From Battle Royale to The Hunger Games to Squid Game, the death game genre has remained popular throughout the decades. It was only recently when the genre became a commentary on the division of society. Though featuring social commentaries in their own right, the 1980s had flashier fare, typified by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Running Man. Now, almost four decades later, The Running Man is getting a remake, courtesy of director Glen Powell and Glen Powell.

Much like the first movie (and the Stephen King novel of the same name), The Running Man features a deadly game show where contestants must survive thirty days in the United States while a group of Hunters try to kill them. Powell plays an unemployed father whose luck turns worse when his daughter contracts a tough flu.

Out of desperation, he signs up for one of the available death games. However, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), the network’s producer, signs him up for the deadliest game of all, The Running Man.

Social commentary or pure action piece?

Inherently, the idea of a death game is ridiculous. It’s why comedy works in this genre. However, the more recent Hunger Games and Squid Game franchises turned the genre into self-serious social commentaries.

With Edgar Wright in the captain’s seat, The Running Man has the chance to show the genre in a more comedic light. Does the movie succeed? Well, it’s confusing.

Most of the movie goes through the same message as its contemporaries: a commentary against using media to induce further divisions in society. Powell’s Ben Richards is just unlucky, but Killian wants to use him for better ratings. In one scene, a character breaks the fourth wall and explains why we, the audience, should break free from the media’s influence.

Despite how preachy this all sounds, there are also moments when the movie doesn’t want you to take its message seriously. For example, Michael Cera plays a character who desperately wants the revolution against the network to happen as soon as possible. He believes that Richards should be the spark that lights that fuse. However, it’s also clear that he’s just insane as he booby-traps his entire house just to kill Hunters.

For me, the irreverence of Cera’s character is when the movie shines. It’s when Wright can spread his wings away from the burden of social commentary. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really last long. All too quickly, The Running Man wraps up this entertaining chapter to quickly get back to its more revolutionary message.

Let the action breathe

Despite the film’s penchant for preaching, the action can speak for itself. The Running Man works best when it just wants to be a survival caper.

There are action scenes aplenty. Each set piece feels deserved including one where Richards has to escape an apartment building while wearing only a towel, or the aforementioned booby-trapped house.

The film also allows most of its characters to linger just enough to establish presence for the story. You end up believing who they are and what they stand for.

The Running Man becomes confusing when it wants to become Squid Game Lite. On the other hand, it thrives when the action speaks for the story. In a way, it reminds me of Bullet Train. Though that movie didn’t focus too much on social commentary, it was an enthralling adventure from start to finish. The Running Man is the same. With great action scenes and fleshed-out characters, the remake finds itself a niche against its all-too-dark contemporaries.

I have a confession. When I first got the Insta360 X4 Air, I thought it was something I could take on easily. I’ve been reviewing tech for over a decade now. I’ve fiddled my way through enough of them to be in this headspace. But that was my mistake. 

The Insta360 X4 Air, being the first 360 camera that I spent longer than a day with, humbled me right away. Part of that humility came from realizing that shooting with dual 1/1.8-inch sensors and full 8K 360 capture isn’t just “point and shoot.” You’re not just framing a subject. You’re framing the entire environment, and that requires a different mindset.

It wasn’t the usual smartphone review that I could write in my sleep. It was something else entirely. Even as someone who has professionally produced videos for the web for years, this was something new to me.

The thing is, the way it’s being marketed is that it’s something you bring with you, turn on, and just forget about. Just let it capture everything and make your adjustments later. 

And to be fair, the X4 Air leans into that philosophy. AdaptiveTone, Active HDR, and InstaFrame Mode are designed around the idea that you shoot first and carve out the story in post. That runs counter to how I’ve operated, especially recently.

My philosophy is to be as intentional as possible with every shot and every frame. My post-production process starts as early as the time I conceptualize the video. 

With the volume of stuff that we have to produce, we don’t always execute this perfectly. But it’s a nice general guideline that has saved me multiple times on multiple projects.

An outdoor camera

I am primarily an indoors person. That’s why most of our 360 and action camera reviews were handled by our more outdoorsy member, MJ. And to its credit, the X4 Air is built for the outdoors in a very literal sense. 

It weighs just 165 grams, slips easily into any sling or backpack, and its user-replaceable lenses now have a tougher optical coating that doubles drop resistance. It also has waterproofing up to 15 meters, plus FlowState Stabilization and 360° Horizon Lock to keep things steady regardless of how chaotic the shooting environment gets.

So, does that mean myself and the Insta360 X4 Air are a mismatch? Not necessarily. I do travel a fair bit – at least once every quarter – and I can see the X4 Air being handy in those mostly work trips. 

And because it shares the same 8K 30 fps 360 video system and replaceable lens setup as the flagship X5, you’re not giving up much by picking the lighter option. It even supports most of the X5 accessories, which makes it a flexible travel companion.

Unfortunately, I had no such trips during my time with the X4 Air. That’s why I’m not exactly thrilled by the samples I produced. But that’s more a knock on my lifestyle than the camera.

 

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360 camera: A new tool, a new challenge

Recognizing that I’m out of my depth and comfort zone, I quickly trooped to YouTube and looked up Insta360 sample videos. The videos were all incredible but none of them I could recreate right away. 

The X4 Air does make things friendlier with Twist to Shoot, Gesture Control, and Voice Control. You can start recording hands-free, which helps when you’re figuring out your flow. 

InstaFrame even saves a ready-to-share flat video on top of the full 360 archive. But you still need time to understand the angles, the movement, and the kind of shots that actually make sense once you start reframing.

