In the future, Arnold stars as Ben Richards, an incorrectly convicted man forced into playing “The Running Man”, a dangerous Television game show where folks have to keep moving to try to escape savage deaths by the hands of the “Stalkers”. Naturally, folk are anticipated to die at last and it’s up to Arnold to show the system wrong. I haven’t read the Stephen King book, but this is a great film in any case, one of Arnold’s best. He does what he does best in the action man role, delivering death with extraordinary witticisms.

Classics are potentially the “He was a genuine discomfort in the neck” after strangling a bloke with dart wire, and “He had to split!” making reference to location he just chain sawed somebody vertically. Richard Dawson is completely aggravating as the cruel Television presenter, Killian, and all of the “Stalkers” are suitably camp.

The action is violent, but it’s an all-action film. That is the point. The film is fast-paced, and at ninety minutes it does not overstay its welcome. With Starsky and Hutch’s Paul Michael Glaser in charge, and made in the trail of the successfulness of “The Terminator”, formerly this film was potentially seen as yet another mindless action transport for Arnold, and far fetched.

But today, anyone that watches plenty of Television could see the way in which the film is getting nearer to fact. I would not be taken aback if I switch on the Television in the “near future” and see a show not to some distance from this. On that depressing note, I must however endorse “The Running Man” to anyone that loves the 80s, Arnold, silly acts or violence or simply a good action film.

Click here to buy an Arnie box set that contains the Running Man