History YMMV / TheRunningMan

* CatharsisFactor: More or less whenever Ben Richards makes progress in ''The Running Man'' show. Beyond all the expectations of the BigBad and the in-universe audience, he defeated four stalkers and killed three of them. It also helps that public opinion of him gradually transformed, from a villain in the first act to a hero in the third act. Only topped in the finale when the in-universe viewers gave their loudest cheers after Richards finally executed the BigBad.

* EsotericHappyEnding: Ben Richards has to endure much but eventually emerges with a personal victory. Killian's ruse has been undone, his name cleared on national TV and he got the girl. However it will take far more than that to solve the economic and social problems still plaguing America.

** When Richards [[spoiler:sends Killian to his death]] the ''You Bastard! Drop Dead!'' line became ''¡Hijo de puta! ¡Muerete!'' (You son of a bitch! Die!). On the other hand, the Mexican Spanish dub translate the phrase more or less literally.

* WTHCastingAgency: The leader of the underground resistance movement is played by... [[Music/FleetwoodMac Mick Fleetwood]]. Unexpected choice. Presumably they really wanted to add [[CastingGag the scene where he complains that his music was banned for being too political...]]

** There's one minor character named [[Franchise/MortalKombat Sub-Zero]]. Good luck listening to Arnold say "[[MemeticMutation Here is Sub-Zero... now plain Zero!]]" without thinking of the ice-manipulating Lin Kuei warrior[[note]]Arnold's character is even wearing yellow, the signature color of MK Sub-Zero's rival Scorpion, as he says that line[[/note]]. While on Sub-Zero, consider this: [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Arnold and a foe skating on ice]]. Or making a pun involving ice, for that matter.

** The score by Harold Faltermeyer, in particular the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYdsNeRoShA main theme]], is pure awesomeness. Really, what do you expect from the guy who also scored ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' and ''Film/TopGun''?

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCYb8jR5JEU "Restless Heart"]] by John Parr, the song that plays over the end credits, is a powerful AOR number that perfectly accompanies Richards' climactic victory.

** The score by Harold Faltermeyer, in particular the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYdsNeRoShA main theme]].
** Dynamo's rendition of Act III from [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]]'s ''Theatre/TheMarriageOfFigaro'', especially when you consider that the actor was an accomplished opera singer in real life.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCYb8jR5JEU "Restless Heart"]] by John Parr, the song that plays over the end credits.

* CatharsisFactor: More or less whenever Ben Richards makes progress in The Running Man show. Beyond all the expectations of the BigBad and the in-universe audience, he defeated four stalkers and killed three of them. It also helps that public opinion of him gradually transformed, from a villain in the first act to a hero in the third act. Only topped in the finale when the in-universe viewers gave their loudest cheers after Richards finally executed the BigBad.

** Richard Dawson appears in a Stephen King movie as the villain just one year after being mentioned in {{Literature/It}}.

** The idea that no one in 2017 would get ''Franchise/StarTrek'' references, especially since the movie's now owned by Creator/ParamountGlobal!