. If the script is weak you begin the production, of what is essentially a house, with flawed foundations. Also integral to the process, is the careful selection of the builders, or the actors. Nearly every member of the crew in fact, is important to make a great film; but f you just want a movie that makes a lot of money, then the requirements are totally different.
Classic Movie Trailers: “The Running Man” (1987)
Opinions are going to differ, regarding Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting ability. I enjoyed his performance as Dutch in “Predator”, and I found him to be more believable there, than as Ben Richards in the “The Running Man”. I’d note however, that regardless of what role he plays, Arnold is still Arnold, and the fact that I think of his work in this way, is telling. That’s not to say that Arnold was a bad actor in his day, but it might suggest that he was merely a competent one.
One of Schwarzenegger’s greatest challenges as an actor, is his accent. There are words of dialogue, that you can give to almost any professional actor, but you can't give them to Arnold with a straight face. “Meat grinder” in “Predator”, is a good example of this; they're more careful of that in this film. More talented actors, are able to change their accents convincingly, but I’d never claim that Arnold wasn’t talented, though he obviously wasn't as skilled.
He was serviceable in the eighties, and when I watch his later performances, as in “True Lies” for example, I feel the same way. He wasn’t a great actor but he certainly wasn’t bad, and I’d say the same regarding The Running Man’s other elements. The story wasn't poorly done and generally speaking, neither was the dialogue. The effects are decent to look at, as are the rest of the visuals.
Maria Conchita Alonzo and Richard Dawson gave the best performances; I consider the rest of the acting to be merely serviceable, for the most part, but that’s what you need. Everyone involved should, at the very least, perform competently. As long as the budget is adequate and there is a quality marketing campaign, you’re likely to produce something that’s successful financially, if not as much so, critically,
There’s still an essential piece of the puzzle to discuss though. If you want an adequate budget and a quality marketing campaign, you’d better have a star on the team. Studios and investors won't put up a lot of money, unless there’s someone in top billing that can put butts in the seats. Arnold put butts in the seats, and whatever you say about his work, you can't deny that.
Schwarzenegger was, unquestionably, the biggest name in action. He played lead roles in over two dozen Hollywood films, and he was at the top of the card for both “Predator” and “The Running Man”, which debuted in the same year, five months apart. Arnold was hot, and I doubt there was a decent script in the business, at that time, that didn't somehow find its way, to his agent's desk.
Ultimately, that's how the business works; that's how the movies get made. It isn't how they’re dreamed of or conceptualized, but in the nitty-gritty, dollars and cents reality, it's how they are born. Wonderful words on a page are just that and no more. Pretty pictures and set designs are nice but, most people go to the movies to see other people and if you don’t have someone they want to see, you probably won’t have a hit.
Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in plenty of hits, though I don't consider "The Running Man" to be one of them. It's an average popcorn film, that looks like it was adapted from a comic book, instead of a Stephen King novel. To that end, it is staffed with villains that actually look capable, of giving Arnold a hard time and that makes it an enjoyable experience. This particular film didn't set the world on fire, when it debuted; but the studio recouped the cost of the production, investors made a little extra cash and the Hollywood machine kept running, fueled by one of its biggest stars.
Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in plenty of hits, though I don't consider "The Running Man" to be one of them. It's an average popcorn film, that looks like it was adapted from a comic book, instead of a Stephen King novel. To that end, it is staffed with villains that actually look capable, of giving Arnold a hard time and that makes it an enjoyable experience. This particular film didn't set the world on fire, when it debuted; but the studio recouped the cost of the production, investors made a little extra cash and the Hollywood machine kept running, fueled by one of its biggest stars.
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