It’s stating the obvious to say that Gal Gadot isn’t a very good actress, nor is she very well liked by critics, and it surely doesn't help that she repeatedly takes on films that highlight her —shall we say— acting limitations. She’s unable to escape mediocre projects. I do wonder whether Gadot’s political position may have influenced critics’ reactions, though I hope that is not the case.
That said, her latest film, “The Runner,” which is basically another riff on “Run Lola Run,” a movie centered on characters moving through a city, is getting some of the worst reviews of the year. A 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 22 reviews, hints at total mediocrity and Razzie aspirations.
Gadot plays a mother who has to run across London after her child is kidnapped. The movie is being criticized not just for Gadot’s performance, but for its premise and execution, particularly the shaky camera work, rapid editing, and 4:3 aspect ratio.
What’s somewhat surprising is that “The Runner” doesn’t come to us from a particularly bad director. Kevin Macdonald is in charge here, and although I wouldn’t call his filmography great, he did direct “The Last King of Scotland,” which won Forrest Whitaker an Oscar, as well as “State of Play,” “Black Sea” and “The Mauritanian.” His best work is in docs: “One Day in September,” “Touching the Void,” “Marley,” and “Whitney.”
Back to Gadot, who basically hit paydirt and overnight stardom in 2017 by being cast in “Wonder Woman” and starring in five ‘Fast and Furious’ movies—not to mention the Netflix mega “blockbuster,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, “Red Notice.”
“The Runner” is Gadot’s fourth straight critically reviled movie of the last three years, after “Heart of Stone,” “Snow White,” “In the Hands of Dante.” Up next? She has a key role in Doug Liman’s “Bitcoin,” which used AI backgrounds to cheapen costs.
“The Runner,” which is basically another riff on “Run Lola Run,” a movie centered on characters moving through a city, is getting some of the worst reviews of the year.