Runaway (1984) User Reviews

Nerve-wracking, offbeat, sci-fi thriller: VERY MILD SPOILER

[mstomaso · 7/10 · 21 March 2005]

From the master of technophobic paranoiac pseudoscience fiction, Michael Crichton, comes this tense, well-made suspense thriller. Anybody interested in AI, robotics and cybernetics will have a difficult time suspending disbelief as Selleck is forced to fight off a few battalions of homicidal gadgets under the influence of a mod chip programmed to identify specific human targets, with all of the cyber-evil ultimately under the control none other than Kiss lead singer Gene Simmons. If this sounds ridiculous, please understand that this film is not above a little self-deprecating geek humor - for example after the first action sequence, where Selleck has chased down a runaway farm implement, he refers to the CPU of the unit as an old 8088. OK, if you got this joke, you might appreciate the rest of the film's comic relief. If not, you should enjoy it for its solidly entertaining suspense.

The soundtrack (Jerry Goldsmith) often hurts, but has a few good moments. Some of Gary Numan's darker and weirder stuff from around the time this film was released might have been a better choice, or perhaps even Jean Michel Jarre.

Tom Selleck does well in his physically and emotionally demanding role, playing a police officer with vertigo who is assigned to disable runaway robots. To his credit, none of Crichton's robots are the standard ludicrous anthropomorphisms we see in schlock-fests like I Robot and The Clown Wars, but rather mechanical hardware things as innocuous as boxy agricultural drones which pick bugs from cornstalks and turn them into fertilizer and housekeeping automatons which look only slightly more advanced than today's robotic vacuums.

Cynthia Rhodes steals this show. Her performance is so spot-on that I was compelled to look her up here immediately after seeing this movie for the second time. See for yourself: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722407/ I am astonished and intrigued by her extremely low profile. Please e-mail me if you have an explanation for this!

Gene Simmons is about what you would expect, he delivers his lines with little tangible feeling, overacts frequently, and does well with looking weird and menacing, but has little sense of pace or complex facial expression. Kirstie Allie gives a fairly standard performance, and Chris Mulkey, not unusually, puts in a very nice effort for his relatively minor role. The rest of the cast is quite good.

I'm not a big fan of more recent Crichton films, but I really enjoy his earlier works, especially Andromeda Strain and this film. I remembered seeing this about twenty years ago and being pleasantly surprised. My second viewing, just an hour ago, was just as entertaining. Sure the soundtrack, hairstyles and some of the dialog are outdated, but the themes, characters, and even the plot are not.

Gene Simmons is a great villain!

[funtasticfour · 6/10 · 8 July 2019]

Gene Simmons just looks creepy, and I wish he'd play more villain roles. That being said, this movie was ok. Considering it's 1984, they predicted drones, roomba and self driving cars! A low budget but entertaining enough.

Not great-But a perfect Saturday afternoon escape.

[Fredichi · 7/10 · 4 April 2000]

Okay this movie is far from perfect. However, on a rainy day, or lazy weekend afternoon the movie is highly enjoyable.

Like a lot of movies it starts out great but gets a little silly towards the end.

What makes this movie is Tom Selleck. He is a very under-appreciated actor, who always seems to breathe life into the dullest of movies. Here he takes what could of been a much sillier movie and brings a lot of believability to his role and to the story. Even if it is about robots going nuts.

Michael Crichton directed this one, strange that he didn't write it as a book first, cause it is a great story. A little ahead of it's time which might explain it's poor performance with the critics and at the box office.

Definitely worth checking out. Great Jerry Goldsmith score.

futuristic crime/action

[qttroassi · 16 February 2002]

A lot of critics complain about this movie but it was very well made for it's time. Not only does the movie show robots going out of control but it also shows a society of complete distrust and characters that are very cold. Gene Simmons from Kiss is perfect in the role with his looks and his voice as a sadistic villain that keeps managing to circumvent authorities. Chris Mulkey a bit actor is also good as an idiot that gets involved with Simmons. The script and soundtrack are excellent. Tom selleck also goes well as a frustrated cop who is fiercely determined to stop the bad guy and is humorously sarcastic to the people he deals with.

