Fading brat-packer Andrew McCarthy is a Vegas cab driver who finds himself subjected to that hoary old plot device of finding a briefcase stuffed with money in the back of his cab. The problem is its stolen from the mob, who engage ruthless hitman Scott Glen to recover it. A laid-back performance from Glenn is the main reason to watch this generic thriller, which goes in some unexpected directions - thanks mostly to stupid decisions made by both McCarthy and Glenn.
40 Reviews
Not terrible, enjoyed Scott Glenn
greendayfan8771 January 2021
This was an amazon prime find , it's nothing special but kept my attention. McCarthy does a decent job but the plot is a little dull at times . Worth a watch if you like a cat and mouse thriller . Sex and violence are pretty good too in the film. Scott Glenn is enjoyable as the hitman.
Silly, Silly, Silly
Rodrigo_Amaro23 September 2011
There's so many defects and so many qualities about "Night of the Running Man" that in the end all we get is a bad film that is quite good and a good film that is ridiculously bad. The idea is almost an encounter between "Collateral" and "No Country for Old Men" but without the same dynamism and quality of both films. Dialogs are poorly written and very very simplistic to the point of annoyance, and the situations are predictable, implausible and incredibly unrealistic. It's a very silly movie!
Poor Andrew McCarthy suffers hell after finding a suitcase full of money in his cab, left by one of his unusual passengers. It looks like the mob is trying to get back the money and they hired a dangerous hit-man (Scott Glenn) to find it. On one side there's Andrew running away from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City and then Los Angeles, and on the other side, Glenn's tactics to find this dumb guy, who seems to be getting really smart after this sudden lucky strike. The most obvious clichés of the world are used here again and again.
However, the great surprise of this movie are the villains and their methods of doing their job. Glenn is very effective as the scary guy who kills everybody on his way, the kind of guy who doesn't trust anybody. He's very terrifying. And there's another villain, played by John Glover, who is very scary and because of his torture methods that the film gets interesting (when he puts McCarthy's feet on boiling water to prevent him from running away). That scene alone worths the whole film.
But this movie cannot escape of its negative aspects. Fight scenes are badly executed; lots of laughable parts; the amazing fact of a guy who had his feet burned walking on crutches one day later after the incident (at least put him on a wheelchair when walking out of the hospital, then I would believe just a little); the presentation of both major characters are terrible, you don't even have time to relate or care for the hero, he's simply thrown on the screen and we "have" to like him.
Uninteresting as an action film or as a thriller, and a little bit funny as a drama, "Night of the Running Man" is good in making us wondering why good actors allow themselves to waste their talents in such a simplistic and dull project where their skills aren't well used. It's not a complete waste of time but when you think of the possibilities of doing better things on a boring day, you won't even feel guilty of missing this, even if you admire the people involved in this. 5/10
Poor Andrew McCarthy suffers hell after finding a suitcase full of money in his cab, left by one of his unusual passengers. It looks like the mob is trying to get back the money and they hired a dangerous hit-man (Scott Glenn) to find it. On one side there's Andrew running away from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City and then Los Angeles, and on the other side, Glenn's tactics to find this dumb guy, who seems to be getting really smart after this sudden lucky strike. The most obvious clichés of the world are used here again and again.
However, the great surprise of this movie are the villains and their methods of doing their job. Glenn is very effective as the scary guy who kills everybody on his way, the kind of guy who doesn't trust anybody. He's very terrifying. And there's another villain, played by John Glover, who is very scary and because of his torture methods that the film gets interesting (when he puts McCarthy's feet on boiling water to prevent him from running away). That scene alone worths the whole film.
But this movie cannot escape of its negative aspects. Fight scenes are badly executed; lots of laughable parts; the amazing fact of a guy who had his feet burned walking on crutches one day later after the incident (at least put him on a wheelchair when walking out of the hospital, then I would believe just a little); the presentation of both major characters are terrible, you don't even have time to relate or care for the hero, he's simply thrown on the screen and we "have" to like him.
Uninteresting as an action film or as a thriller, and a little bit funny as a drama, "Night of the Running Man" is good in making us wondering why good actors allow themselves to waste their talents in such a simplistic and dull project where their skills aren't well used. It's not a complete waste of time but when you think of the possibilities of doing better things on a boring day, you won't even feel guilty of missing this, even if you admire the people involved in this. 5/10
Good B action thriller
danielcereto24 August 2021
This is an interesting non pretentious 90's thriller. I really enjoyed even it's somewhat predictable but entertaining. Acting is great, amazing the bad guy and If you love B-Action thrillers from the 90's you'll love this one.
A good bad movie
arkent20 October 2004
Warning: Spoilers
After catching this film on cable last night, I looked forward to going on IMDb so I could gleefully tear it apart; however, I see from other viewers' comments that it's going to be tough to say something original. (Check out the other comments; some of them are quite amusing.)
I call this a "good bad movie" because it's a truly bad movie that is bad in ways that make it entertaining. It has what might be called an idiot plot--one that works only because every major character behaves like an idiot. Once you accept that premise, however, you can enjoy the film on its own terms.
