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 is poised to aggressively ascend the throne as heir apparent. In just the past month, he’s impressively staked his claim with the season 2 premiere of his popular Prime series, “Reacher,” the silent-but-deadly vigilante in the poorly marketed “Motor City,” and now as the heavily muscled 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 driving the organ’s messenger, 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 valuable organ for their own nefarious purposes.
Oh, it’s on. And the spoils go to the last man standing, assuming the liver contained inside a high-tech cooler doesn’t spoil first. What ensues is a series of brutal beatdowns, thrilling car chases and mad shooting sprees interspersed around the overly familiar buddy comedy schtick Ritchson and Wilson engage in while dodging fists and bullets. Yes, it’s tired, but the disparate actors make it work, despite their vast differences in height, build and dispositions.
Where Ben is easy-going and curious, Hank, an ex-Navy SEAL nursing 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 minimum of words and effort. “I don’t hurt people anymore,” he vows. 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 resulting mayhem is intense, borderline sick, which doesn’t always work in concert with the film’s more jovial moods, where Hank and Ben comedically get acquainted. It also marks a marked change in style for Angel, the film distribution company that has staked a reputation on wholesome family entertainment that even God can enjoy in His living room. Not so here. Heck, Angel doesn’t even bother with its trademark “pay it forward” pleas 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 experienced with another action star, Jackie Chan, in the wonderful “Shanghai Noon.” It’s perplexing that director Scott Waugh and writers Miles Hubley and Tommy White don’t exploit it more, preferring instead the easier route of intense action set pieces that often run too long.
I would much rather see more deadpan moments 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 clings to his massive, heavily tattooed back. It’s not just funny; it’s charming in ways you don’t expect. Then Waugh goes and ruins it by awkwardly interrupting with yet another beatdown perpetrated by the savage Damian, the leader of a Colombian drug cartel (in Australia?) who will do anything to get his hands on an organ donation that we learn is worth $1 million on the black market.
The fight over possession of the donated liver expectedly opens the door for Waugh and the writers to insert 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 hysterics from George, the daughter of Vincent D’Onofrio and Greta Scacchi, as well as a great deal of palace intrigue among medical staff who may be secretly in cahoots with Damian.
It gets a bit much, and how willing you are to latch onto all the contrivances will determine how “Runner” is received. Normally, such blatant manipulations are a nonstarter for me, but Waugh keeps the story moving at such a breakneck pace that you’re barely spared a moment 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” – stakes his claim as Hollywood’s next, and hopefully not last, 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-
