For the life of me I can't understand the glowing reviews people have given this movie. "Masterpiece," "gem," "best action movie ever made,"--oh, please. The only good thing about this movie is the scenery and the stunts, both of which are breathtaking. Otherwise, this is just an expensive version of a '30s B picture, only not as well written and definitely not as well acted. It's the usual "the convicts are poor misunderstood souls and the prison authorities are all foaming-at-the-mouth sadists"--but that's to be expected in a movie written by an ex-convict like Eddie Bunker. Despite the idiocies of the script, Voight tries to put a different spin on his character; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but at least he tries. Roberts, however, screams, rants and raves and hams it up in his usual off-the-wall self, and it's more annoying and irritating than ever. DeMornay doesn't have much to do, and she doesn't do much with it. Not that it matters; the script is so absolutely idiotic there isn't much the actors can do to get around it. There are plot holes you can drive a truck through, lines that are stupid beyond belief ("Is Jonah alive?" "Yes." "Good, he'll be glad."), character reactions that make absolutely no sense at all, and other idiocies too numerous to mention. Maybe this is a masterpiece by Cannon Films standards, but it's not much of anything by anybody else's standards.
Review of Runaway Train