As is explained in greater detail in some of the other posted comments, the film concerns a Las Vegas cab driver (Idiot No. 1) named Jerry Logan (Andrew McCarthy), who inherits a suitcase containing a million dollars after one of his fares is killed while trying to abscond with the money from the casino at which he worked. When the casino owner (Wayne Newton) learns that a cabbie probably has his money, he arranges for a contract killer (Idiot No. 2) named Eckhart (Scott Glenn, playing against type), to get the money back.
A key element of the plot is that Eckhart is told to eliminate the cabbie. That and the fact that Eckhart is a sadistic bastard make it clear that Logan won't be able to talk his way out of the mess that he's in. Indeed, the one logical thing about his behavior is the realization that if Eckhart catches him, he's dead meat, whether he gives up the money or not. His only hope therefore is to escape, and if he does that, he might as well hang onto the money. Otherwise, however, Logan behaves like an idiot throughout the film.
What follows is loaded with SPOILERS (as are most of the comments on this film), so don't read on if you don't want to know what happens in the film.
Soon after Logan discovers the money, Eckhart comes after him and gives him good reason to believe that he's in deadly peril. What does he do after he makes his first narrow escape from Eckhart? He goes to the train station, buys a ticket in own name, and then gets coffee in the station cafe, where he tells the waitress where he plans to get off the train.
Needless, to say, Eckhart easily catches up with Logan, only to have the guy slip away from him in a crowded airport. This sort of thing happens repeatedly: Eckhart catches Logan and has the million dollars within his grasp, only to let the dope slip out of his hands. Despite his sadistic professionalism, Eckhart is too stupid to get the job done when he has the chance. Logan, on the other hand, is just clever enough to get away but not clever enough to avoid leaving clues for Eckhart to find him quickly.
After Logan lands at Los Angeles Airport, he hops into the first cab that comes along. It turns out that this cab is being driven by Idiot No. 3, Derek Mills (John Glover), another hit man whom Eckhart has tipped off about Logan's arrival. Possibly even more sadistic than Eckhart, Mills takes Logan to his own house, where he boils Logan's feet to keep him from running away. Figuring that Logan is in such great pain that he can't run away, he unties the poor schnook and leaves him writhing on the floor in agony.
Why Mills keeps Logan alive while awaiting Eckhart's arrival is unclear, but he does nothing to secure Logan's bag full of money and proceeds to fall asleep in a chair. Logan then musters the strength to crawl across the room, knock out Mills with a conveniently placed hand weight, and then make it out of the house with the money. As later events demonstrate, he should have had the brains to bash Mills on the head a few more times. Had he done that, he probably would have escaped safely. However, Mills recovers, sets Eckhart on Logan's trail again, and later comes back to cause Logan even more trouble.
Meanwhile, Logan awakens in a hospital room, where he is being tended by Idiot no. 4, the kindly nurse Chris Altman (Janet Gunn). Despite being drop-dead gorgeous, Altman is single and apparently unattached, as she immediately falls for the scruffy Logan. (And this dope considers himself unlucky?) Unfortunately, Logan's new friend Mills is also in the hospital, getting his head wound treated, and he overhears two nurses talking about the new patient with boiled feet. Soon, Eckhart comes calling yet again.
After Nurse Altman tells Logan that a man is looking for him, they both escape (Logan's boiled feet slow him down considerably, but they seem to heel rapidly through the last 30 or so minutes of the film. Altman must be a damned good nurse.) Where does Nurse Altman take Logan? Why, back to her own house. It apparently doesn't occur to them that Eckhart will have no trouble figuring out where she lives and find them. He does, but not until the next morning, permitting them to spend the night in vigorous love-making--which must be part of Nurse Altman's cure, as Logan is in terrific condition the next day.
Well, I think I've made my point. If you want more plot details, read the other comments. The script of the film is obviously inane. Nevertheless, the film can be fun to watch (apart from several scenes of sadistic violence), if you enjoy guessing what stupid move each character will make next. I've revealed some of their moves here, but the film has plenty more that I haven't described.
Oh ... one final spoiler. The film ends with Logan and Altman blowing up the latter's car with the dead bodies of the two hit men in it. Another commentator on this page suggests that they burn the car so that the "mob" will think that they (i.e., Logan and Altman) are dead and stop looking for them. I don't buy that interpretation. So far as I could tell, before Eckhart gets killed, he goes back to Las Vegas and kills most of the people who might know who Logan is. Moreover, wouldn't Eckhart's own disappearance raise questions about who was in the burned-out car? In any case, I don't think anyone in the mob knows about Nurse Altman, except Eckhart and Mills--who are dead--so there would be no reason to connect Logan with the car anyway. But it doesn't much matter. This film ain't really worth this much analysis.
I call this a "good bad movie" because it's a truly bad movie that is bad in ways that make it entertaining. It has what might be called an idiot plot--one that works only because every major character behaves like an idiot. Once you accept that premise, however, you can enjoy the film on its own terms.
As is explained in greater detail in some of the other posted comments, the film concerns a Las Vegas cab driver (Idiot No. 1) named Jerry Logan (Andrew McCarthy), who inherits a suitcase containing a million dollars after one of his fares is killed while trying to abscond with the money from the casino at which he worked. When the casino owner (Wayne Newton) learns that a cabbie probably has his money, he arranges for a contract killer (Idiot No. 2) named Eckhart (Scott Glenn, playing against type), to get the money back.
