Runner Review: An actually good straightforward action movie
To balance a weighty drama—The Weight—and a horrifying odyssey—Resident Evil—I also added Runner to my triple-feature palette. Honestly, these straight action flicks are never my favorite, and usually fight an uphill battle for me. Yet, I felt it would contrast well, so I checked it out. And, to my utter surprise, it was my favorite flick of the day! But just how good was it? That's what I, Brighton Nelson, will discuss in today's Reel Ranker review. Thanks for joining me here today on The Reel Ranker, and I hope you have a great day!
Let's start with the negatives and save the best for last. First and foremost: Angel seriously needs to stop with the QR codes. They keep trying to pigeonhole the concept into films it doesn't belong in. Here, it was a complete stretch. I have really enjoyed plenty of their films, but even as a Christian, the only time the code felt warranted was in Truth and Treason, because I can get behind highlighting underdogs in history who've been all but lost to time. Nobody needs a QR code in a movie just because a mom is in it—it's tacky, and no other adjacent action film felt the need to do that. At least the studio didn't cram generative AI into this one like Young Washington did.
Anyway, enough of that tirade. That's more of a studio-level critique, and there's plenty more to talk about here. The character arc with Alan Ritchson's Hank was underdeveloped and felt almost entirely irrelevant. It felt like a cheap, rushed reason to get invested in him, without the groundwork to make him feel like more than a caricature.
The film's plot and villains were as basic as I expected for a movie like this. It didn't do anything interesting in the villain territory; as fun as Rodrigo Santoro's cartoony performance was, he felt like a stereotyped one-note villain of the week. Owen Wilson also could've used a bit more screen time, as he becomes sidelined by the end. While he was a really good sidekick, maybe he could've had a few more moments to shine. The comedy was funny, but just a tad more would be great.
However, while it's a simple action movie, it's a great one, and really breaks through the noise for many reasons. This one has quite the beating heart, including a shocking twist that felt out of line with these more standard action-comedy movies in the best way. With Owen Wilson's character plus Hank's daughter and her French folies amusants, there were plenty of emotional moments to go around, even if the characters weren't too deep.
The film also has some exhilarating action sequences, even if they aren't anything too groundbreaking. The car chase has a unique sequence of camera shots, the hand-to-hand and environmental beat-em-up sequence in the hospital's gnarly near-R edge to it, and the shootout with the main antagonist near his mom's hospital room uses gunplay wonderfully. When you combine its heart with action, you've got a winning formula that cuts through the generic Netflix drivel we usually get.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 75%
Letter Score: A
Star Ranking: 4 out of 5
Runner overcomes its formulaic villain, weak main character arc, and tacky Angel studio staples by delivering a film with a surprisingly big beating heart and uniquely choreographed action. Driven by typical twists on the formula, tactile near-R brawls and shootouts, and Owen Wilson's character, it stands out as an unexpected, emotionally rewarding action thriller that outshines generic streaming competitors.
Interested in checking out some recent reviews for some other action, comedy, or thriller films? See them below!
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
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