The Running Man

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Harold Faltermeyer is the epitome of electronics, a Brad Fiedel type that scored more worse movies than Fiedel scored and mainly composes a Hans Zimmer type of sound that ages back to when Hans was roughly 5. Frankly, Hans being 5 years old could probably write better music. What a contrast, you remember back to the things you remember of the movie and score and the thoughts are solid if even a bit positive. But The Running Man is neither the main theme of Top Gun nor the better action sound of Tango & Cash (at least what I remember of it). This score first of all is not refined enough to let it enjoy the casual listener, is fully synthetic and basically bad. It has beat and an edge but this is simply music that flies through me and actually hurts by doing it. Faltermeyer fans or interested in becoming one will not see The Running Man as good, but just an electronic tone that surprisingly suits its accompanying movie.

First of all, the movie was decent and it is one of Schwarzenegger's better movies of that time. And the music by Faltermeyer was equally good in its basic effect. But then you buy it and mainly hear what the ?music? was behind the scene. Sadly, this is awful at occasions and for the rest having every trademark that fans probably hate of synthesized music. The main theme is incredibly stupid (works perfectly for the movie) but I thought this was first the ?dramatic? theme (and I put that lightly). This repeats itself several times for instance in 'Intro / Bakersfield', at the end of 'Main Title / Fight Escape' and on numerous occasions, perhaps the best in 'Mick's Broadcast / Attack', this is also the least horrible piece of music to be found on the disc. The action is poor, containing no interesting things except a beat that goes nowhere. Next, the intro's of the various enemies are probably the worst pieces of score to be heard. It is bad, awful and in the case of 'Valkyrie' incredibly laughable. Here the famous classical piece (Wagner) receives the synthesized version no one wants to hear and frankly, I simply cried of laughter.

The score keeps bringing music that has nothing inside of it, the main theme which is no way heroic or something is the only piece that serves for interest. It is then also the only thing which makes this score bearable. But 'Captain Freedom's Workout' is one of those musical background things you can hear in people working out on TV, I was then also embarrassed by listening to it and to end 'Weiss Discovers / Amber's Launch' has probably one minute of decent music. But the thing about The Running Man is that I was so disappointed by it, I hated it at the end. It has electronic rumblings, electrical guitars on occasions and frankly I was expecting something of a higher quality. Probably without knowing or expecting something of it I would have given it a half star more but this will never enter my CD-player again and has nothing that makes it the price worthy. You get the worst out of Zimmer and Fiedel and is without being rude, crap to the end. People that know this music might get something out of it but I'm negative by its outcome so I will say, "it deserves the slashing and if you consider The Running Man a leading title in the list of Faltermeyer's projects, then I can understand why Faltermeyer is out of business. Please Varèse, at least release the better scores of him, there have got to be better ones than this.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Intro / Bakersfield (2.03)

2. Main Title / Fight Escape (3.44)

3. Buzzsaw / Richard's Fight (1.50)

4. Captain Freedom's Workout (2.27)

5. Mick's Broadcast / Attack (5.04)

6. Valkyrie (2.36)

7. Buzzsaw Attack (1.52)

8. Medical Checkup (2.22)

9. Fireball Intro (1.18)

10. Buzzsaw / Dynamo Attack (1.50)

11. Massacre Highlights (1.08)

12. Sub-Zero Intro (2.01)

13. Sub-Zero (3.50)

14. Fireball Chase (2.03)

15. Spare Dynamo (2.20)

16. Weiss Discovers / Amber's Launch (2.27)

17. Revolution / End Credits (1.58)

Total Length: 41.24

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