Nonureva Really Surprised!

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Irie212 There is a gripping story here, about survival, but this movie transcends the simple plot-- three people caught on a runaway train, and being chased by authorities. I maintain, with conviction, that this movie is a powerful work of art, which could have been even greater if it didn't suffer from two of Hollywood's most deep- rooted and crippling problems.First, Hollywood's tendency to throw writers at projects. Five men are credited with the story and the screenplay, which originated with the Japanese genius, Akira Kurosawa. There is much more dialog than is needed, especially the motor-mouth stuff coming out of Roberts. It's painful to imagine how great the script might have been if Kurosawa's original screenplay had been adapted by one good writer, or had been translated and only lightly edited.Second, a lesser problem, the cast, which is merely competent-- not bad, but not great. (NB: I am aware that Voight won the Golden Globe for this performance.) Jon Voight and Eric Roberts started out as pretty boys, and however roughed up they are for this movie, they're still too pretty. The roles-- two escaped convicts-- called for character actors, but character actors can't "open" a movie. So we get workmanlike performances from two adequate actors. That's not fatal, but it is unfortunate because the movie would have benefited so much from really first-rate actors who don't look like they could have been male models-- John Lithgow, for instance, or Robert Duvall or Andre Braugher instead of Voight, and Sean Penn or Gary Farmer instead of Roberts. In this vein, it's interesting to note that the film marks the debut of two character actors who are almost always cast as thugs, Tiny Lister and Danny Trejo...Nevertheless, in spite of those things (which may not bother everyone), RUNAWAY TRAIN is a powerful lament about the nature of free will, and efforts to claim control over your inherent character, which is your destiny. The arch-criminal Voight has some good lines, and one great one: He tells Roberts to get a job if they make it to freedom, become a janitor, anything, but Roberts demands, then why don't you do that? And Voight replies with all the pith the dialog otherwise lacks, "I wish I could."He can't. It's not in his nature to do what he believes people need to do, and should do, to be happy. The plot is all played out in savage settings-- a maximum security prison, a below-zero winter. The world these men occupy is hard and cold in every way. They have to literally crawl through an active sewer to escape, and when they do, the old four- engine train Voight chooses becomes a hell on wheels. The only way to control it is to get to the front engine, the brain of the runaway train, but there is no path to it. And the pursuit of them by authorities continues, led by the warden, a character who is written, unfortunately, with no nuance: he's vengeful, evil, cruel. Early on, he announces to the prisoners that in their world he is 2nd only to God-- but he is actually more like Death. Either way, when he catches up to the train (by helicopter), he descends from the sky. Voight, lying in wait, takes control of him, thereby finally wresting power into his own hands, demanding control of his own destiny. But the only power left to him (and to us all, on our individual runaway trains) is the power to choose Death. He chooses to risk dying if it will bring even a few moments of freedom in our cold, hard world.

FilmCriticLalitRao Runaway Train is the true example of what can be termed as the best case of "International collaboration" in the field of cinema. As an American film directed by a Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky with a principal cast of American actors, it was shot in Canada based on a screenplay written by Akira Kurosawa, a renowned Japanese cinema author. Escape films can make their own specialized genre but for "Runaway Train" there is no ordinary escape in sight. Director Konchalovsky depicts the primacy of mind over body. The major highlight of this film is the manner in which many 'spectacular action' scenes have been shot. They give viewers an idea about the suffering experienced by prisoners in a high security American gaol. These scenes are so authentically genuine that they have all the strength to put contemporary CG films to shame. A sense of claustrophobia is developed when this film's three protagonists are left to fend for themselves on a train without a director. What is important for viewers is to watch how this challenge is experienced both inside and outside of the train by key stakeholders ? Lastly, 'Runaway Train' is the perfect film for any viewers who is interested in watching an intelligent action film.

moosekarloff-995-802123 Just watched this piece of dreck on one of the movie channels of The Vast Wasteland and was appalled at how truly bad it was. Glad that I didn't actually spend money to see this disaster in a theater.Implausible idea, weak and cartoonish script and dreadful acting (especially by hopelessly miscast Jon Voight). The only performer who put in a somewhat convincing role was Eric Roberts. Numerous situations were ridiculous and unlikely. Entire scenes that added nothing worthwhile to the narrative should have been left on the cutting room floor. Although this is supposed to be a thriller, there was surprisingly little suspense, just quite a bit of predictable going through the motions.I have to wonder who goes in for such mindless, contrived and amateurish fare. Filmic stupidity. There was absolutely no value in this turkey.

Wuchak How "Runaway Train" bombed at the box office in December, 1985, I'll never know because it's the perfect blend of blockbuster thrills and weighty subtext.The story involves Manny (Jon Voight), a notorious prison hero, who escapes a maximum security prison in the frozen wastelands of Alaska. He is joined by a naive follower (Eric Roberts). They stow away on a train consisting of four locomotives whose engineer has a heart attack and the train runs away. Meanwhile, the arrogant warden (John P. Ryan) is on the warpath for Manny."Runaway Train" is such a powerful experience because it's much more than just a mindless action flick, as the title would suggest; the thrilling events are actually a stage for a fascinating study of the human condition. Manny is a hardened convict who's "at war with the world and everyone in it." When called an animal he replies, "No, worse -- human!" This is a man who wants one thing, freedom, but he knows that he's too far gone to make it in conventional society. He shares a parable with his dumb partner, made up on the spot, about having a menial job and submitting to the boss even though you might want to rip his throat out. This is the key to making it in society -- submitting to authority and resisting the rage within; and then getting your check on payday and enjoying the fruits thereof. Manny wishes he could do this, but knows he can't. So what hope is there for him in modern society? If he can't do that then why's he escaping prison? In other words, Manny knows there's no hope for him, even if his escape is successful. To him, freedom can only come one way. I don't believe this, but I understand why he believes it.There's another potent scene where Manny has a knife and mercilessly comes against his own "partner". You see the rage on his face, like a cornered animal. After intense emotions are vented Manny suddenly realizes... and then he just bows over, completely spent. A character, who should be afraid of him, somehow understands and compassionately reaches out in a semi-embrace.Powerful scenes like these are combined with surreal images of the misshapen locomotives barreling down the tracks in the freezing wilderness accompanied by the ominous score by Trevor Jones. Some parts of the score scream mid-80s, but other parts -- like the aforementioned -- are timeless.Rebecca De Mornay has an atypical role as a railroad worker who stumbles on to the convicts. She intuitively sees through their macho posturing. Although she knows they're desperate & dangerous, she also sees that they're not wholly evil. Roberts is basically a kid at heart and Manny is just blinded by the incredible rage within. He's only irredeemable because of his stupid pride, built up over years of hardened confinement.Voight is near unrecognizable as Manny and Roberts is just superb as his dumb sidekick. These two along with De Mornay are examples of acting at its finest.John P. Ryan is very effective as the machismo warden Ranken, but his Captain Ahab-like role comes off too comic booky to be plausible. Yet Ranken shows that you can be an "animal" on the outside of prison just as much as on the inside. Both Manny and Ranken are corrupted by pride, but Manny at least knows it. And he's not too far gone to recognize those who are worthy of life and to respond accordingly.The film was shot in Montana and Alaska and runs 111 minutes.GRADE: A+