Runaway Train (1985)
Overrated action-drama involving a couple of escaped convicts aboard the title vehicle. It's well-directed and has a tight final half-hour (the final image alone is indelible enough to the point where I wish I could recommend the film) but its characters don't earn our sympathy. The real arrow in the heel, though, is the acting -- Jon Voight cuts some thick slices of ham with his one-note performance, but even he looks great next to costar Eric Roberts, whose Southern-fried gee-whiz turn only demonstrates why Julia brings home $20 mil a film while he's lucky if he can score a week below Bruce Vilanch on "Hollywood Squares". The fact that they both picked up Oscar nominations for their work here is something the Academy should be embarrassed about.
Grade: C+
Overrated action-drama involving a couple of escaped convicts aboard the title vehicle. It's well-directed and has a tight final half-hour (the final image alone is indelible enough to the point where I wish I could recommend the film) but its characters don't earn our sympathy. The real arrow in the heel, though, is the acting -- Jon Voight cuts some thick slices of ham with his one-note performance, but even he looks great next to costar Eric Roberts, whose Southern-fried gee-whiz turn only demonstrates why Julia brings home $20 mil a film while he's lucky if he can score a week below Bruce Vilanch on "Hollywood Squares". The fact that they both picked up Oscar nominations for their work here is something the Academy should be embarrassed about.
Grade: C+
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