A key element of the plot is that Eckhart is told to eliminate the cabbie. That and the fact that Eckhart is a sadistic bastard make it clear that Logan won't be able to talk his way out of the mess that he's in. Indeed, the one logical thing about his behavior is the realization that if Eckhart catches him, he's dead meat, whether he gives up the money or not. His only hope therefore is to escape, and if he does that, he might as well hang onto the money. Otherwise, however, Logan behaves like an idiot throughout the film.
What follows is loaded with SPOILERS (as are most of the comments on this film), so don't read on if you don't want to know what happens in the film.
Soon after Logan discovers the money, Eckhart comes after him and gives him good reason to believe that he's in deadly peril. What does he do after he makes his first narrow escape from Eckhart? He goes to the train station, buys a ticket in own name, and then gets coffee in the station cafe, where he tells the waitress where he plans to get off the train.
Needless, to say, Eckhart easily catches up with Logan, only to have the guy slip away from him in a crowded airport. This sort of thing happens repeatedly: Eckhart catches Logan and has the million dollars within his grasp, only to let the dope slip out of his hands. Despite his sadistic professionalism, Eckhart is too stupid to get the job done when he has the chance. Logan, on the other hand, is just clever enough to get away but not clever enough to avoid leaving clues for Eckhart to find him quickly.
After Logan lands at Los Angeles Airport, he hops into the first cab that comes along. It turns out that this cab is being driven by Idiot No. 3, Derek Mills (John Glover), another hit man whom Eckhart has tipped off about Logan's arrival. Possibly even more sadistic than Eckhart, Mills takes Logan to his own house, where he boils Logan's feet to keep him from running away. Figuring that Logan is in such great pain that he can't run away, he unties the poor schnook and leaves him writhing on the floor in agony.
Why Mills keeps Logan alive while awaiting Eckhart's arrival is unclear, but he does nothing to secure Logan's bag full of money and proceeds to fall asleep in a chair. Logan then musters the strength to crawl across the room, knock out Mills with a conveniently placed hand weight, and then make it out of the house with the money. As later events demonstrate, he should have had the brains to bash Mills on the head a few more times. Had he done that, he probably would have escaped safely. However, Mills recovers, sets Eckhart on Logan's trail again, and later comes back to cause Logan even more trouble.
Meanwhile, Logan awakens in a hospital room, where he is being tended by Idiot no. 4, the kindly nurse Chris Altman (Janet Gunn). Despite being drop-dead gorgeous, Altman is single and apparently unattached, as she immediately falls for the scruffy Logan. (And this dope considers himself unlucky?) Unfortunately, Logan's new friend Mills is also in the hospital, getting his head wound treated, and he overhears two nurses talking about the new patient with boiled feet. Soon, Eckhart comes calling yet again.
After Nurse Altman tells Logan that a man is looking for him, they both escape (Logan's boiled feet slow him down considerably, but they seem to heel rapidly through the last 30 or so minutes of the film. Altman must be a damned good nurse.) Where does Nurse Altman take Logan? Why, back to her own house. It apparently doesn't occur to them that Eckhart will have no trouble figuring out where she lives and find them. He does, but not until the next morning, permitting them to spend the night in vigorous love-making--which must be part of Nurse Altman's cure, as Logan is in terrific condition the next day.
Well, I think I've made my point. If you want more plot details, read the other comments. The script of the film is obviously inane. Nevertheless, the film can be fun to watch (apart from several scenes of sadistic violence), if you enjoy guessing what stupid move each character will make next. I've revealed some of their moves here, but the film has plenty more that I haven't described.
Oh ... one final spoiler. The film ends with Logan and Altman blowing up the latter's car with the dead bodies of the two hit men in it. Another commentator on this page suggests that they burn the car so that the "mob" will think that they (i.e., Logan and Altman) are dead and stop looking for them. I don't buy that interpretation. So far as I could tell, before Eckhart gets killed, he goes back to Las Vegas and kills most of the people who might know who Logan is. Moreover, wouldn't Eckhart's own disappearance raise questions about who was in the burned-out car? In any case, I don't think anyone in the mob knows about Nurse Altman, except Eckhart and Mills--who are dead--so there would be no reason to connect Logan with the car anyway. But it doesn't much matter. This film ain't really worth this much analysis.
Great villain
Leofwine_draca27 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a huge fan of director Mark L. Lester's early movies CLASS OF 1984 and COMMANDO, but his subsequent career has been hit and miss. The good news is that NIGHT OF THE RUNNING MAN is one of his better movies, a suspense thriller which doesn't let up until the very end. Sure, the story is a little unbelievable and the style can get rather cheesy, but the most important thing is that this is entertaining from beginning to end.
Andrew McCarthy is rather underwhelming as the innocent taxi driver who ends up with a case full of money and a hitman on his tail. The thing that makes the movie is Scott Glenn as the aforementioned hitman. He's absolutely superb in the film and manages to be one of the most imposing bad guys of the decade; every scene with him is packed with tension. Elsewhere, there are great set pieces, particularly the dam and the boiling water scene. Lester is on form here and keeps the suspense going until the final, violent climax.
