Runaway Train

I first watched this film maybe 30 years ago, which was 10 years after it came out. I had vaguely remembered it in the theaters, and I rented it because I had nothing better to do. I wish I could forget this movie every time I watch it so I could feel that impact again. It's an incredible film. There are not a lot of extra features, but I don't care. The transfer looks great.

Great movie. Top shelf performance by John Voight. No CGI makes it more fun to watch.

More than just excitement and suspense, the tension and moral issues faced by the characters gave the movie depth. And the actors were top notch.

Originally written by Akira Kurosawa to take place in Siberia, Runaway Train works just as well in Alaska with Americans. This movie has some amazing train sequences in it. But the story, though a bit cliche, really carries things along at the same pace as the runaway train. Like the first Terminator flick and Conan The Barbarian, this movie has a real 80s feel. The attempt at gritty, like old 70s made for t.v. movies, gives it away but its got lots going for it. The story is really pretty good. A superconvict is not just locked in his solitary but welded in for years. Alaskan maximum incarceration. Escape, evasion....yes its a B movie but only in the sense that say the first Terminator was. It has a heavy underlying theme of personal responsibility vs. institutional violance that plays out in some remarkably strong visuals of a train out of control through snow. Manny's little speech about "holding on to your little job like gold" is the kind of thing /you/ would imagine saying if you were locked up for years. If you like action, trains, and aren't a newspaper critic that can't get past the rough edges...you'll love this high grade B thriller with a touch of thought to it.

I'd like to start by saying this is the first DVD I've ever purchased from Amazon.com. I ordered it on a Thursday night, and had it in my mailbox the following Monday, so kudos to Amazon for a speedy delivery at a fair price. It should be noted that "Runaway Train" was released in late 1985, whereas Amazon has the film being released in '86. Starring Jon Voight (Angelina Jolie's dad)as Manny and Eric Roberts (yes, Julia's brother) as Buck , "Train" is about a couple of convicts who escape from an Alaskan prison and stowaway aboard the first freight train they come across as a means of shelter against the bitterly cold elements, in addition to speeding up their escape. What they don't realize is the train's engineer has suffered a fatal heart attack just as the train is departing the station, leaving it without anyone to control the train's speed or destination. The two fugitives are also pursued from a helicopter by the prison warden(John P. Ryan), who seems to hold a personal grudge against Manny. Rebecca DeMornay, in a decidedly un-glamourous role, plays the role of Sara, a young girl working on the train and inadvertently getting stranded aboard with Manny and Buck. With the train headed for a dead end at a dangerously high rate of speed and the warden hot on the trail of the fugitives, the film achieves a fever pitch of intensity in the closing minutes, and reaches a tragic, yet poetic conclusion. Both Jon Voight and Eric Roberts received Academy Award nominations for their performances, and Rebecca DeMornay is fine in her smaller role. What makes "Runaway Train" stand out, however, is the beautiful cimematography, among the finest I've ever seen in a film. Watching the train careen through the Alaskan countryside in heavy snowfall, I kept thinking how the entire film could have been about the train traveling through the snow, and I would have enjoyed it just the same. The acting and storyline are a bonus. I find it unusual that most DVD retail chains do not carry "Runaway Train", thus prompting my purchase from Amazon. I would certainly place the film in my top 25 all time favorites category. One bit of warning: The film is rated "R" for graphic violence, and a scene involving Voight's character trying to disconnect one train car from another is not for the squeamish. Regardless, it does not affect my rating. "Runaway Train" is an overlooked gem from the mid '80's and holds up very well today.

Great movie. worth the price.

Manny and Ranken the prison warden square off again in this gritty and brutally beautiful chase film. Voight escapes from max security facility along with Eric Roberts and boards what they think is a train bound for freedom but are quickly disabused of that notion. This is a real guilty pleasure for me, even with his politics I get such a kick out of the over-the-top portrayal of Manny by Jon Voight as he snarls and calls to Ranken to kill him in the prison and come and get him on the train. And of course, Ranken takes the bait and flies down to engage. Eric Roberts is suitably puppy doggish in his slavish devotion but provides a great counterpart. What a great movie. Picture quality is impressive on the BD. (j4.)

Movie is great, packing was secure and delivery on time.

Voilà un film glaçant, pour sa dureté, et glacial pour son climat puisqu'il a été tourné dans le Montana et en plein hiver. John Voight interprète un personnage ambigu que l'on a du mal à aimer ou à détester tant il est violent. Il faut dire que ce qu'il a subit de la part d'un directeur de prison pervers n'était pas une sinécure. On espère que les locomotives vétustes ne représentent pas la réalité du rail américain. En résumé un très bon film d'action, parfois très violent, à destination d'un public averti. Très bonne édition video

One of the best thrillers of the 1980s. Jon Voight's acting is breath taking. A must see for amateurs of the genre.

Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese director most known for "Seven Samurai" and "Ran", as well as "Rashomon", co-wrote the screen play for this movie. The film is a true exercise in catharsis. Jon Voight plays his character so deeply-felt and so genuinely, that one is overcome with emotion. Rebecca DeMornay is also strong yet beautiful as a woman who fell asleep in one of the locomotives. And Eric Roberts is fantastic, as Eric Roberts always is, as a young, inexperienced, but passionate for freedom prisoner, who just wants to "live". This movie is probably one of the best ever made in HISTORY, for its writing, acting and is a lesson to all about how being in an inhumane prison "kills" us all.

Audio en inglés y francés. Calidad de imagen y sonido correcta.

Runaway Train (Blu-Ray) Kino Lorber delivers another High Quality Blu-Ray Mastered from a new 2K Movie transfer. Beautiful Visual & Audio Quality. Movie was in Excellent Condition as it was well packaged, it also arrived on Time. A worthy Film for any Physical Media Collection. Thankyou 😊 🙏 📽🎞🍿🍻