Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Infamousta brilliant actors, brilliant editing

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

FlashCallahan In the near future, a police officer specialises 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..magnum P.I, turns all sci-fi in this really easy to like, and also really easy to hate, from the great cinema year that was 1984.The thing is, I was sold by this movie, the minute I saw the poster, and because I am fanatical about all things eighties, it did exactly what I expected.It's way outdated, and most sci-fi movies that were set in the future, made in the eighties, are all out dated now, but hey ho, you can't win them all.Selleck is as good as always in these types of film, and it's great to see Magnum drop the F-bomb, as you can tell that he relishes saying it.Simmons is okay as the villain, but as always, gives away too much exposition come the final showdown.Storywise, it's nothing to write home about, someone wants to be greedy and won't let anyone in their way blah blah blah, but when you have a gun that fires heat seeking bullets, and have robotic spiders that spit acid, plot doesn't really matter.The film will infuriate some, but those who love the retro style of eighties sci-fi, will lap this up.

Robert W. There are a few key details to this flick that should have simply made it better than what it was. Instead it was completely forgettable with a slow story that often feels slapped together. The problem is there is just far too many, much better 80's sci-fi flicks with similar stories. I watched the film because I do really like Tom Selleck and I like sci-fi films and had never heard of this so I gave it a chance but unfortunately it is truly forgettable and even as I write this I can't really remember a lot about it. The film was much lower budget than most films of its type so the special effects were poor.Tom Selleck was and is a big enough star to carry a film but his heart doesn't feel like its in this. His character is empty and just not very fun. Cynthia Rhodes, and Kirstie Alley are decent in their supporting roles but aren't give a lot of depth either. Gene Simmons is just bizarre in his role, his acting debut but he doesn't do a bad job either.If Runaway suffers from anything its being mundane. Perhaps the biggest surprise in all this is director and writer, the one and only Michael Crichton, who is one of the most brilliant adventure writers having done plenty of sci-fi but this one just didn't translate well. Perhaps it was the lack of budget or maybe just a substandard effort on all their parts but this one is completely forgettable and completely missable in every way. 4/10

robotbling (www.plasticpals.com) The Terminator wasn't the only killer robot in theaters back in 1984 thanks to Runaway, written and directed by the late Michael Crichton. The mustachioed Tom Selleck stars as a cop who specializes in neutralizing bots gone bad in a near-future where they've infiltrated nearly every aspect of life. These aren't the replicants of Blade Runner, but plausible machines that are fun to compare with what exists today. This was another late-night Netflix pick, and to be honest I feel a little dirty for mentioning such sci-fi classics in my review of this film (it turns out Crichton was better behind a writing desk than a film camera).What we're really interested in are the robots of course, and the film doesn't disappoint. There's an irritating nanny robot called Lois, a security robot that tasers anything that moves, a small monocopter used for reconnaissance, as well as farming and construction robots. An autonomous cop car has a mannequin in the driver's seat and projects a map directly onto the windshield. Among the highlights is a small household robot that looks something like a Roomba with an arm, which ends up killing several people when it picks up and shoots a gun. Best of all are the killer hexapods that can jump and crawl on walls like a mixture between this locust-inspired hopper and Stanford's gecko-inspired StickyBot.It's comedy gold.The hexapods are supposed to be threatening, but they look like hobby kits you can buy today, which really cracked me up. There is some attempt to depict non-robotic technology of the future as well, such as the iPad-like devices that people are shown using, but otherwise everything looks pretty ordinary for the '80s.It all looks very silly, and it doesn't help that Gene Simmons is the central villain. He's armed with a gun that shoots smart missiles that can turn corners. It's hard to believe such a celebrated author penned this film, what with the immediate and clichéd romance between Selleck and his cute new partner, not to mention his son's creepy enthusiasm for it. As for the technological side of things, the ideas actually aren't all that far-fetched. There's genuinely something to a PR2-like robot picking up a gun and shooting people if tampered with by a hacker, for instance.Unfortunately, even if some bits can be considered ahead of their time, it's hard to take seriously with the ham-fisted acting and cringe-worthy plot. Runaway wasn't intended to be a comedy, but like many films that try to predict the near future it's now entertaining for all the wrong reasons. It's the details the film gets right and horribly wrong, at the same time, that make it fun to watch.

lost-in-limbo This low-budget adaptation is soundly made, but not particularly exciting 80s Sci-fi thriller penned and directed by best-selling novelist Michael Crichton. Everything is rather simplistic with a b-like quality, as the material while innovative (a cop who deals with robots that go haywire, goes after a criminal that's using microchips to prefect a deadly weapon) and gimmicky in its idea (society relying on technology), it however just doesn't dig in deep enough. Even the tone is somewhat uncertain, as it tries to be comical but also serious… but never does it entirely gel. It plays a cat and mouse game, as the cops are always one step behind as the villain is trying to cover up his tracks. Sometimes preposterous, but fairly impulsive and dangerous where Crichton's assured direction keeps a flexibly kinetic pace and maintains some flashiness despite the predictability of its projection. Special effects are well-done (gotta love what can only be a Lois reference to "The Jetsons") and so is the technical side. The cast is quite modest, but the leads Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons seem to be sleepwalking through it. Selleck is earnest, but looks preoccupied (but this could be because of his troubled minded character) and rock-star Simmons does threatening psycho ("He likes to kill people") by simply getting by with his devilish grin alone. Nonetheless the support; Cynthia Rhodes, Stan Shaw, G.W. Bailey, Kristie Alley and Chris Mulkey shoot up the energy levels. Lazy, but reliable matinée movie entertainment.