‘Runner’ Review: Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson in an Impressively Visceral Buddy Thriller That Leaves Behind a Bad Taste

Owen Wilson and Alan Ritchson in 'Runner.' Angel Studios

“I don’t hurt people anymore,” says Hank, the central character in Runner, the propulsive thriller representing a bit of a stylistic departure for its distributor, Angel Studios. But since Alan Ritchson (Reacher) plays the role, you can rest assured that by the end of the film he’ll have not lived up to his statement. Indeed, Hank hurts lots of people in this action-comedy that doesn’t prove boring for a second but has trouble managing its disparate tones.

Mere seconds into the film, there’s a lingering moment on Ritchson’s bare torso shot from behind, and since the actor possesses one of the most formidable torsos in film it’s immediately apparent that his character is a force to be reckoned with. Or, as he inelegantly puts it later on, “I’m not a man that people successfully mess with.”

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Runner

The Bottom Line Propulsive and relentless. Release date: Friday, September 11 Cast: Alan Ritchson, Owen Wilson, Rodrigo Santoro, Leila George, Kate Box, Peta Sergeant, Cecilia Toussaint, Geraldine Hakewill, Goran D. Kleut, Scarlett Crabtree Director: Scott Waugh Screenwriters: Miles Hubley, Tommy White Rated PG-13, 1 hour 37 minutes

Hank, an American living in Australia, is now trying to be a gentle giant, one who’s celebrating his one-year anniversary of sobriety and who clearly suffers from lingering emotional trauma. He works as a “runner,” transporting whatever his boss needs him to, including a rare breed of parakeet that he winds up getting stuck with.

A later assignment on the same day is unusual even for him. He’s sent to pick up a “medical package” at the airport, which turns out to be a liver desperately needed by a dying seven-year-old girl. Except that the package, which has a three-hour window of viability, not only includes the high-tech cooling device in which the organ is stored but also Ben (Owen Wilson), the fast-talking, devil-may-care medical courier whose job is to personally bring it to the hospital.

The tense relationship between the endlessly jovial Ben and the taciturn, all-business Hank, a former Navy Seal, would seem to indicate that we’re in for a buddy action-comedy on the order of Rush Hour, 48 Hrs. and Midnight Run, among countless hours. And after some amusing exchanges between the two, the action does indeed kick in, when it turns out that the pair are being pursued by a ruthless gang of drug cartel members who very much want the liver, which could be worth $1 million on the black market because of the blood type involved. The bulk of the running time consists of Ben and Hank racing to the hospital to deliver their precious package even while being attacked and ambushed at every turn by a heavily tattooed gang led by Damien (a scarily live-wire Rodrigo Santoro), who needs the liver for very personal reasons.

The clever premise provides the opportunity for plenty of high-octane action sequences, including fistfights, shootouts, explosions and car chases, with the hapless Ben providing comic relief from Hank’s Terminator-like indestructibility. The problem is that the action becomes so relentless, so explicitly gory, that a bad aftertaste sets in. The ultra-violent mayhem simply doesn’t fit well with such comic touches as Hank continuing to carry the parakeet in the birdcage around even while being chased by the bad guys and Ben experiencing a panic attack at an inopportune moment.

Director Scott Waugh, a former stuntman who has experience with this sort of thing thanks to his helming of such films as Expend4bles and Hidden Strike, stages the action in visceral fashion, and the low-key but charismatic Ritchson is the most impressive action star to come along in a while. But the brutality becomes off-putting after a while and a tragic plot element in the final act seems unearned.

On the plus side, Ritchson and Wilson display a winning chemistry, their contrasting physicality and acting styles working perfectly for their characters. The screenplay by Miles Hubley and Tommy White, rescued from the “Black List,” reaches surprising emotional depths in its handling of Hank’s tragic backstory and the sick child’s fiercely protective mother (Lelia George, Mortal Engines), who throws herself into the action when required. And the extensive location shooting of gorgeous environs in Brisbane and the Gold Coast should do wonders for Australian tourism.

Full credits

Production: 2521 Entertainment, A Higher Standard, AllyCat Entertainment, Broken Road Productions, G2 Dispatch, Industry Entertainment, Nickel City Pictures Distributor: Angel Studios Cast: Alan Ritchson, Owen Wilson, Rodrigo Santoro, Leila George, Kate Box, Peta Sergeant, Cecilia Toussaint, Geraldine Hakewill, Goran D. Kleut, Scarlett Crabtree Director: Scott Waugh Screenwriters: Miles Hubley, Tommy White Producers: Mark Fasano, Jeff Greenstein, Todd Garner, Deborah Glover, Chris Hammond Executive producers: Harry Ahluwalia, Gianni Benvenuto, Lee Broda, Nicki Cortese, Tony Cosey, Brando Eaton, David E. Fischer, Lauren Gennawey, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Matthew Alex Goldberg, Danny Greenstein, Chris Hammond, Miles Hubley, Thayer Juergens, Jeff Rice, Nicolas Royer, Jonathan Segal, Richie Walls, Jon Walter, Tommy White, Tyler Zacharia, James Binaski Director of Photography: Lorenzo Senatore Production Designer: Enzo Iacono Editor: Matt Villa Composer: Charles Nguyen Kim Costume Designer: Phil Eagles Casting: Nathan Lloyd Rated PG-13, 1 hour 37 minutes