The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

I saw The Running Man again recently, and found it be quite similar to Demolition Man in the sense that it is a futuristic action movie, that is filled with social satire. Both movies feel like Paul Verhoeven directed movies possibly.

Demolition Man was a little better for humor and social satire overall, but the action and futuristic sets were not as good as The Running Man. When I watch Demolition Man I feel that the humor is good, but the action is boring, and I have to wait for the action to be over, before the humorous satire dialogue starts up again.

Where as with The Running Man, it's not quite as funny, but still fun, and I feel I don't have to put myself on hold during the action, cause the action is better and just blends in better, but the scenario does get repetitive, since it is a sporting event that lasts most of the movie.

What do you think?

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Running Man is way better. Some of the antiPC satire in Demolition Man is funny (and rather chillingly prescient) but it's nowhere near as good a film.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

The Running Man is better.

However, Demolition Man is more fun to watch and if both were on right now, I'd rather watch Demolition Man.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Last time I've seen them I didn't really like either. Maybe Demolition Man is a bit more entertaining though.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Like them both, Demolition Man has a higher production value, but The Running Man is a better film and makes more sense as well.


The fundamental problem with Demolition Man, is the city and the society.
I mean, what happens in the world outside the city borders? How can this utopian haven be under attack from only the people in the sewers?
An argument I've heard, is that everything else on Earth has been wiped out. But, it was only the west coast that was destroyed in an earthquake in 2010... after which Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara merged into one big city.


Personally, I like to see Demolition Man as a prequel to Stallone's Judge Dredd.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

I don t find any similarities, two different plots, and different characters but i have to say i enjoyed the running man more than demolition man as the pace in demolition man is relentless and felt more fun as a story

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Which is the one with the shells? I haven’t seen either yet but I choose the one with the shells.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

OH lol. I grew up with those but was never allowed to use them because they were for guests only. Ingrates.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Did they figure it out?

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

I don't know nor care. They were all criminals from memory. My dad's clients and my mum's using catholic priests and nuns. Stuff 'em.

I don't know if I would say if The Running Man makes more sense. I mean the villain has a tape of video footage, of the main hero being framed for the murders, in his file cabinet. What kind of a villain would keep the truth on tape for anyone to find like that?

Not that I am complaining, I still like the movie, but I don't think that it holds together anymore than Demolition Man.

I think I feel the same way though as a couple of posts, that The Running Man is better, but I would rather watch Demolition Man... The Running Man has a much better villain to hold the story together though, in Richard Dawson, compared to Wesley Snipes weak villain.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

You could chalk the tape thing up to complacency about how unchallenged the villain thinks he is - assuming any of the small number of people who has the opportunity to steal the tape actually cares enough to do so, he quite easily catches them and puts them on the show since that's effectively a death sentence that also gets him ratings. If anything, it's more silly that the footage itself looks like a movie scene with cuts and close-ups and whatnot.

(also lmao at whoever said Demolition Man was "chillingly prescient" because of its so-called anti-PC satire when Running Man literally takes place in a 2017 America where the most powerful man in the country is a game show host who builds his popularity on state-sanctioned violence and propaganda)

Anyway, as you can probably guess I prefer Running Man. Demolition Man has its strengths (the general weirdness of its setting, Snipes as a crazy Joker-type villain) but Running Man is better overall.

Re: The Running Man (1987) vs. Demolition Man (1993)
 

Oh I just wondered, why would the villain even have a tape of it his framing the good guy in the first place at all? I know he had to re-edit the footage to frame him, but why keep the original, uncut copy at all? Not that I am complaining, I still like the movie, I just don't think it makes any more sense than Demolition Man.