The Running Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Running Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Smash TV: The Prequel.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 22, 2025

Released by Paramount back in March 2023 (several months after their 4K Steelbook but before a standard-issue 4K edition), this similarly remastered Blu-ray of Paul Michael Glaser's campy sci-fi actioner The Running Man might as well have arrived now to coincide with the upcoming theatrical release of Edgar Wright's remake in just a few short weeks. Featuring format-proportionate visuals, the same excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, and identically zero bonus features, this is a pretty solid movie-only disc for a satire that plays a hell of a lot differently in 2025.

Above: the 1980s, distilled to a single image.

I'll spare you the long-winded political rant and instead just say that the concept of a wrongfully-accused prisoner competing on a violent game show for a commuted sentence (among other prizes) no longer feels all that far-fetched. This film might run a fairly distant second to Robocop on the intelligence scale, it isn't as genuinely intriguing as, say, Total Recall, and Maria Conchita Alonso makes Arnold Schwarzenegger look like Cristoph Waltz, but The Running Man still earns a few bonus points for its prescient story elements, pitch-black humor, and a decidedly solid soundtrack by Harold Faltermeyer. Simply put, this one's well worth rediscovering whether or not the remake exceeds it.

On the off chance you're going in blind, here's a quick synopsis: in the distant future of 2017 (nine years, too early, in my opinion), the latest and soon-to-be greatest contestant on America's favorite state-sponsored violent TV game show "The Running Man" is Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger), who isn't your average criminal because he's actually innocent. Accused of gunning down a crowd of protesters thanks to doctored footage, Ben is sentenced to a lengthy prison stint. He escapes with friends Laughlin and Weiss (Yaphet Kotto and Marvin J. McIntyre)... and it's Ben's evasive abilities that get him noticed by show host Damon Killian (Richard Dawson, in fine form), who orders him to compete or his friends will appear in his place. Unsurprisingly, though, crooked Killian had his fingers crossed and all three -- eventually four, counting sympathetic station employee Amber Mendez (Alonso) -- must now appear together in a frantic race for their lives as they face flame-throwers, chainsaws, and a fat guy with a really sharp hockey stick. Throw in a full serving of extra cheese, sporadic gore, and a ridiculous TV audience and you've got a recipe for 101 minutes of entertainment... as well as the lesser-known real second appearance of Arnie's now-famous catchphrase "I'll be back".

For a fuller synopsis of the film, please see Dustin Somner's review of the 2010 Blu-ray edition.

The Running Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

In his overwhelmingly positive 2022 review of the 4K Steelbook, my esteemed colleague Marty Liebman praised that disc's tightly organic grain structure, fine detail, and clean appearance, also noting several advancements achieved by its 2160p resolution and robust Dolby Vision HDR color grading. While this 1080p/SDR downscale obviously can't match the UHD in those latter departments as well as a few others, it unquestionably earns similar praise from yours truly for those base-level fundamentals and a format-high bit rate on this supportive dual-layered disc. The Running Man offers a visually engaging blend of dark and muted dystopian environments alongside its candy-colored game show set and costumes, with elemental effects like heavy fog, scorching flames, and crackling electricity holding up remarkably well for "just" high definition. Ignoring a few baked-in hiccups, this a disc that's dangerously close to format perfection; it only earns a half-point deduction for not preserving The Running Man's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

The Running Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unsurprisingly, this Blu-ray includes the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (which may or may be a scaled-down version of Lionsgate's 7.1 remix on their older Blu-ray), so please see Marty Liebman's 2022 review of Paramount's 4K Steelbook for full sonic details. I enjoyed this mix a lot despite the fact that it sounds fairly overcooked (which fits the film's tone, to be fair), but I'll again dock a half-point for not including the original four-channel theatrical mix.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature only.

The Running Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with familiar cover artwork and a Digital Copy redemption code. Much like the UHD release, no bonus features are included, not even any of the legacy material from previous DVDs and Blu-rays including a pair of socially conscious featurettes, two feature-length audio commentaries, and the trailer. Too bad.

The Running Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paul Michael Glaser's The Running Man is enduringly entertaining but can't be counted as a total win due to its loose grasp of campier elements, although it plays quite a bit differently nowadays and can perhaps be respected a little bit more for its (unfortunately) prescient core story. My point is: whether or not you revisit this one before or after Edgar Wright's remake in a few short weeks, The Running Man deserves a weekend rewatch if you haven't seen it in decades. Paramount's remastered Blu-ray obviously doesn't score as high as their UHD edition for visuals, but it's proportionately just as good and features the same energetic DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio remix. A total absence of bonus features spoils the party a bit, but this one's still worth a purchase if you're not currently set up for 4K. Recommended.