Predictable, But Definitely Entertaining

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 17 November 2005]

This was a decent suspense film with a different twist for its day, dealing with robots. The idea has since been copied in a few films.

Here, cops go after runaway robots and after a villain who is trying to steal deadly weapons (gosh, that's original). The special effects are pretty good - especially since this was made over 20 years ago - and I particularly enjoyed watching the heat-seeking bullets fired from the villain's gun. Rock star Gene Simmons, by the way, does a nice job as the bad guy.

As entertaining as this Tom Selleck movie was, it had a B-quality to it with some stupid and predictable dialog. The climactic scenes were very predictable. You just knew certain things were going to happen...and they did. Yet, it was fun to watch and worth one look.

Dated but highly enjoyable sci-fi thriller.

[aforandromeda · 7/10 · 27 November 2014]

Set in undetermined future society where robotics are a major part of everyday life, from performing household chores to construction and more, Runaway follows Officer Jack Ramsay (Tom Selleck), head of the so-called 'Runaway Squad'. His hi-tech unit deals with out of control robots, intervening where humans may be endangered by the machines' malfunctions. When Ramsay discovers a plot by criminal genius Luther (Gene Simmons) to sell advanced microchips and cutting edge weaponry to the highest bidder, he finds himself taking on not only Luther, but also the dangerous killer's deadly robotic creations.

Written and directed by the late Michael Crichton, Runaway continues the theme of the dangers of technology affecting the lives of humans that had been previously visited in his previous works Westworld and Looker. Reviewing Runaway now, thirty years after it's original release, is a real eye opener to Crichton's foresight. Although the appearance of the technology in the movie is dated, being all microchips, clunky robots, switches and video tapes, there are things that have equivalents today. These include flying drones ('floaters'), tablet-like devices, the ease of gaining information through computer profiles of individuals, nannying by technology and the rapacious pervasiveness of the media. These features are integrated subtly and skilfully into the fabric of the film, helping Runaway maintain a surprising degree of relevance so far down the line. The movie is also notable for it's 'bullet-eye view' scenes, which were ground breaking in it's day and much imitated thereafter.

There's plenty to enjoy here as proceedings are quick and unfussy, the plot is purposeful and the action comes thick and fast, with Crichton really building up the tension and thrills during several standout scenes. Although some of the effects are a trifle creaky looking nowadays, the robotics are imaginative and well constructed. The performances are as equally enjoyable, with Selleck and Cynthia Rhodes (as Jack's partner) working well together. The underrated G.W. Bailey (of Police Academy infamy) also does a great turn as Jack's Chief and even a sizzling Kirstie Alley makes an appearance. The only letdown is from KISS legend Simmons, as although can he certainly deliver menacing looks and thousand yard stares, his overall acting ability is somewhat lacking. A much better rock star than actor, that's for sure.

While the movie is dated in parts, it's fast pace and inventiveness, along with Crichton's skillful direction helps Runaway stand up very well when viewed in the modern day. Whether revisiting or seeing it for the first time, Runaway is an oft-overlooked pulp thriller that's well worth catching.

Wow, 80's "future" movies...awesome. Well, average fun...

[noizyme · 5/10 · 3 June 2006]

OK, for some reason, in the future we have larger than necessary robots doing the jobs that humans are tired of doing. When they screw up, Tom Selleck is here to use the awesome authority he has in the police force to shut down (usually destroys) these robots before more harm is done. There are field bots for corn crops, house bots which do the dishes and the like, constructo-bots that stack things where you need them to stack things, and office bots and all different types of them.

Now, Tom Selleck has another job of fending off spider bots, which were designed to sadistically kill people at the will of Gene Simmons' character. But Selleck better fend off Simmons' crazy magic bullets which contains an explosive in each one, but only goes after exact people who are programmed in it to kill.

Sound crazy...yeah, it was. A stretched-thin story made good use out of its imagination. The special effects were OK (the magic bullet-cam, the laser-gun Selleck uses, the "fast" RC-cars packed with explosives), but most were pretty rudimentary compared with others at the time. The music was done by Jerry Goldsmith (a plus) who's worked on Legend, Alien, The Omen, Chinatown, Basic Instinct, Gremlins, and a slew of others.

