It’s like a new version of The Great Escape. Can Thomas Jane, one of the few actual guys left in the shitstorm that is the modern crop of leading men, manage to break John McTiernan out of director jail?
What, too soon?
Variety reports that Jane has joined the cast of Run, which sounds more than vaguely like Ronin transported to South America. (In the same way that the letter I just got from one credit card company sounded more than vaguely like a threat to break my legs.) More to the point, it features an American Interpol agent happening upon a conspiracy during a thrills-and-spills high-speed pursuit across the country. The country being Argentina; prepare for the hit tango soundtrack! Let’s get some Piazzola from that deck.
Who else is in the flick? Karl Urban, perhaps. And BMW and Rousch Performance, which is creating a special Super Mustang for the film.
So what’s the bad news? Hang on: the script is by Jonah Loop. You probably have no idea that he’s previously been a visual effects producer/supervisor, or that in fact he was the VFX supervisor for McTiernan’s Rollerball. Yowtch. Career jumps happen all the time, but bringing up that movie is the fastest way to transmute wood into sponge.
And yeah, I’m nervous, because McTiernan’s best work has been in a scenario where he had a chance to play with character at least a little bit; if the cast of Run is constantly behind the wheel (and not racing through Central Park) will he have leeway to make that happen?
Oh, who cares? I’m in.