The Running Man is a pretty horrible movie. It’s full of bad acting, clunky dialogue, and scenes that drag to the point where the film feels like it never ends. It’s nowhere near as entertaining as the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger version, and you can skip this remake completely.
A Flat, Modernized Rehash
The story gets old fast. It’s another Hollywood attempt at writing for a “modern audience,” and the message is loud and clear: Corporate America is bad, America is bad, and corporations supposedly made everyone poor. There’s no middle class in sight — just “execs” at the top and everyone else beneath them.
The villains are painfully generic. The new Hunters don’t hold a candle to the wild, over-the-top WWE-style characters from the original. Even Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo can’t come close to replacing Richard Dawson’s iconic presence.
Weak Characters and Worse Dialogue
The Running Man 2025 simply isn’t fun. And the misfires pile up:
You don’t smash a window and threaten to choke someone out. You say you’re going to smash their face in. The line reeks of dialogue written by someone who’s never been in a fight. Later in the movie, Powell nearly gets choked out himself — unintentionally hilarious.
Powell also keeps asking the villains some version of, “You’re going to keep me from being with my wife and daughter?” He repeats it multiple times, and each moment falls completely flat.
He is also supposedly on the run and keeps looking back. That drove me nuts.
Then there’s the late addition of Amelia, which goes nowhere. And the ending somehow manages to be even worse.
Add in what feels like DEI-driven funding decisions, and the film hits a brick wall.
The Verdict
The Running Man (2025) fails on nearly every level — action, tone, casting, script, and basic entertainment value. It brings none of the fun, grit, or personality of the original, and its messaging-first approach smothers whatever story it tried to tell.
You’ll get more enjoyment by rewatching the Schwarzenegger classic.
4/10
