A cult classic from 1976, it is not hard to see why "Logan's Run" has left its mark in the science-fiction genre. Set in the year 2274, human society now lives in a futuristic domed city after the nuclear holocaust, where all humans are born artificially with gems in their hands so the computers can keep track of their lives. This city is filled with parties and clubs and no elders in sight, since human lives are now meant to be terminated after reaching the age of 30. Daily events called Carousel are performed and celebrated, where the "elders" are renewed in a strange, almost psychedelic, manner. But there are always those who don't want to be sacrificed and become runners to be hunted down by the police, including Logan 5 (Michael York).
What makes science-fiction such a fascinating genre is that you can tell stories that you could never dream of in other genres. "Logan's Run" presents us with a society where no one is over the age of 30 and how different the world would be, where life is a continuous party and thrill ride until you willingly give up your life for the greater good. Society is run by computer and we don't have to make any decisions for ourselves, except for the choice to stay or run for your life.
"Logan's Run" reminds me of "Soylent Green" if it embraced the fully acid-trip style of the 1970s. This film screams of the love and peace era, when youths were questioning their place in the world, expressing their feelings through protests and drugs, while also rejecting the society that came before them for "a better world."
In fact, "Logan's Run" has a bit in common with other post-apocalyptic movies of the time, including "Planet Of The Apes." The third act of "Logan's Run" follows our hero as he tracks down runners who supposedly made it out of the domed city to a place called Sanctuary. As he makes it out of the dome, we find out this place is right outside of Washington D.C. Logan finds himself in a world utterly foreign to him, but all too familiar to the audience. While Logan doesn't learn how the world go to be this way, he does joyously learn that humans can live long past 30 and wishes to share that knowledge with everyone.
Overall, "Logan's Run" is deserving of cult status, with some unique ideas on how society would work if it were run by children and young-adults. The effects are sometimes impressive, especially when overlooking the sprawling domed city, and other times not so great, like the explosion effects. The film slows down once Logan makes it out of the city, a drastic change to the fast pace while inside the dome. Not a great science fiction film, but certainly one worth looking at.
Final Grade: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment