Runaway Train 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Runaway Train 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 29, 2026

Andrei Konchalovsky's "Runaway Train" (1985) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with Eric Roberts; archival program with Jon Voight; archival program with Andrei Konchalovsky; archival program with Kyle T. Heffner; archival audio commentary by Eric Roberts and critics David Del Valle and C. Courtney Joyner; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I ain't coming back, man.

The main protagonists in Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky's Runaway Train could not be any more different. The first two we meet in a maximum security prison somewhere in Alaska. Manny (Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy) is an aging bank robber who has recently spent three years locked in solitary confinement. He doesn’t like to talk much, but when he does, everyone listens. The second protagonist is Buck (Eric Roberts, The Pope of Greenwich Village, The Specialist), a young country bumpkin who loves to talk and throw good punches. He is also a convicted rapist who takes care of everyone’s laundry.

Buck agrees to help Manny escape after he gets stabbed during a boxing match. He hides Manny in his laundry cart and gets him to the prison’s sewers. There, he decides to join Manny despite the fact that he does not have the right clothes to survive in the Alaskan backwoods. Manny shows him how to wrap up his body in nylon to keep warm. (Apparently, the body must be greased really well).

Manny and Buck end up at a secluded depot where they jump on a freight train heading south. But immediately after the train begins moving, the engineer suffers a heart attack and dies. Then something happens to the brakes and the train becomes unmanageable.

This is where we meet the third protagonist. Sara (Rebecca De Mornay, Guilty as Sin, Never Talk to Strangers) is a maintenance worker who has been taking a nap in one of the train’s four locomotives. She wakes up when the train is already hundreds of miles away from the depot. Somehow, she manages to get to the opposite end of the train where Manny and Buck are beginning to suspect that there is something very wrong with their “limousine to Broadway”.

Based on a script by the great Akira Kurosawa, Runaway Train is a fast yet unusually beautiful action film with a terrific atmosphere. There are some great old-school special effects in it as well, making many of the key sequences look incredibly authentic.

What makes Runaway Train different from most other action films from the same era is the fact that it is also a great character study film. Manny, Buck, and Sara see the world they live in ways that essentially define who they are. But after they slowly begin to realize that they may never get out of the train alive, they begin to reevaluate “right” and “wrong”. Their clashes over the beliefs they’ve attached to them are just as spectacular as the big crashes in the film. There is one very angry statement, in particular, which Manny delivers in the final third of the film that is simply extraordinary. (In a brand new video interview included on this Blu-ray disc, director Konchalovsky states that Voight apparently scripted it without his help).

The film also has a certain poetic beauty that cannot be described with simple words. It is an integral part of Konchalovsky’s style and is very prominent in his early work. Anyone who has seen his brilliant Siberiade (1979) will immediately be able to recognize it in Runaway Train.

Runaway Train was lensed by British cinematographer Alan Hume, who, prior to assisting Konchalovsky, collaborated with John Glen on Octopussy and A View to a Kill. The film’s terrific ambient soundtrack was created by South African composer Trevor Jones (Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans, Alan Parker's Angel Heart).

*In 1986, Runaway Train earned three Oscar nominations, including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Jon Voight) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Eric Roberts).

Runaway Train 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Runaway Train is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-31 are taken from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #34-40 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration, sourced from the original camera negative, on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. Later, I spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

I have several releases, DVD and Blu-ray, of Runaway Train in my library. The two Blu-ray releases are this Region-B release from Arrow Video, and American release from Kino Lorber. However, I did not feel the need to pull them out and perform comparisons with the upcoming combo pack release.

Sadly, I have to report that the new 4K restoration is a major downgrade in quality. While it produces very healthy and vibrant visuals, virtually all with terrific density levels, It is compromised by a bad color grade. Indeed, the 4K restoration introduces a teal tinting that destabilizes and in numerous areas destroys the native period appearance of the film, often while affecting the dynamic range of the visuals as well. The tealing and the color shifts that are associated with it are similar and identical to the ones observed on the new, equally problematic and disappointing, 4K restorations of Night Moves, Eyes Wide Shut, Sorcerer, Testament, and most recently The Stunt Man. The most significant damage is done in areas with subtle ranges of highlights and nuances, where very particular supporting nuances are effectively lost. You can see examples here and here. Needless to say, this is a very frustrating development because all other areas of the 4K restoration and aspects of its technical presentation are meaningful upgrades.