Gene Simmons was an interesting choice as the bad guy (who apparently was only chosen after seeing him mug an evil-looking face for a while), but he was entirely too evil for his brainiac ways that he was supposed to be. Kirstie Alley was probably cast after saying yes to her strip-down scene (in which you don't see any nudity). It was cool to see Joey Cramer (from Flight of the Navigator fame) and GW Bailey (from Police Acamdemt fame) as extra characters. Tom Selleck was always on as the hero with a fear of heights.

It was an interesting and weird tale of the future with robotic bullets and robots running amuck, but the fun was very average during the whole film, with little more than corny little jumping and exploding robots to remember. And what is up with all the sparks at the end credits? Are there welders above them repairing an important job or what? Whatever...interesting to see.

Fun and quite smart for 80s sci-fi-cop thriller

[butterman_1999 · 7/10 · 20 August 2019]

I will admit I have always had a little "something" for the Michael Crichton written and directed 10984 film "Runaway". I will try to keep it brief, but apologies in advance if I go into windbag territory.

I recall seeing TV spots (i.e. trailers) back in the 80s for this film but can not recall ever seeing it actually playing in the theaters upon release. However, the film was released for local rental (VHS, video shops) as well as "pay per view" TV after it's supposed original 1984 theatrical run, and that's how I came to see the film for the first time: recorded on a VHS tape off of a then movie-channel playing flicks usually uncut (or at the very least, in their local theatrical versions) but chopped off in pan & scan 4x3 format. I also think that the first few minutes of the film were missing from my VHS tape, probably recorded on the fly when the film was starting, because *** SPOILERS ! ! ! **** when I re-watched it on DVD (in full 2:35 aspect ratio!) I did not recall the first "cornfield" scene at all... But then again it has been about 30 years (if not more) since I last saw this film!

Yes, the film is quite dated: everything from the police uniforms to the hairstyles to the makeup screams horrible eighties, but maybe that's what the film was supposed to be: an alternate version of the reality of 1984. Still, if you grew up in the 70s and 80s, then you can allow such fashion crimes a hall pass since they were the real thing and not the post Y2K 80s glamorification of today...

Anyway, the film is supprisingly well structured as there is not dull moment or useless scènes which either don't help the story to go forward at a reasonable pace, or offer up a wee bit of characterization and empathy between the characters, except of course for the *** SPOILER ! ! ! *** overly played-out final kiss which finishes the film and has the end crédits start as the two leads keep rubbing lips for a few minutes. But again, this happens at the end of the film, so it doesn't really hinder the story.

Although quite simple and straightforward, the film is remarkably smart. People seem to talk, act, react quite naturally, again considering this was 1984 and "equality between the sexes" wasn't yet part of the daily decorum (ahem!) - meaning of course that one can not shake off the feeling that there is a bit of what was considered "normal" at the time condecendance towards women. It isn't as bad as previous décades, but still...

Anyway, everyone does a great job, from the lead actors (including also some of the bit players) to the special effects (although, again, dated by today's standards but very effective for the time), to the cinematography (the rear-projection isn't as horrible as other films of the time), to the production design, and even the ADR looping is quite noteworthy. Perhaps the weakest point is the rather "standard" 80s synthesizer score which doesn't seem to fully mesh with the rest of the production, although it does manage to be serviceable for what it is supposed to do. Again remember that this is just my personnal tastes talking here...

Anyway, it's not a masterpiece and shouldn't be considered as such, but it is a very fun little romp, well paced and well executed on (most) all fronts and should be enjoyed without being taken too seriously. Like many films, it has it's fair share of flaws, but it is a very nice little film.

RUNAWAY (Michael Crichton, 1984) **

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 4 June 2008]

I recall this being released theatrically and even an Italian-TV broadcast of it some time later; being available for rental on DVD locally and myself a sci-fi fan, it was inevitable that I’d check it out – even if it doesn’t have much of a reputation within the genre (in spite of writer/director Crichton’s involvement, author of such effective yet diverse fare as THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN [1970], WESTWORLD [1973], THE TERMINAL MAN [1974], COMA [1978] and JURASSIC PARK [1993]).