Andrew McCarthy is rather underwhelming as the innocent taxi driver who ends up with a case full of money and a hitman on his tail. The thing that makes the movie is Scott Glenn as the aforementioned hitman. He's absolutely superb in the film and manages to be one of the most imposing bad guys of the decade; every scene with him is packed with tension. Elsewhere, there are great set pieces, particularly the dam and the boiling water scene. Lester is on form here and keeps the suspense going until the final, violent climax.
McCarthyism
ryangilmer00722 February 2001
At one point a friend said to me that Andrew McCarthy is one of the kings of Bad movies. Ok, ok, "Weekend at Bernies" or some of the others may be ok, but they are not very memorable and would be on few top 100 or 1000 lists.
Anyway, Night of the Running Man, brings this idea of McCarthyism into the 90's (1994), and once again it rings true.
The concept of the movie is ok: $1 mil in the taxi, a killer is after you, and you run. But, alas it is really simplified. Scott Glen, plays the killer without morals, so much so, that we know something is up come ending time.
There are also little type goofs, like McCarthy's feet are burned so badly that he is supposed to be bedridden for 2 or so weeks, yet in 2 days, he is walking without any limps.
Also, "night " is a bit of a mis-nomer as the movie takes place over days.
Oh well, what else do you expect?
Other thrillers are better, but you may like this.
Viewed on tape, Rating = 4
Anyway, Night of the Running Man, brings this idea of McCarthyism into the 90's (1994), and once again it rings true.
The concept of the movie is ok: $1 mil in the taxi, a killer is after you, and you run. But, alas it is really simplified. Scott Glen, plays the killer without morals, so much so, that we know something is up come ending time.
There are also little type goofs, like McCarthy's feet are burned so badly that he is supposed to be bedridden for 2 or so weeks, yet in 2 days, he is walking without any limps.
Also, "night " is a bit of a mis-nomer as the movie takes place over days.
Oh well, what else do you expect?
Other thrillers are better, but you may like this.
Viewed on tape, Rating = 4
The first draft of Collateral or what?
searchanddestroy-17 September 2021
I could not prevent myself to think about Michael Mann's feature whilst watching this one, because of a bearly, close topic, though directing is poor and acting too, except Scott Glenn's awesome performance as the clod blooded killer, a kind of Terminator. Good straight to DVD stuff, with no length at all.
Da star is da good guy
f6416 October 2001
This is one of those movies where the star is the good guy even though he leaves the scene of a deadly accident, steals a million dollars, is too stupid to effect a proper get away, kills a person and ends up torching his own car with two dead bodies in it and no one behind the steering wheel. The best parts were those of the killer and his friend (also a killer). I wonder about a woman who gets slugged full force directly in the face by one of these killers and doesn't get so much as a bruise. Well, she ends up running off with the star so I guess the slug job wasn't totally ineffective. I don't think there was one piece of this film that wasn't gratuitous to some extent, gratuitous inhumanity, gratuitous violence, gratuitous stupidity, gratuitous torture so I gave it a gratuitous four.
enjoyable movie with Andrew McCarthy and Scott Glenn
awlauter4 February 2001
I saw this movie probably 2 or 3 years ago on cable and have to say that I enjoyed it. The movie begins with a Las Vegas cab driver finding a briefcase stuffed full of money. He thinks he's got it good until he realizes that a relentless hitman is after him and will stop at nothing to recover the money and dispose of McCarthy. Good action scenes and scenery.
If you're in the mood for some cinematic slumming......
rhefner200226 December 2020
Some movies are bad, but they know they're bad. That pretty much sums up Night of the Running Man. There is no pretense of being anything more than B movie schlock.
The plot is ridiculously simplistic, the characters are cartoonish, and the sex and violence fulfill the sleaze quotient. The dialogue and acting are mediocre, although Scott Glenn fares decently well as the villainous hit man.
Sometimes you want to put your brain in neutral and just passively watch some schlock, but the schlock has to at least be entertaining. This one should do the trick.
First Rate Crime Thriller with No Pretensions
raegan_butcher14 June 2006
If you're a movie nut like me you often comb the lower rungs of video stores looking for neglected gems from bygone eras: Rolling Thunder and The Outfit from the 70s. Cohen & Tate and The Hit from the 1980s. And this one from the mid-90s.
It has a plot line that I find hard to resist: "Regular guy finds a pile of money and Complications ensue."
The Night of The Running Man is a lot of fun. It has great performances from Scott Glenn and John Glover and also from Andrew McCarthy. There are some excruciatingly painful to watch moments in this film,scenes that rival the infamous tooth-drilling scene in Marathon Man, scenes where characters have their feet submerged in boiling water,have their necks broken,foreheads smacked with boards thru which nails are protruding, etc etc. All of the scenes with Scott Glenn have a nasty energy. He is an iconic looking,leathery-faced actor and I would love to see him get more flashy roles such as his part here as a vengeful and greedy hit man. He commands the screen whenever he appears and he isn't afraid to play a completely unlikable character in a very straightforward way. There are no cute actor tricks--playing to the gallery and softening the role. He comes across as very believably scary.
