Sometimes, you can almost see the Kurosawa script behind Runaway Train (here you may exclaim "WTF?!" in safety, you're among friends). The theme of Man's will triumphing over nature and adversity, the claustrophobic scenes in the locomotive, the questions about the meaning of escape and freedom, the final "victory"... all might seem at home in a Kurosawa film. But this is also a high-octane, 1980s thrill ride about a prison escape gone wrong when two hardened criminals (John Voight and Eric Roberts) jump the wrong train, which immediately becomes an unlikely runaway. I can't say anyone is likeable in this, but Voight achieves a kind of nobility and there's a vulnerability behind Roberts' motormouth - not sure what to think of Rebecca De Mornay's supporting character, as it's not played very well. But though it sort of forgets about the railway employees trying to avert disaster by the end, Runaway Train does work as an exciting one-crazy-thing-after-another action disaster flick, touching on bigger themes though it didn't need to.
Interesting movie. Takes itself too seriously at moments. Cinematography was great and there were some impressive stunt scenes.
Movie is also hilariously sexist (towards both men and women) so its a time capsule in that sense.
Characters are well acted but not quite well written. The female character goes from "You're MEAN!" to "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" in a matter of minutes.
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Armoreska
disaster thriller based on Akira Kurosawa's screenplay. worth watching for lots of reasonskurisu1974
"You're an animal!""No, worse! Human. Human!"
Siskoid
Sometimes, you can almost see the Kurosawa script behind Runaway Train (here you may exclaim "WTF?!" in safety, you're among friends). The theme of Man's will triumphing over nature and adversity, the claustrophobic scenes in the locomotive, the questions about the meaning of escape and freedom, the final "victory"... all might seem at home in a Kurosawa film. But this is also a high-octane, 1980s thrill ride about a prison escape gone wrong when two hardened criminals (John Voight and Eric Roberts) jump the wrong train, which immediately becomes an unlikely runaway. I can't say anyone is likeable in this, but Voight achieves a kind of nobility and there's a vulnerability behind Roberts' motormouth - not sure what to think of Rebecca De Mornay's supporting character, as it's not played very well. But though it sort of forgets about the railway employees trying to avert disaster by the end, Runaway Train does work as an exciting one-crazy-thing-after-another action disaster flick, touching on bigger themes though it didn't need to.stinger503
Interesting movie. Takes itself too seriously at moments. Cinematography was great and there were some impressive stunt scenes.Movie is also hilariously sexist (towards both men and women) so its a time capsule in that sense.
Characters are well acted but not quite well written. The female character goes from "You're MEAN!" to "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" in a matter of minutes.
Chris Goodwin
underratedvishnu
An unforgettable ride