This is one of a number of early 1980s sci-fi actioners – including TRON (1982), BLUE THUNDER (1983), WAR GAMES (1983), THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984), etc. – which seemed to promote technology, often at the expense of narrative and characterization, but which evoke tremendous nostalgia for someone who was a kid at the time. Still, the film serves as a reminder that cinema was in a definite rut throughout the decade – when you had to rely on a T.V. star for the lead (MAGNUM P.I.’s Tom Selleck) and a rockstar for the villain (Gene Simmons, bassist of KISS)! In itself, though, it’s harmless enough and certainly enjoyable – even if the plot (once all the scientific jargon and gadgetry is by-passed) is pretty routine.

The action sequences (plentiful in number) are O.K. if a bit silly – such as the situation where Selleck has to save a hostage infant from a squat gun-toting robot gone amok, Simmons shooting missile-like bullets, a car chase in which the passengers change vehicles in motion (a stunt which has just been replicated in the latest Indiana Jones adventure!), etc. Plotwise, we get complications in the relationship between widower Selleck and his immediate family (comprising a young son and a garrulous robot maid!) – which set in with the appearance of his new (and naturally female) cop partner; Selleck’s also fraught with vertigo (in the past, this had cost the life of a number of people when he backed out of following a suspect because of the heights involved) – a hindrance which is predictably played upon during the climax, where he has to take on Simmons’ army of acid-spouting robot spiders in an elevator at a construction site!

The film seemed to have its heart in the right place – what with employing cinematographer John A. Alonzo and composer Jerry Goldsmith (though his contribution results in a shoddy electronic score), both of whom had worked on the noir revival par excellence CHINATOWN (1974) – though conditions were hardly as congenial this time around…

Police Robotics Division

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 21 July 2019]

A robotics division of the police force was created to deal with "runaways." Those would be robots that have gone haywire and need to be fixed or shutdown. Why that would fall under the police's jurisdiction is beyond me. I would think that the Geek Squad would be more suited for that job.

At any rate, when a mysterious computer chip is found in a runaway and a man is killed by a bullet that acted more like a guided missile, Jack Ramsay (Tom Selleck) uncovers a sinister plot.

This movie is not too far from reality. I don't ever see the police force getting a robotics division but check out what was in the movie that is now normal: floater cameras (known as drones today), robots doing all kinds of jobs, smart devices, and chipped bullets (OK, that's not normal but I could see that happening).

Like so many movies about technology and computers, this was about such things getting into the wrong hands.

One of the More Bland Selleck Films of the 1980s

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 15 February 2010]

In the near future (which today looks like the near past), the police have a new problem to contend with: runaways! What is a runaway? A robot that no longer responds to its programming and is going rogue, like Sarah Palin with circuit boards. And now they've gone from malfunction to murder, controlled by an evil madman.

What would you say if I said there's a film that has Tom Selleck as a cop that fights robotic spiders and an evil Gene Simmons? If you're like me, you'd say that you wanted to see it as soon as possible and stream it on Netflix. Well, that might be either the best decision you've ever made or your worst nightmare. (Also, if you're like me, you heard about this film from the TV show "Community", which is incredibly awesome.) Indeed, there's much to love about Selleck and a younger Simmons, and a fleet of robots programmed to destroy. Even Kirstie Alley, who has a generally repulsive nature, is presented as a sex symbol here, with mixed results. While I have great difficulty finding her attractive, the Selleck character becomes torn between her and his female partner. It's not quite a love triangle, but when you're Selleck you can have any woman you want.

Yet, the film drags at times, and the climax seems to go on a bit longer than necessary. As much as I love Selleck and the concept of this film, I can't say it ranks up there with "Gypsy Warrior" or "Quigley Down Under". I just didn't feel it. I should not have been bored at any time, but I was... if it wasn't for beer (in this case, Coors Light) it may have been a difficult film to sit through. Not good enough to enjoy or bad enough to rip on... just sort of bland.