The film was directed by Mark Lester and he keeps things moving nicely.
This one is worth checking out.
It has a plot line that I find hard to resist: "Regular guy finds a pile of money and Complications ensue."
The Night of The Running Man is a lot of fun. It has great performances from Scott Glenn and John Glover and also from Andrew McCarthy. There are some excruciatingly painful to watch moments in this film,scenes that rival the infamous tooth-drilling scene in Marathon Man, scenes where characters have their feet submerged in boiling water,have their necks broken,foreheads smacked with boards thru which nails are protruding, etc etc. All of the scenes with Scott Glenn have a nasty energy. He is an iconic looking,leathery-faced actor and I would love to see him get more flashy roles such as his part here as a vengeful and greedy hit man. He commands the screen whenever he appears and he isn't afraid to play a completely unlikable character in a very straightforward way. There are no cute actor tricks--playing to the gallery and softening the role. He comes across as very believably scary.
The film was directed by Mark Lester and he keeps things moving nicely.
This one is worth checking out.
Worth a gamble
DEPRESSEDcherry23 February 2021
It's another one of those movies where an innocent bystander ends up with the bad guy's money and tries to get away with it. This one ain't that bad though, has its ups and downs but is well put together. A good solid 90's action thriller that has been lost in the crowd and long forgotten, but it's worthy of your time.
Scott Glenn!
BandSAboutMovies17 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Las Vegas cab driver Jerry Logan (Andrew McCarthy) discovers a stolen million dollars. Before he gets to use it, he's hunted down by a relentless and cold-blooded assassin (Scott Glen).
How brutal is Glen? He boils McCarthy's feet so he can't run away, but he still gets to a hospital in time and falls for his nurse (Janet Gunn, The Quest). As for the boiled feet, you should know better to get into a cab driven by John Glover. I kid - I love that guy and he brings something great to every role, whether it's Daniel Clamp in Gremlins 2 or A.J. in Ed and His Dead Mother.
Wayne Newton is in this, which makes sense, as he didn't have to leave Vegas.
Those who watch the credits - hello, I've sat in sparse theaters with you - will notice that Alfred Sole did the production design for this movie. Yes, that's the very same Alfred Sole that made Alice, Sweet Alice.
How brutal is Glen? He boils McCarthy's feet so he can't run away, but he still gets to a hospital in time and falls for his nurse (Janet Gunn, The Quest). As for the boiled feet, you should know better to get into a cab driven by John Glover. I kid - I love that guy and he brings something great to every role, whether it's Daniel Clamp in Gremlins 2 or A.J. in Ed and His Dead Mother.
Wayne Newton is in this, which makes sense, as he didn't have to leave Vegas.
Those who watch the credits - hello, I've sat in sparse theaters with you - will notice that Alfred Sole did the production design for this movie. Yes, that's the very same Alfred Sole that made Alice, Sweet Alice.
Routine Chase
rmax30482319 February 2004
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS.
Unprepossessing cabbie finds himself in possession of one million bucks skimmed from a Vegas casino. An icy killer is called in by the organization to track him down and there follows tense little game of hide and seek that leads to Salt Lake City, with killer (Glenn) only two steps behind the cabbie who is by this time a nervous shambles. Another organization killer in brought into the picture, this time a friendly, matter-of-fact, guy with a sense of humor (Glover). Glover takes the cabbie to his own home, ties him up, and gleefully boils his feet until they are lobster red. Cabbie escapes again, winds up in a hospital, the same hospital that Glover finds himself in. There is a meeting between Glenn and Glover, the two professionals, in which Glover comes up with something out of a B Western -- "Someday the two of us will have to find out which of us is better." I know that it's dumb, but it doesn't leap out at the view because so far the entire movie is pretty dumb.
For instance, the cabbie (McCarthy) is stupid for telling a friendly waitress exactly where he's going and how. When the waitress accidentally runs into Glenn she's dumb for not simply denying she met McCarthy but also for lying about where he's headed. (She gets offed in a spectacular fashion for suffering from terminal dumbness.) Then we have McCarthy in hospital with his braised feet being treated by a Barbie Doll of a blonde nurse who falls for him for no discernible reason. She helps him escape (again) takes him and his million bucks to her home and he's sufficiently recovered to be able to make strenuous love although, admittedly, this doesn't require him to spend much time on his feet. Lucky for that, because by any reasonable standards they must be the size of watermelons by now.
I hope you're following this because there's going to be a quiz. A final attempt an escape fails and the four principals are brought together -- Glenn, Glover, McCarthy and Barbie. Glenn plugs Glover, proving he's the "better" of the two according to some indecipherable code. Glenn gets his just desserts though. Just as he is about to slice off McCarthy's head, McCarthy whacks him in the forehead with a light board that happens to have a longish nail sticking out of it, thus administering the lobotomy that is long overdue. Glenn mutters a few ironic words, then dies, which is just as well because with all that frontal lobe damage he'd never be able to plan far enough ahead to decide what kind of pizza to order.
