Logan's Run (1976)

Logan's Run (1976)

It's 2274, and on the surface, it all seems to be an idyllic society. Living in a city within an enclosed dome, there is little or no work for humans to perform, and inhabitants are free to pursue all of the pleasures of life. There is one catch however: your life is limited and when you reach thirty, it is terminated in a quasi-religious ceremony known as "carrousel". Some, known as "runners", try to escape their fate when the time comes, and it's the job of Sandmen to track them down and kill them. Logan (Michael York) is such a man, and with several years before his own termination date, thinks nothing of the job he does. Soon after meeting a young woman, Jessica-6 (Jenny Agutter), he is ordered to become a runner and infiltrate a community outside the dome known as "Sanctuary" and to destroy it. Pursued by his friend Francis (Richard Jordan), also a Sandman, Logan and Jessica find their way to the outside. There, they discover a beautiful, virtually uninhabited world. Logan realizes that he must return to the dome to tell them what he's found and be set free.

From IMDB:

9/10
Somehow, I'm not sure how, but this is a great flick!

Okay, it's got a hoaky plot with lots of holes in it, special effects made from matchbox sets, some mediocre acting (Farrah Fawcett?!?) and dialogue, a big ole "this was made in the 70's" stamp all over it, and I think the editing, direction and sound track are lousy too. And yet somehow it all works. I love this movie! Maybe it's the campy cornball that gets me every time. I dunno. Yet by the end I feel uplifted and even touched. What a great scene with the timid girl touching Ustinov's beard at the end with Logan and Jessica in each other's arms looking on.

While the acting is average (or perhaps its the lousy script) there are exceptions, thankfully mostly among the main cast. Richard Jordan is just great as the relentless and unremorseful sandman. And Ustinov is a lot of fun as the kooky old man. Michael York, who've I've always liked, is servicable as our hero (thankfully they don't ask him to stretch his acting skills too much here). But without a doubt the real jewel is Jenny Agutter as Jessica-6. I can't recall a part more perfectly cast. Ms. Agutter is the epitome of beauty, youth and doe-eyed innocence. And her underlying sensuality is impossible to miss in every scene she is in. And as if that weren't enough she can act to boot!

Of course there's a lot that I don't like about the movie, it's quite easy to pick apart. But again, I don't know how, "Logan's Run" is much better than the sum of its parts.

I hope they get the rumored remake off the ground, there's some good underlying sci-fi to be explored here and with a tightened up script, upgraded effects, better direction and editing you could have *real* winner. I just don't think they'll ever match the original casting job for Jessica-6.