Unbelievably Prescient!

[rbwilliams · 8/10 · 31 August 2018]

Facebook, Amazon Alexa, Drones/Quadcopters. They're all here in 1984!

Great sci-fi thriller

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 15 June 2015]

The beauty of "Runaway" - . . . well, there are a few, actually. It's a good marriage of cop movie and plausible science fiction, a nasty villain (Gene Simmons with that creepy stare) and it works pretty much as well now as it did 30 years ago - which is something when we're talking a movie that's as unabashedly '80s as this. Selleck and Rhodes (hello!) have a good rapport, and the car "chase" scene on the freeway was pretty well don. On second thought, this probably shouldn't be as watchable as it is, but then again, Crichton actually manages to wring some nice suspense out of tiny robots.

7/10

Rolling on the floor laughing

[Jerghal · 5/10 · 16 October 2013]

People just don't realize how far practical and visual effects have come until they see a movie like this. Tom Select plays a cop who has to hunt down rogue robots with killing tendencies. These 'robots' are nothing more than glorified trash cans on wheels with some pathetic arm or tentacle sticking out. So no terminator-like adversaries. So to compensate they've got Gene Simmons as the bad guy, sure he looks evil/sinister, but that is his normal expression (he's got only one). He's assisted by some very toy like robotic spiders, who 'jump' on people, but in reality they just throw them on the actors who have to hold them to keep from falling of. It don't even want to know how many takes they had to do for every shot coz they must have all be rolling on the floor laughing each time they yelled 'cut'. Easily one of the most cheesy and ridiculous 'scifi' films of the eighties or even of all time.

A very enjoyable techno-thriller

[bannonanthony · 25 July 2003]

Like quite a few of these 'forgotten' films of the 80s and 90s, I read about this before actually seeing it. Having an interest in Kiss, I wanted to see if Gene Simmons could act. As bad guy Luther, he does pretty well, but there's nothing particularly remarkable about his performance.

The other performances are okay. Tom Selleck and Kirstie Alley are rather good in their roles. POLICE ACADEMY's G.W. Bailey has a straight role as the Chief of Police (the typical by-the-book type who always chews the hero out). The storyline is very good. As it's written by Michael Crichton, it's another tale of technology gone bad, although this time, it was a deliberate human act which caused the mayhem. The film book I read about RUNAWAY in said basically that between WESTWORLD and JURASSIC PARK, two of the best known sci-fi films ever, Crichton made this film. This is true, but while WW and JP are remebered, this film is largely forgotten.

Granted, this film is hardly a classic, but in my opinion, there are times when you go 'who cares' and just sit down to a good, entertaining picture. I recommend RUNAWAY for a viewing. Although, this movie, and some episodes of STARGATE SG-1 seem to confirm that some people find tacky-looking mechanical spiders scary. Which I don't.

"Now kiss your ass goodbye!"

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 9 November 2020]

Unjustly maligned science fiction action flick from the 80s, that greatest of decades, written and directed by Michael Crichton. Tom Selleck stars and it's probably his best film role. He's believable and likable here. Cynthia Rhodes and Kirstie Alley both are good in their parts. For years before I ever finally saw this I assumed Alley was the female lead but she's definitely not. For his part Gene Simmons is a great campy villain.

The best parts of the movie are the robots that are charmingly old-fashioned looking yet more realistic, especially with the technology available at the time, than any of the limber acrobatic humanoid CGI robots that we see in films today. These robots are machines built for practical purposes not as nerd action fantasy objects. I'm not sure why this movie gets as much grief as it does. I think it's an underrated little gem that's definitely worth a look.