McCarthy and Barbie now have not only the million bucks but two dead bodies, which they destroy in a fire, leaving the organization to think that the bodies are their own, rather than the killers'.
It reminds me a lot of Don Siegel's "Charlie Varrick," but without any grace notes whatever. The motives are weak and not believable. Except for Glenn and Glover, the characters held no interest for me. I didn't want to see McCarthy get killed, of course, because he's an ordinary guy, although to be sure than million dollars doesn't belong to him. And Barbie is unimpeachable. I wouldn't like to see her killed even if she were evil personified. I was also sorry to see Glover get it. What a terrific ham. But Seagal's movie is much more fun.
Unprepossessing cabbie finds himself in possession of one million bucks skimmed from a Vegas casino. An icy killer is called in by the organization to track him down and there follows tense little game of hide and seek that leads to Salt Lake City, with killer (Glenn) only two steps behind the cabbie who is by this time a nervous shambles. Another organization killer in brought into the picture, this time a friendly, matter-of-fact, guy with a sense of humor (Glover). Glover takes the cabbie to his own home, ties him up, and gleefully boils his feet until they are lobster red. Cabbie escapes again, winds up in a hospital, the same hospital that Glover finds himself in. There is a meeting between Glenn and Glover, the two professionals, in which Glover comes up with something out of a B Western -- "Someday the two of us will have to find out which of us is better." I know that it's dumb, but it doesn't leap out at the view because so far the entire movie is pretty dumb.
For instance, the cabbie (McCarthy) is stupid for telling a friendly waitress exactly where he's going and how. When the waitress accidentally runs into Glenn she's dumb for not simply denying she met McCarthy but also for lying about where he's headed. (She gets offed in a spectacular fashion for suffering from terminal dumbness.) Then we have McCarthy in hospital with his braised feet being treated by a Barbie Doll of a blonde nurse who falls for him for no discernible reason. She helps him escape (again) takes him and his million bucks to her home and he's sufficiently recovered to be able to make strenuous love although, admittedly, this doesn't require him to spend much time on his feet. Lucky for that, because by any reasonable standards they must be the size of watermelons by now.
I hope you're following this because there's going to be a quiz. A final attempt an escape fails and the four principals are brought together -- Glenn, Glover, McCarthy and Barbie. Glenn plugs Glover, proving he's the "better" of the two according to some indecipherable code. Glenn gets his just desserts though. Just as he is about to slice off McCarthy's head, McCarthy whacks him in the forehead with a light board that happens to have a longish nail sticking out of it, thus administering the lobotomy that is long overdue. Glenn mutters a few ironic words, then dies, which is just as well because with all that frontal lobe damage he'd never be able to plan far enough ahead to decide what kind of pizza to order.
McCarthy and Barbie now have not only the million bucks but two dead bodies, which they destroy in a fire, leaving the organization to think that the bodies are their own, rather than the killers'.
It reminds me a lot of Don Siegel's "Charlie Varrick," but without any grace notes whatever. The motives are weak and not believable. Except for Glenn and Glover, the characters held no interest for me. I didn't want to see McCarthy get killed, of course, because he's an ordinary guy, although to be sure than million dollars doesn't belong to him. And Barbie is unimpeachable. I wouldn't like to see her killed even if she were evil personified. I was also sorry to see Glover get it. What a terrific ham. But Seagal's movie is much more fun.
Tight and full of adrenaline
fredrikgunerius18 August 2023
Enjoyable and exhilarating, if somewhat predictable and dumb crime/action/chase flick starring a tentatively low-key Andrew McCarthy and an antagonist so mean that even Scott Glenn seems to flinch. The film is wonderfully 1990s, in everything from the wide suits to the fiery red blood, and the somewhat shoddy production values blend in well with the film's ephemeral quality: You're watching a piece of film history filled with carefree violence made by filmmakers who think they're influenced by Quentin Tarantino, but whose lack of finesse makes the end product grimmer, and not at all as multi-layered. But it's still fun, because it's tight and full of adrenaline.
Scott Glenn Saves an Otherwise Mediocre Film
Lone-Wolf121 August 2021
Scott Glenn as a psycho killer is the best thing about this movie. The musical score, on the other hand, is terrible. The music is extraordinarily generic and wrong for pretty much every scene.
The director, Mark Lester, made some pretty good B movies, with Commando being one of the most famous. Night of the Running Man is one of his better films apart from Commando, his magnum opus in many ways.
Both Glenn's and McCarthy's (also McCarthy was not in Breakfast Club, despite the claims of another reviewer) characters make foolish decisions constantly throughout the film. The stupidity doesn't make any sense when one considers the film's internal logic, such as it is. For example, McCarthy knows he is being chased at one point but still gives his real name to everyone he meets even though this was back (pre 9/11 and Patriot Act) when one could easily use a pseudonym to travel.
Glenn does an excellent job with the awful script, and John Glover also has a minor role as an unusually solicitous hitman. In my opinion, Glenn's performance pushes the film from a 5 (average) to a 6 (slightly above average).
The director, Mark Lester, made some pretty good B movies, with Commando being one of the most famous. Night of the Running Man is one of his better films apart from Commando, his magnum opus in many ways.
