Runner Review: Hard-Hitting Action Does the Heavy Lifting.
September felt like a pretty dry month for films, at least here in Trinidad and Tobago. With movies like Primetime and Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother not making their way to our little island, finding something worth a trip to the cinema has been tough. Earlier this week, though, I decided to take a chance and see what was available. Forbidden Island was my first choice, but my schedule didn’t line up with the showtimes. That’s how I ended up watching Runner.
Starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson, Runner gave me a pretty good idea of what to expect when I watched the trailer while sitting in the food court. I don’t want to call it your run-of-the-mill action flick with the usual tough guy in the lead, but that’s pretty much what it looked like, and what it turned out to be.
There is, however, an attempt to give this familiar setup a little more heart. Wilson’s character brings a sincerity that I found endearing, giving the film something beyond Ritchson’s tough-guy appeal to work with. Whether it does enough with that to make Runner worth the trip to the cinema is where things get a little more complicated.
The setup is simple. Alan Ritchson plays Hank Malone, a former military tough guy who now works as a “runner,” transporting legal and illegal cargo for clients. His latest job involves delivering a liver needed for a child’s transplant, with Owen Wilson’s Ben Bishop, a medical courier, insisting on seeing the delivery through himself. Unfortunately, a job like this was never going to be a straightforward trip to the hospital.
Hank and Ben don’t have much chemistry at first, which makes sense. For Hank, this is just another job, while Ben’s friendly nature makes him more open to connecting. The performances are serviceable, with Ben providing the heart of the film and Hank carrying a pain that I can see viewers relating to. I would have liked a little more character development to give that dynamic some depth, though I understand there’s only so much room for it here. Beyond the two leads, the only character who really stands out is the antagonist, Damian Zaldivar, played by Rodrigo Santoro. Santoro does a fairly good job playing a maniac, though there are moments when his performance feels phoned in.
The action sequences, though, were pretty damn good! This was easily the best part of the film. Every punch, kick and shotgun blast felt intense and visceral, with exciting choreography that made Hank’s toughness a real highlight. Ritchson sells the physicality of the character, and watching him fight his way through these encounters was a blast. There’s a weight to the hits that makes the action satisfying, and the effects within the fights help sell just how brutal they are. Honestly, it’s the kind of action that had me sitting there wishing I knew how to fight like that.
Outside of the fights, however, the effects were much less convincing, especially in the final third. The shots from inside moving vehicles looked horrendous, often giving the impression that the actors were sitting in a stationary car in front of a green screen. It was hard to stay caught up in the excitement when those shots made the setting feel so artificial, particularly when the fights had done such a good job of pulling me in.
Ultimately, the action is what makes Runner worth watching, even if I wish the characters and their story had been given a little more room to develop. It’s an easy watch that I think the average moviegoer will enjoy. It doesn’t ask much of you, and the short runtime means it’s over before you know it. If you’re looking for something to do on a Sunday or want to take advantage of a special at one of our local cinemas, this is worth checking out. Just go in expecting brutal fights, a little heart and a fairly familiar ride.
