OK, so it's a dated, cheesy Arnie vehicle from 25 years ago – but I like it. Not only does it fall into the 'so bad it's good' category, but it has a number of really quirky things about it. For a start, the director is Paul Michael Glaser, perhaps best known for playing the character Starsky in the 1970s TV series 'Starsky and Hutch'. And Mick Fleetwood, drummer and founder member of Fleetwood Mac plays 'Mic' the leader of the resistance. And there's more: Frank Zappa's son Dweezil (???!!!) has a part as 'Stevie', a member of the resistance. And a leading member of Fleetwood Mac is another Stevie, Stevie Nicks. Coincidence? I don't think so...
As far as the film goes, it's yet another Arnie sci-fi vehicle, full of running, mayhem, and assorted violent acts which result in the death of just about everyone but Arnie. He plays Ben Richards, aka 'The Butcher of Bakersfield', who was framed for his role in the Bakersfield massacre. He gets the chance to earn his freedom by taking part in a TV show, a sort of futuristic and deadly 'Gladiators'. The TV show is (of course) rigged, but Arnie (of course) outwits his pursuers, kills them (of course), and (of course) returns to fulfil his promise of 'I'll be back' - you get the picture. It's worth 2/5 stars but I'll give it 3/5 stars - because I did kind of enjoy it :)
The first thing to say is that this movie is very dated. Why? Because nothing ever dates as fast as a vision of the future - which this is (indeed, it's set in 2017!!!)
Arnie has his usual funny one liners - a couple make me laugh out loud.
It's nice NOT to see endless CGI too - but real special effects with stunt men etc.
This is basically all about a TV show which kills people - so like Rollerball and a blueprint for The Hunger Games which is the most unoriginal story series ever IMHO.
I am giving this 5 stars because it is HUGELY enjoyable and fun in a way most movies now do not seem to be. It's violent yes, but all in a cartoony way. And that goodness there was no love story subplot or any need to parachute various ethnicities into every role and make it all about racism or something (I get sick and tired of being lectured to by the pc gestapo).