Both Glenn's and McCarthy's (also McCarthy was not in Breakfast Club, despite the claims of another reviewer) characters make foolish decisions constantly throughout the film. The stupidity doesn't make any sense when one considers the film's internal logic, such as it is. For example, McCarthy knows he is being chased at one point but still gives his real name to everyone he meets even though this was back (pre 9/11 and Patriot Act) when one could easily use a pseudonym to travel.
Glenn does an excellent job with the awful script, and John Glover also has a minor role as an unusually solicitous hitman. In my opinion, Glenn's performance pushes the film from a 5 (average) to a 6 (slightly above average).
Highly entertaining, but sloppy and predictable B-movie with the '90s written all over it
SJGII27 June 2022
If it wasn't for my intense love for the era this movie was made in, I'd remove one star from my rating. This is not a good movie by any means, but it is more than enjoyable to watch. In fact, you almost don't want this crazy ride to end. If you're a fan of Scott Glenn, you should watch this. If you love the era and miss those action B-movies that made little to no sense, but satisfied your need for mindless fun and excitement, then you should DEFINITELY watch this.
Road movie-ish action thriller
rlaine6 September 2010
Pay TV movie channels seem to be on a recession with the rest of the world and the schedules have lately been filled with rather unknown movies with somewhat known actors, this movie being a prime example. I don't actually mind and I try to catch as many of them as new movies aren't often any better.
Every geek who grew up in the 80's knows Andrew McCarthy (who was not in The Breakfast Club btw, as another reviewer said), Scott Glenn is even today in every other movie and the director had a couple of hits in the 80's, so somewhat promising setup.
The plot itself is pretty good in all it's simplicity, you have a hit-man chasing a cab driver who took the opportunity to get rich with money which is not his. The chase is on and the scenery changes with a rather nice pace.
What doesn't really work, is the leading man McCarthy. I'd say he's just too weary and pathetic and you don't really get a hold of his character. The movie could've benefited from someone a bit more gutsy and charismatic as the lead. At times it feels as if McCarthy and Scott Glenn are in two separate movies, McCarthy in a low budget TV movie and Glenn doing a real movie.
As of writing this, I realised it's not even that old a movie. It kind of feels like a movie that was made in the 80's, but it's post-Pulp Fiction afterall. The movie probably just surfaced too late, it might've been more successful in the 80's when you didn't expect thrillers to be bigger than life with a lot of twists and turns. Night of the Running Man is very straightforward stuff.
Every geek who grew up in the 80's knows Andrew McCarthy (who was not in The Breakfast Club btw, as another reviewer said), Scott Glenn is even today in every other movie and the director had a couple of hits in the 80's, so somewhat promising setup.
The plot itself is pretty good in all it's simplicity, you have a hit-man chasing a cab driver who took the opportunity to get rich with money which is not his. The chase is on and the scenery changes with a rather nice pace.
What doesn't really work, is the leading man McCarthy. I'd say he's just too weary and pathetic and you don't really get a hold of his character. The movie could've benefited from someone a bit more gutsy and charismatic as the lead. At times it feels as if McCarthy and Scott Glenn are in two separate movies, McCarthy in a low budget TV movie and Glenn doing a real movie.
As of writing this, I realised it's not even that old a movie. It kind of feels like a movie that was made in the 80's, but it's post-Pulp Fiction afterall. The movie probably just surfaced too late, it might've been more successful in the 80's when you didn't expect thrillers to be bigger than life with a lot of twists and turns. Night of the Running Man is very straightforward stuff.
Thriller with massive suspension of disbelief
adrianovasconcelos25 February 2024
I do not know much about Director Mark Lester (in fact, I know so little that I actually confused him with the child actor who played Oliver Twist in Carol Reed's OLIVER! , a British 1968 film).
There is not very much to recommend Lester's direction, and I had already had a warning some 40 years ago when I had the misfortune to watch COMMANDO, featuring a thoroughly concrete Arnie Schwarzenegger.
At least Scott Glenn keeps you interested in this movie with more holes in the logic of its script than the proverbial Swiss cheese. He does it with his killer's good looks and his killer's professionalism. What is more, he has the competent assistance of sidekick John Glover, whereas Andrew McCarthy (never understood how he became an actor at all, let alone one with a few leads) simply does not look the part - even of a cab driver, let alone a fella with the wiles to elude Glenn and score beautiful Janet Gunn to boot.
In spite of those setbacks, the film has its moments, and I persisted to the thoroughly happy but unbelievable ending. A very generous 6/10 because Kathrin Middleton, who gets a neck twist courtesy of Glenn, is a beauty to remember and serves up the steamiest scene.
There is not very much to recommend Lester's direction, and I had already had a warning some 40 years ago when I had the misfortune to watch COMMANDO, featuring a thoroughly concrete Arnie Schwarzenegger.
At least Scott Glenn keeps you interested in this movie with more holes in the logic of its script than the proverbial Swiss cheese. He does it with his killer's good looks and his killer's professionalism. What is more, he has the competent assistance of sidekick John Glover, whereas Andrew McCarthy (never understood how he became an actor at all, let alone one with a few leads) simply does not look the part - even of a cab driver, let alone a fella with the wiles to elude Glenn and score beautiful Janet Gunn to boot.
