Runaway Train
RUNAWAY TRAIN (15)
D: Andrei Konchalovsky
Cannon/Northbrook (Menahem Golan & Yoram
Globus)
US 1985
111 mins
Adventure/Thriller
W: Djordje Milicevic, Paul Zindel & Edward Bunker
[based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa]
DP: Alan Hume
Ed: Henry Richardson
Mus: Trevor Jones
Jon Voight (Oscar 'Manny' Mannheim), Eric Roberts (Buck
McGeehy), Rebecca DeMornay (Sara), Kyle T. Heffner (Frank Barstow)
The title says it all. This formulaic, cliche-ridden
action potboiler is lifted above the usual tedium by a good pair of performances from Jon Voight and Eric Roberts as two escape convicts who board the out-of-control vehicle.
Considering the rest of Cannon Films output during the
1980's, this film actually ranks amongst the production groups best, but that's not saying it's a particularly good film.
The two male stars both received Oscar nominations,
incredibly rare for a film of this type of genre and I have to admit that I really don't think either performance is particularly special.
It's probably amongst the best films
which were released by the Cannon Film Group, but that's not saying much.
6/10
