Never had I imagined the worlds of Edgar Wright and author Stephen King coming together, but here we are. Those names alone are the reasons why The Running Man was one of my most anticipated films of the year, or whenever it was first announced. Wright has been one of the most influential filmmakers during my formative years, and I love everything he has directed over the last two decades. And it’s been quite the year for adaptations of King’s work, especially on the big screen. While I wasn’t a fan of The Monkey, both The Life of Chuck and The Long Walk were great stories that explored outside the horror genre. Given that this is the second retelling of King’s book (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman), it likely follows closely to that than a remake of the 1987 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger. There was a good chance that this wasn’t going to be the most acclaimed director’s best films; all I wanted was a great and memorable action movie this year. By that, The Running Man doesn’t come out as a winner among the director’s filmography. But it gets the job done by still being an entertaining blockbuster.

What’s the Story: In a dystopian society of the near future, America is governed by corporate media networks, with many people living in poverty. For Ben Richards (Glen Powell), he’s a hothead who struggles to find a job after being blacklisted, and he’s having trouble providing for his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson), and their two-year-old daughter, Cathy, who is ill. Desperate to earn some quick cash, his solution is to compete in a variety of game shows, only to realize he’s one of three people selected to be on the country’s most popular game show, “The Running Man.” Contestants must survive 30 days on the run, trying to evade being killed by trained killers, as the Hunters, led by McCone (Lee Pace), with the last contestant surviving earning $1 billion. No one has ever won, but Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) believes he can, thanks to his anger issues. As Ben flees the country for his life, it doesn’t take long for him to learn why nobody ever wins the game.

This is coming from someone who hasn’t read the novel but vaguely remembers the ’80s version of the story, which isn’t one of the Arnold movies I think about from that decade. This Running Man has Wright make this feel more faithful to King’s original, which couldn’t be closer to how the rest of the world sees America for over a year now. It’s a future where people in the slums want to be rich, yet it’s impossible to get medical care, and violence and peril are involved. It’s essentially a matter of seeing one man’s survival and for the entertainment of those who watch, and it earns points by highlighting officials’ manipulation of what’s real. It’s true that we’re endlessly consuming the most unappealing reality shows on television, and our viewership of them remains high, regardless of their quality. Wright taps into this sci-fi world by placing us in a bloody, over-the-top reality that doesn’t aim to be challenging but to make a point in certain circles.

Though the film wouldn’t have worked without its leading man, Glen Powell. Every performance in one movie after another proves yet again he’s one of the most charismatic actors in Hollywood, and for my money, he’s a great Ben Richards. This is a man who empathizes in caring for his family, and all the challenges Ben takes on during this game show that he’s strong with anger, but not always perfect when escaping deadly situations from one place to the next. You love to see someone be a badass and take down the system to believe in what he’s fighting for, letting the audience who continue to watch the show have someone to root for, especially a working man who helps others.

Why I’ve always loved Wright is because he knows how to blend genres so seamlessly, with action being very prominent in all his work, except when he switched to a psychological thriller in the overhated Last Night in Soho. So, it’s no surprise that the action delivers, while incorporating some of his signature slick and kinetic editing that lets you know he’s behind the camera. Compared to what we’ve seen him do before, though, it was hard to tell if his style worked all the way. No doubt it was thrilling throughout, from a car chase of Ben inside the trunk or escaping a hostel, I honestly wished it “wowed” me more since Wright’s name gives me high standards. The overall energy he puts on display is good whenever he puts on his studio cap to pull off these sequences.

The things that might’ve kept The Running Man from being great are more related to the script from Wright and his Scott Pilgrim vs. the World writer, Michael Bacall. This is the first time that a film of his isn’t as clever as it could’ve been in regards to hinting at the on-the-nose subtext going on in the current state of our country. Or maybe because, since it’s based on King’s work, some of the writing isn’t as sharp as I hoped. After the first two acts, it became more of a standard action film that rides the line of being decent, given its over two-hour runtime, which should’ve been shortened. What they incorporated from the novel, I don’t know, but it shows that adapting everything from the book to the screen isn’t easy. The difference between this version and its ’80s adaptation is that Arnold’s Ben was a framed police officer forced into the game, and this explores more of the world rather than an arena.

It also has a huge supporting cast that doesn’t utilize half of them effectively. Powell’s the star through and through, but it’s fun watching Colman Domingo as the show’s host, Bobby T, bringing this fiery energy one could hope for to get an audience going, and Michael Cera’s Elton, a revolutionary activist in Maine, is a pleasant surprise for the limited time. You want more from everyone else when it’s just people Ben meets for help, and not much else is given to the characters. Whether it’s William H. Macy’s Molie, Katy O’Brian’s Jenni, or Daniel Ezra’s Bradley, there are solid performances from them. This should’ve given more time to explore the relationship with Lawson’s Shelia and seeing her reactions of worry, watching her husband on TV. The addition of Emilia Jones’ character, who is introduced in the latter half after Ben takes her hostage, felt pointless, given the rushed character development that didn’t need to be there.

Even when aspects of the finale didn’t win me over and felt like it needed to punch some ideas up to hit its message harder, I still walked out of The Running Man with two minds. A) Being slightly underwhelmed, and B) still being ultimately appreciative of the fact that we got a new movie from one of my favorites, even though it should’ve been better. Though it’s certainly far from his best, it manages to get by on the action and another memorable turn from Glen Powell to boost his star power. There’s a lot to enjoy here if you’re a fan of action movies, and those involved with this project will likely appreciate it more upon a rewatch.

Grade: B-