Another 80s B-Movie Classic

[kclipper · 7/10 · 1 June 2010]

Rock band Kiss front man Gene Simmons, Tom Selleck, Kirsti Alley (when she was hot), and numerous elements of the Man vs. Machine genre highlight this low grade thriller based on a story by the visionary science-fiction writer Michael Crichton. This little movie is worthy of the typical 80s cheesiness due to it's predictable storyline and Simmon's good portrayal as the 80s TV villain. The set pieces are excellent. (when robotic engineering was taking off). One especially innovative scene has a horde of metal robot spiders equipped with poisonous needles attacking Selleck and his son on an elevator. Programmable bullets that turn corners and robot car bombs along with good pacing and suspenseful situations make this a good evening's fun. All of the laughable dialog and obviousness are played with straight faces by the cast, and the violence is pretty stiff for this not to receive an R rating twenty some years ago. You can't go wrong if Magnum P.I and Terminator were your thing back in the day, and Michael Crichton's realistic approach always delivers a story worth pondering over.

When Xerox machines attack

[onepotato2 · 1/10 · 21 November 2009]

The only way to enjoy this movie is as an unintentional comedy, or as a drinking game. It concerns itself with the hopelessly nonthreatening gadgets of a madman, some of which turn out to be better actors than the stars, and the plot & script clearly never had anyones attention.

None of the mechanical threats are designed to look even remotely like they could accomplish the things the plot asks of them, without a twenty-nerd-crew hovering just out of view. The feeble 'bugs' are so poorly designed, they can't even be shown moving an inch on a smooth surface; so it's bewildering that the plot has them climbing walls, crawling up peoples bodies, mounting construction elevator towers (!) etc. A hostage situation reveals a klunky "household robot" designed to do nothing more complex than... hold a gun! A dangerous, exploding robot (later) has the firepower of, perhaps 4 sparklers. A gun with bullets that pursue their target ends up being less effective than a regular gun, and requires the same dumb, old "guns in movies" rules ("I've been shot at... thank God there's plenty of time to run and jump out of the of bullets way"). Since none of the "terrifying" devices cause anything more than a smirk, the tension wheezes out of the movie shortly after the opening credits.

They really bought into every conceivable New Wave trope; mediocre synth music, mannish-Avedon hair on women. It's hard to believe how terrible movies got in the 80s while their smarmy directors thought they were making something to compete with the old noirs. This may be the worst movie ever made, or at least the most incompetent one. A "high-speed" robot pursuit in traffic was obviously shot at tops, 5 miles an hour. In he early part of the movie, you can see a boxy, yellow robot on treads that was clearly stolen as the concept for WALL-E.

Good Old 1980's Sci-Fi

[Vincent_B · 7/10 · 5 January 2014]

This movie was in the same fashion as Robocop or other alternate reality movies. I don't berate it for bad effects or silly technology because that was cutting edge back in the mid 80's. There is plenty more to make this movie lose some points. The stereotyped and heavy handed police chief (Bailey) who rants at officers. The little boy played by Joey Cramer who couldn't be more stiff and robotic in his acting. Joey went from feature films to TV and now into obscurity. Poor dialog like, "Drop it, sucker!" or "...we got two dead giddy punks!". The movie has moments you question motives and direction. Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons did their best with the material they were given. The five lead roles have no last names and everyone else is just listed as professions, so the characters seem less than real.

This movie has some good points that make it worth watching, cool robots (RC puppets) from a farming bot that looks a lot like Wall-E to Dr. Luther's evil acid injecting spider bots that also explode. There is no CGI in the film which is always a big plus. The moral that robots are expected to be perfect, although built by flawed humans is a good adage.

Movies made that same year of 1984 "Terminator", "Ghostbusters", and "Temple of Doom" blew "Runaway" out of the water but I still like it as a nostalgic part of my father's generation and it is fun to watch.

The Incredible Mo's adventures in space

[tenthousandtattoos · 3/10 · 17 June 2007]

I was actually looking for another Tom Selleck movie, An Innocent Man, but could only find this in my local video-store bargain bin. Saw it as a kid and thought hey, why not...Gene Simmons, some killer robots...should be good! Now, I like "bad" movies...especially cheesy 80's stuff, but even I gotta draw a line somewhere. This one was just too "bad" even for me. See it for a laugh at just how cheap some SPFX got before the days when CGI can make anything look "nice" and "clean". See it for examples of truly atrocious dialogue and 8th-grade drama class acting. See it for...well, thats about it really.

Silently screamed or out-loud laughed in several places.