I’m excited to take the Insta360 X4 Air in my upcoming trips and find a way to incorporate it into my workflow. I guess that’s the question you should ask yourself if this is a camera you’re eyeing. It’s an incredible tool, sure. But is it the right one for the content you intend to produce?

Too costly to try?

At PhP 21,999 (or PhP 24,999 for the Starter Bundle with the 114 cm Invisible Selfie Stick, lens cap, and extra battery), it’s quite an investment. 

You’re paying for the full 8K workflow, the stabilisation system, the improved low-light algorithms, the waterproofing, the tougher lens coating, and the AI-driven editing tools inside the Insta360 app. You’re also getting a one-year, 200 GB Insta360+ cloud subscription for backups and quick sharing.

The prudent thing to do is to do your research. Find out the work it takes to make the videos you want to make with a 360 cam and see if it’s something that you would be able to sustain.

@rodneilInsta360 X4 Air test clip. 🎳♬ som original – Darkness Music

Is the Insta360 X4 Air your GadgetMatch?

The Insta360 X4 Air is a Swipe Right, but you have to be purposeful about your intended use. Sure, you can do the just-turn-it-on-and-think-about-it-later approach, but I don’t think you’ll be maximizing it that way. 

At worst, it’s an expensive extra cam that you’ll only occasionally use. At best, it’s the tool that adds dynamic shots you simply can’t capture any other way.

In its past two iterations, the Predator franchise tried on different hats. Instead of recycling the same movie monster premise, the series has seen a historical period piece (read: Prey) and an animated anthology (read: Killer of Killers). Now, in its third outing in only a few years, it’s time to take its rightful place in a new genre — a family-friendly adventure comedy.

Predator: Badlands is Dan Trachtenberg’s second film in his planned three-piece outing. Whereas Prey takes audiences back into history, Badlands flings them all the way into the future. Dek is a young Yautje who, after being outcasted from his tribe, seeks to bring down an unkillable beast from a hostile planet called Genna to reclaim his honor.

Along the way, he meets the happy-go-lucky Thia (Elle Fanning), a Weyland-Yutani synth who has her own secret mission in Genna. He also meets Bud, an adorable bipedal creature with a pug-like face. Now, when you mix a stoic warrior with a quirky sidekick and a cute pet, you have the makings of a sci-fi comedy.

Predator as a comedy

Predator: Badlands takes some getting used to. If you’ve seen other Predator films in the past, you’d know that the franchise isn’t known for its comedy. So, when Badlands wants to make you laugh, it’s not coming from a place that’s natural to the series.

At the very least, there are moments that work. When the tough-as-nails Dek finally warms up to Bud’s antics while Thia looks on, it’s a heart-warming moment that helps audiences believe in the familial dynamic between the three characters.

After a few moments of me mouthing “what am I watching,” the film does warm up. And it all starts once you realize that the Predator is the protagonist of this story and that no humans are in a life-or-death struggle this time. But again, it does take a while.

At its core, Badlands is a story about found family, and it surprisingly works. Usually, this is when the review ends, had it not been for the fact that this is a Predator film and not a generic adventure.

A wealth of great ideas

Don’t get me wrong; Badlands is not a bad movie. It’s just different. And amid the differences, there is a mountain of great ideas that can tickle any Predator fan.

For the first, it’s actually refreshing to finally see the Yautje act like a resourceful hunter, rather than just an invisible killing machine. The Predator is not invincible. He gets hurt. Often, he has to use the planet’s resources to survive.

For way too long, Predator films focused too much on forcing humans to adapt against the technologically advanced alien from outer space. For the first time, it’s now the alien in a position of vulnerability, and it’s great.

Secondly, the new creatures introduced in Genna are inspiring. The roster is equal parts of the silliness of James Gunn and the macabre of Guillermo del Toro. These include a bursting plant that paralyzes with a single hit, a sentient tree that eats other beings, and Bud. The planet is filled with creatures that are both frightening and interesting to meet in a forest.

Despite the laughs, this is a Predator film that helps expand the lore of a usually mysterious franchise. Because, of course, the Yautje are a species of hunters where honor exists. Of course, they hunt terrifying things. Of course, Weyland-Yutani is still an evil monster of a corporation here.

The Alien connection

In the months leading up to the movie’s premiere, the main talking point was Elle Fanning’s character. She plays a synth from Weyland-Yutani, a corporation from the Alien franchise.

A connection between the two franchises has existed since the Alien vs. Predator series of films. (Badlands even nods to this duology when Dek eventually get the nickname of “Wolf”.) This is, however, the first time we get a crossover set in the far-flung future traditionally held for the Alien franchise.

Is this the return of the AvP franchise? Well, not really.

From a production standpoint, using Weyland-Yutani as a plot device saves a lot. The story involves a crew completely populated by synths. Fanning plays two characters. An entire army of synths is played by one or two actors. Since they’re synths, they don’t need red blood. Plus, it keeps the movie in PG territory.

However, from a narrative standpoint, Weyland-Yutani is a slightly odd choice. For one, the movie heavily assumes that audiences already know how evil the corporation is. Though there are a few expository dialogue that confirms such, Weyland-Yutani is a mostly invisible force.

It’s also unclear where Trachtenberg wants to take this connection. This isn’t a xenomorph movie, so you won’t see a shoehorned connection to the Alien series. But it is a natural connection. There’s no need to force a new Alien vs. Predator film right off the bat. Weyland-Yutani’s status as an antagonist just needs more time to marinate because it’s hard to expect audiences to know who the corporation is.