In "Runaway", two cops have been trained to disable malfunctioning robots, which involves a lot of running after defective items of agricultural machinery. It's not a particularly challenging job - until they happen upon a gifted criminal who knows how to re-program robots for his own dark purposes...
Set in an unspecified near future, "Runaway" is situated at the crossroads of the thriller/action and the science fiction genres. It boasts a fine crop of inventive, eerily predictive machinery and gadgets. (The props and effects work is quite good.) It's an enjoyable romp with a lot of pursuits and action scenes, but it suffers from an overload of clichés and foreshadowing. This keeps the movie from creating genuine narrative surprise. For instance, our hero is a kind-hearted widower with an adorable little son who urges him to get remarried ; you just KNOW this irresistible duo is going to awake tender feelings in the breast of the charming young policewoman who became the hero's new colleague. In the past, the hero's career was blighted by a morbid fear of heights ; you just KNOW the movie is working towards a sensational climax which will involve the hero confronting his fears.
There's also a villain so perpetually sneering and evil he could win gold at the Sneering and Evil Olympics. A bit more nuance might have done wonders here.
Still, there are many worse things to watch on a rainy afternoon - and I do have a soft spot for Mr. Selleck, who makes for a very likeable protagonist. (That incomparable moustache !)
Set in an unspecified near future, "Runaway" is situated at the crossroads of the thriller/action and the science fiction genres. It boasts a fine crop of inventive, eerily predictive machinery and gadgets. (The props and effects work is quite good.) It's an enjoyable romp with a lot of pursuits and action scenes, but it suffers from an overload of clichés and foreshadowing. This keeps the movie from creating genuine narrative surprise. For instance, our hero is a kind-hearted widower with an adorable little son who urges him to get remarried ; you just KNOW this irresistible duo is going to awake tender feelings in the breast of the charming young policewoman who became the hero's new colleague. In the past, the hero's career was blighted by a morbid fear of heights ; you just KNOW the movie is working towards a sensational climax which will involve the hero confronting his fears.
There's also a villain so perpetually sneering and evil he could win gold at the Sneering and Evil Olympics. A bit more nuance might have done wonders here.
Still, there are many worse things to watch on a rainy afternoon - and I do have a soft spot for Mr. Selleck, who makes for a very likeable protagonist. (That incomparable moustache !)