1) First kick was when Selleck goes into the house to track down the malfunctioning vacuum cleaner armed with a knife (no wait, it found a gun!) and just before he goes in he puts on his "electromagnetic deflection suit" or something...puh-leeeze. He may as well have shouted triumphantly, "Never fear! I'm wearing my electromagentic deflector suit!" Never mind it looks like the costume guys hit the scuba store for a shark-mesh-body-suit, then hopped across to sporting goods for a baseball catcher's vest and some soccer shin-guards. Then the props guys needed a gun so they went to the funny shop and got one of those ray guns that makes the synthesizer sounds and lights up when you press the button, plus a fake moustache for Tom (hang on...that was REAL??!!) 2) The little "killer" robots look like something my 6 year old nephew would make with his meccano set.

3) Shouted at the screen: why don't you just kick the stupid little robots before they try to squirt you with their little turkey basters full of acid? (which mind you must be CITRIC acid or something because when good ol' Tommy Selleck gets it in the face it just seems to turn his cheeks a bit red) 4) laughed out loud at the final scene where Tommy's getting it on with his partner under a shower of sparks (i guess the sparks were symbolic, i cant remember any arc welders nearby) and the way he touches her nose while kissing her...yikes, yikes, yikes...that could NOT be more cheesy if it tried.

"She's very attractive"

[peternaulls · 6/10 · 19 June 2021]

Oh wow. It's June 19 2021 and I have just been transported back to the early 80s where political correctness was non existent and I absolutely loved it. Cheesy lines with mild hints of sexism and light hearted humour but all tongue in check. Nevertheless actually an interesting plot some of which is fascinating. Drones/tablets/designer/driverless cars/retina scans all of which exist today coupled with designer bullets and speeding bombs. If your an 80s person then this is something that gage your interest for some evening entertainment. Acting is a bit hit and miss Kirstie Alley just shouts and the bad guy was a but wooden. Tom Selleck was pretty decent though. And the kid from Flight of Navigator is in this as well! Not amazing but above average.

Written and directed by Michael Crichton?

[Son_of_Mansfield · 5/10 · 7 March 2005]

That is just sad. This movie is laughable in many ways. The easiest is probably when Luther's hotel woman calls Ramsey a wiener head in anger. Whoa, now, this is police station! Watch your language. Then there are the 50's style "scary" robots, such as the toaster with the gun. Ramsey's home robot Lois annoys in many ways which may have been looked over if the rest of the movie wasn't a joke. Her Brady mom voice and I don't understand human as I am only a machine dialogue pains me. There are a couple of good scenes, including the last, involving Gene Simmons who could probably be asleep and still make an effective villain. Tom Selleck isn't bad, but he seems out of place. His voice can't handle shouting manly. Kirstie Alley(not fat) and Cynthia Rhodes(Dirty Dancing) mostly grate, while G.W. Biley(Police Academy) and Stan Shaw(Snake Eyes) are good in smaller roles.

You had me at spider robots

[MissSimonetta · 8/10 · 26 September 2021]

RUNAWAY was never going to win any awards for brilliance or originality, but it is a damned fun sci-fi thriller elevated by the weird mechanical creations that dominate the movie. The performances are mostly competent, with Gene Simmons standing out as a delightfully over the top evil scientist with spider robot minions that pump their victims full of acid. I watched this after a long week and was thoroughly entertained.

Tom Selleck and his moustache to the rescue !

[myriamlenys · 7/10 · 8 August 2021]

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 !)

Constipated sci-fi...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 1 June 2007]

Michael Crichton's writing skills are undeniably gripping, and as a movie director he has occasionally shown a deft sense of pacing; unfortunately for science-fiction fans, Crichton has mainly chosen to waste his craft on piddling, throwaway material like "Runaway", which is so overloaded with mechanical energy that even Crichton's obvious literary talent and underrated film-making skills go nearly unnoticed. Tom Selleck (not bad, but looking unhappy and unsure) plays a cop in the future who hunts down a madman who uses electronics to do his victims in. Some sly gadgetry and a hot supporting performance by Kirstie Alley (working from next-to-nothing) enlivens an otherwise stiff, silly action-thriller. ** from ****