Runaway (1984)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

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:

Gene Simmons, in his book "Sex Money Kiss", said that director Michael Crichton's casting of him was based primarily on this: Crichton asked Simmons to stare at him for about a minute without making any facial expressions. Apparently, Crichton decided on this that Simmons looked menacing enough and cast him for the role of Charlie Luther.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the car chase scene, a few shots show strings attached to the little robots.

Quotes:

Luther: Drop it, sucker!

Movie Connections:

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

Not great-But a perfect Saturday afternoon escape.

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.