Runaway (1984)

Director:

Michael Crichton

Writer:

Michael Crichton (written by)

Release Date:

14 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

IT IS THE FUTURE. Machines are being programmed to turn against us. Someone must stop the madman who started it all.

Plot:

In the near future, a police officer specializes in malfunctioning robots. When a robot turns out to have been programmed to kill, he begins to uncover a homicidal plot to create killer robots... and his son becomes a target.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Future | Killer Robot | Police | Bullet

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tom Selleck	...	Sgt. Jack R. Ramsay
Cynthia Rhodes	...	Officer Karen Thompson
Gene Simmons	...	Dr. Charles Luther
Kirstie Alley	...	Jackie Rogers
Stan Shaw	...	Sgt. Marvin James
G.W. Bailey	...	Chief of Police
Joey Cramer	...	Bobby Ramsay
Chris Mulkey	...	David Johnson
Anne-Marie Martin	...	Hooker at Bar
Michael Paul Chan	...	Vectrocon Security Guard
Elizabeth Norment	...	Miss Shields, Reporter
Carol Teasdale	...	Sally (as Carol Teesdale)
Jackson Davies	...	Jerry, Inspector
Paul Batten	...	Harry
Babs Chula	...	Construction Foreperson (as Babs Chulla)

Runtime:

99 min | Germany:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Alphacine)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Company:

Delphi III Productions

Trivia:

Many of the promotional images for the film (most notably the posters) featured Tom Selleck holding the rocket gun used by the villain, Luther, in the film, even though Ramsey never uses it during the story.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Ramsay goes to rescue the child, a total of eight shots are fired by the robot from a 357 magnum handgun. This type gun is designed in five and six shot models only. There is no such thing as an eight shot 357 magnum.

Quotes:

Luther: Drop it, sucker!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Shooting the Police: Cops on Film (2006) (TV)

A special cop for a special job.

Michael Crichton writes and directs this Sci-Fi tale of a futuristic cop Jack Ramsey(Tom Selleck)defending a city from hay wire robots. In '84 this was pretty cool, but watching it again twenty years later is like walking into an antique store. The F/X are fine even if the story is a little dated now. The finale tracking down villainous killer(Gene Simmons)is still exciting. Cynthia Rhodes plays Ramsey's partner and love interest. Also in the cast are:G.W. Bailey, Stan Shaw and Kirstie Alley at her finest. Selleck tries hard to not seem awkward.