User reviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

I remember watching this movie on a Saturday night. I love Tom selleck in magnum and I remember wanting to watch this as I've never seen Tom star in a movie before. Plus I was a bit of a sci-fi nut. I absolutely love it. Robot spiders, gene Simmons from kiss and bullets that follow you around corners. What more can a young boy ask for.

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 ****