Rebuilding Rob

For the last few years, I’ve had something of a “movie bucket list“ in my head. Essentially, it’s a list of movies – particularly older movies – that I want to make a point of sitting down and watching. Today, I finally decided to watch Logan’s Run.

The Plot

In the year 2274, humans are living inside a protective domed city. They are docile, hedonistic, and believe that they will be reincarnated at the age of 30. Some people have decided to seek life outside the city and are known as “runners.” These runners are pursued by the city’s law enforcement officers, known as Sandmen. One of these Sandmen, the titular Logan (Michael York), goes undercover as a runner, hoping to find their Sanctuary outside of the dome. Instead, Logan falls in love with another runner, Jessica (Jenny Agutter), as they make their way out of the domed city.

My Take

As a self-professed science fiction aficionado myself, I’m still somewhat surprised at the cultural impact that Logan’s Run has had over the decades. Yes, the movie is based on a successful novel, one that had several sequels. The movie itself actually had a short-lived television series. With science fiction nerds, Logan’s Run is definitely one of those movies that’s in the sci-fi pantheon. I was a little surprised to hear that even my sister, Phred, had heard of the movie. She’s about as un-sci-fi as you can get.

It’s always difficult for me to watch older movies and to take off my 2025 glasses and see them for what they are. Logan’s Run is a typical science fiction dystopian story. It has all the tropes: the hedonistic society where everything seems idyllic; the dark underlying truth beneath the proverbial surface; a minority populous who has seemingly learned the truth about their so-called perfect world. Meanwhile, the masses are distracted by the superficial niceties of their so-called perfect lives. Then of course, there is your protagonist, Logan, the insider who crosses over and becomes a runner himself.

One can tell that corners were cut earlier in the movie in order to spend more money on set designs and location later on. Life in the city takes on that “less is more” futuristic aesthetic, which is used to veil the fact that they’re making a movie on a budget. The miniature set for the domed city, blatantly obvious by 2025 standards, may have been quite convincing in 1976.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always heard that the original Star Wars was an absolute breakthrough in special effects and moviemaking technology. Never was that more true than after watching Logan’s Run. I’m a little dumbfounded to think that in story pacing and special effects, this movie was released just two years before George Lucas’s 1977 masterpiece. Star Wars not only changed the way that movies were made, but it also changed the way that stories were told as well.

Despite these limitations, Logan’s Run works. The filmmakers do a fine job of world-building. It took a sci-fi geek like me a little while to really get into the story, but once I was immersed, I was in. The ending felt a little rushed, doubtless the reason the original novel warranted multiple sequels. It seems likely the short-lived Logan’s Run TV series is more of an extended adaptation of the novel, rather than a sequel to the 1976 movie.

Final Take

I would recommend Logan’s Run but only to devoted sci-fi aficionados and students of film history. Regardless of how it holds up today, the movie holds a place in the science fiction pantheon. However, casual viewers would be better suited with any of the countless other, more recent sci-fi dystopian movies.

Logan’s Run is currently streaming on Tubi

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment, and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related (and perhaps, not-so-related) posts:

• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article: Rob’s Retro Review: Logan‘s Run (1975)” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.

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