Ritchson muscles ‘Runner’ to finish line
As Arnold, Sly and Liam age out of their reign as the kings of action flicks, the hulking, charismatic Alan Ritchson stands ready to wrest the throne as heir apparent. In just the past month, he’s staked his claim with the season 4 premiere of his popular Prime series, “Reacher,” the silent-but-deadly vigilante in the poorly marketed “Motor City,” and now as the brawny ass-kicker in the violent buddy comedy “Runner.”
True to the title, his Hank, a Brisbane-based courier, is always on the move, whether it’s delivering a rare parrot or, for the movie’s purposes, ferrying a life-or-death “medical package” to a Gold Coast hospital. Technically, he’s transporting the organ’s carrier, the annoyingly loquacious Ben (Owen Wilson), who refuses to let go of his precious cargo for any reason. Or so he believes. Turns out, there’s a heavily armed band of roughians who want to snatch the high-value organ for their own nefarious intentions.
Oh, it’s on. And the spoils go to the last man standing, assuming the liver ensconced in a high-tech cooler doesn’t spoil first. What ensues is a series of brutal beatdowns, thrilling car chases and mad shooting sprees interspersed within an overly familiar buddy comedy schtick Ritchson and Wilson engage in while dodging fists and bullets. Yes, it’s tired, but the actors make it work, leveraging their disparate height, build, and dispositions.
Where Ben is easygoing and curious, Hank, an ex-Navy SEAL battling crippling cases of PTSD and alcoholism, is closed off and aloof, preferring to keep his handsome head down and do what needs to be done with the bare minimum of words and effort. “I don’t hurt people anymore,” he avows. But even before the words leave his lips, we know that claim will be challenged on multiple occasions over the next 90 minutes of a propulsive thriller that seldom eases off the gas.
Be warned: the mayhem is intense, borderline depraved at times, which doesn’t always work in concert with the film’s more jovial moments, where Hank and Ben comedically become acquainted. It also marks a pronounced shift for Angel, the film distribution company that has built a reputation for wholesome family entertainment, presumedly God-approved. Not the case here. Heck, Angel even foregoes its trademark “pay it forward” plea during the end credits. I’m not sure if this is a simple change of pace or a whole new business model. Either way, I like what “Runner” is offering.
But I’d like it more if it were smarter and less brutish. Ritchson and Wilson have real chemistry, much like the latter sparked with another action star, Jackie Chan, in the wonderful “Shanghai Noon.” It’s perplexing why director Scott Waugh and writers Miles Hubley and Tommy White don’t exploit it more, opting for the easier route of intense action sequences that often run too long.
I would much rather see more understated set pieces where heart and humor work hand in hand. Such as a terrific bit in which Ben and Hank find themselves on the doorstep of Hank’s ex, Monica (Geraldine Hakewell), seeking wheels and exiting on a bike, with Ritchson pedaling away as Wilson clasps his massive, tattoo-adorned back. It’s not just funny; it’s charming in ways you don’t expect. Then Waugh abruptly interrupts the mood with yet another ass-whooping perpetrated by the savage Damian, the leader of a Colombian drug cartel (in Australia?) who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the vital organ we learn is worth $1 million on the black market.
The fight for possession of it creates the perfect opportunity to introduce plenty of heavy-handed melodrama, courtesy of Leila George’s fretting mom, Kate, whose 7-year-old daughter, Ellie (Scarlett Crabtree), will die if she doesn’t receive the transplant pronto. This leads to histrionics on the part of George, the daughter of Vincent D’Onofrio and Greta Scacchi, as well as a great deal of palace intrigue among medical staff who may secretly be in cahoots with Damian.
It gets to be a bit much, and your willingness to buy into all the contrivances will determine how “Runner” is received. Normally, such blatant manipulation is a nonstarter for me, but Waugh keeps the story moving at such a breakneck pace that there’s rarely a chance to nitpick. All I can say is just sit back and enjoy the ride as Ritchson – complete with the catchy catchphrase, “I’m not a guy people successfully mess with” – throws down the gauntlet in his quest to become Hollywood’s next hot action hero.
Movie review
Runner
Rated: PG-13
Cast: Alan Ritchson, Owen Wilson, Leila George, Rodrigo Santoro, Scarlett Crabtree and Geraldine Hakewell
Director: Scott Waugh
Writers: Miles Hubley and Tommy White
Runtime: 97minutes
Where: In theaters Sept. 11
Grade: B-