Runaway Train 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The two Blu-ray releases that I have in my library present Runaway Train only with lossless 2.0 tracks, which are wonderful, so I decided to revisit the entire film with the lossless 5.1 track. During the action material, now there is more dynamic variety. (The helicopter footage is a good place to do comparisons). However, while it does become easy to recognize that the dynamic field is expanded, the 5.1 track is unlikely to wow folks who appreciate the aggressiveness of modern soundtracks. This is not a surprising development, but I think it is worth highlighting. Still, the 5.1 track is very much worth having as an option because a lot of the action material becomes more attractive with it. All exchanges are clear and easy to follow.

Runaway Train 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by star Eric Roberts and critics David Del Valle and C. Courtney Joyner. Roberts shares plenty of information about the shooting of the film in Alaska and the rewriting of the original screenplay (as well as Akira Kurosawa's connection), the casting of Danny Trejo for the boxing match, Jon Voight's performance and the shooting of the action footage, the Oscar nominations, etc. It is an awesome, extremely informative commentary, so if you like the film, please find the time to listen to it in its entirety. I guarantee you will enjoy it.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by star Eric Roberts and critics David Del Valle and C. Courtney Joyner. Roberts shares plenty of information about the shooting of the film in Alaska and the rewriting of the original screenplay (as well as Akira Kurosawa's connection), the casting of Danny Trejo for the boxing match, Jon Voight's performance and the shooting of the action footage, the Oscar nominations, etc. It is an awesome, extremely informative commentary, so if you like the film, please find the time to listen to it in its entirety. I guarantee you will enjoy it.

• This Moment is Real - in this exclusive new program, Eric Roberts recalls how he was offered his part in Runaway Train and comments on his decision to transform his character into a country bumpkin. Roberts also recalls his interactions with Jon Voight, Andrei Konchalovsky, and Danny Trejo, who had been a formidable boxer at Folsom State Prison, as well as the shooting of the film in Alaska. After describing the rough start Rebecca De Mornay had with Konchalovsky, Roberts even confesses that he is a big fan of Risky Business. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Sweet and Savage - in this archival program, Eric Roberts recalls how he became involved in Runaway Train, his first impression of the script he was sent, his interactions with Andrei Konchalovsky and his directing style, what it was like working with Jon Voight, etc. The program was produced by Joe Venegas. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• From Thespian to Fugitive - in this archival program, actor Jon Voight discusses his contribution to Runaway Train, his relationship with Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky, and the character he plays (Oscar 'Manny' Manheim). Voight also discusses the contribution of cinematographer Alan Hume, who, prior to Runaway Train, had worked on a number of James Bond films, the Oscar nominations the film received, how its distribution was handled by The Cannon Group Inc., etc. The program was produced by Calum Waddell. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Running on Empty - in this archival program, Andrei Konchalovsky discusses the production history of Runaway Train, and specifically his relationship with The Cannon Group Inc., his friendship with Jon Voight who helped him come to America, the casting of Rebecca De Mornay as well as Jodie Foster's desire to play her character, the style of the film, its disastrous distribution campaign, etc. The program was produced by Calum Waddell. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• The Calm Before the Chaos - in this archival program, Kyle T. Heffner (Frank Barstow) discusses his contribution to Runaway Train, some of the specific requirements Andrei Konchalovsky had for him, the hilarious restroom scene, etc. The program was produced by Calum Waddell. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Runaway Train. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Runaway Train 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you choose to acquire this upcoming combo pack release of Runaway Train, it will have to be for its great selection of bonus features, one of which is an exclusive new program with Eric Roberts. The new 4K restoration featured on the combo pack is problematic. For my money, the old master that MGM prepared some years ago to present Runaway Train at the Cannes Film Festival, which was used by Arrow Video, is vastly superior. Kino Lorber have an older Blu-ray release that offers a superior presentation of Runaway Train as well.