In spite of those setbacks, the film has its moments, and I persisted to the thoroughly happy but unbelievable ending. A very generous 6/10 because Kathrin Middleton, who gets a neck twist courtesy of Glenn, is a beauty to remember and serves up the steamiest scene.
Terrible
oldb_20008 July 2004
Don't waste your time with this dog. This was an awful movie. Stilted direction, formulaic plot, cliché-ridden characters, wooden acting, badly shot (looked like an old Barbaby Jones episode, but not that good), dreadful script. And that was the good stuff. The 'car chase' in the beginning? Did anyone notice that they were going about 5 mph? I could go on and on, but, I've already wasted too much time on this piece of garbage. Oh, yeah, and how about how this movie treats women? Sexy and stupid and then.....dead.
I can't imagine why Scott Glenn or Andrew McCarthy would work on a movie this terrible.
I can't imagine why Scott Glenn or Andrew McCarthy would work on a movie this terrible.
Glenn & Glover Make It Memorable
ccthemovieman-123 March 2006
Ah, another somewhat bizarre crime film that few people have heard about and, as of March in 2006, still is not available on DVD. It is one of the fastest-moving films I've seen.
Usually, I like to see at least one good person in the film but this is an exception but this is a notch above the average low-life affair because of the performances of Scott Glenn and John Glover. They play cold-blooded professional killers who act polite, have impressive vocabularies, dress with class, keep their cool, don't get loud and obnoxious....but are brutally sadistic. Both are also fascinating to watch with Glenn having the bigger role as the main hired killer and Glover as his friend in another city.
I might be overrating this a bit because the last 45 minutes is a stretch, a real stretch, beginning with the entrance of a beautiful nurse who unrealistically gets involved with Andrew McCarthy, a guy on the run from these killers. That just wouldn't happen, but it does keep the story going strong.
There are some memorable scenes in this movie and some of them not too pleasant, so be forewarned: a woman dangled from the top of Hoover Dam and McCarthy being tortured with his feet scalded. Tough to watch. There are two gratuitous sex scenes in here, too.
At any rate, for a no-name movie, it was surprisingly entertaining and I'd like to see it out on DVD before too long.
Usually, I like to see at least one good person in the film but this is an exception but this is a notch above the average low-life affair because of the performances of Scott Glenn and John Glover. They play cold-blooded professional killers who act polite, have impressive vocabularies, dress with class, keep their cool, don't get loud and obnoxious....but are brutally sadistic. Both are also fascinating to watch with Glenn having the bigger role as the main hired killer and Glover as his friend in another city.
I might be overrating this a bit because the last 45 minutes is a stretch, a real stretch, beginning with the entrance of a beautiful nurse who unrealistically gets involved with Andrew McCarthy, a guy on the run from these killers. That just wouldn't happen, but it does keep the story going strong.
There are some memorable scenes in this movie and some of them not too pleasant, so be forewarned: a woman dangled from the top of Hoover Dam and McCarthy being tortured with his feet scalded. Tough to watch. There are two gratuitous sex scenes in here, too.
At any rate, for a no-name movie, it was surprisingly entertaining and I'd like to see it out on DVD before too long.
Music
beckaj-621738 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Whoever did the opening music has no idea how to set a scene- I mean he is drinking Malox but the music makes you think he is heading off to commit murder! Def not Jan Hammer! Plus the idiots blow up their own car with the dead bodies!
Sufficient entertainment
millennia-214 May 2000
'Night of the Running Man' is not much more than your average direct to video release. The production values are standard, the music or direction isn't anything special, the only thing that actually stands out is the performance by Scott Glenn (Silence of the Lambs). That and the torture scene.
The Breakfast Club's Andrew McCarthy plays a Las Vegas cabbie, who discovers a million dollars of cash stashed in her cab. It turns out to be stolen mob money, and he finds that a hired hit man (Glenn) is after the money- and him.
You could do a lot worse than to rent this, and a lot better, but considering the miniscule budget the producers had to work with, it is a pretty good actioner, even deserving of a limited theatrical run. Nothing special.
5.5/10
The Breakfast Club's Andrew McCarthy plays a Las Vegas cabbie, who discovers a million dollars of cash stashed in her cab. It turns out to be stolen mob money, and he finds that a hired hit man (Glenn) is after the money- and him.
You could do a lot worse than to rent this, and a lot better, but considering the miniscule budget the producers had to work with, it is a pretty good actioner, even deserving of a limited theatrical run. Nothing special.
5.5/10
High School Project - Grade F
pos_itive18 December 2020
LOL... I would rather watch a chubby guy pick his nose at the bus stop for 2 hours!
Best part of the movies was when it was over!
I can't believe someone paid to have this movie made. Should just set their money on fire.
Only part worth watching is the cab chase at the beginning.... and yes I am being generous.
Best part of the movies was when it was over!
I can't believe someone paid to have this movie made. Should just set their money on fire.
Only part worth watching is the cab chase at the beginning.... and yes I am being generous.
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