"Logan's Run" is Wildly Inventive for it's Time

Imagine living in a post holocaust world where you are free to enjoy all the pleasures it offers. You don't have to worry about the sun or the rain, as your community is protected over head by a dome. However, there is a catch to living in such a place. You have implanted, in the palm of your hand, a life crystal. Once you reach the age of thirty, your life crystal blinks red, and for the reason of simply controlling the population and scarcity of resources, your life is over. Your death is witnessed by everyone in the city in a ceremony known only as "Carousel." If you so choose, you can run. As a runner, you risk being hunted by the "Sandmen" who's sole purpose is to track down runners and kill them. Made in 1976, directed by Michael Anderson, and written by the two authors of the novel by the same name, "Logan's Run" is a story of adventure, romance, betrayal, and is full of amazing special effects for the time.

Michael York stars as the title character. He is a sandman who, upon finding a symbol which controls the city's computer system, is given a special mission to find "Sanctuary" a city outside the dome where it's inhabitants have fled to avoid death. He is to pose as a runner, find Sanctuary and enact his duties as a sandman. However, in order to achieve this, four years are added to his life crystal, increasing his age to thirty. Now truly on the run, he and a beautiful young sidekick, known as Jessica-six, and with other sandmen on their tail, they escape from the dome and into an outside world. What they find there is very foreign to them, so naturally they have many questions. They end up in the ravaged city of Washington D.C, where they find an old holocaust survivor, who's only other interaction is to several feline friends. The three then begin their journey back, as part of a promise to the old man, who wants assurance that he's not the last man on earth.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this movie. The first were the special affects. Most people would consider them hokey and out of date by today's standards, which they are, but they were amazing for a film made in the early to mid years of the 1970s. Secondly, the story of a futuristic world is intriguing. This movie was made years after the first incarnation of "Star Trek" was seen. As in "Star Trek" this movie brought viewers into a futuristic world that fascinated and astounded them. It was different and cutting edge. This movie also garnered an Academy award for best special affects, which was very much deserved. Finally, the writing itself was excellent. York played a hit man of sorts. But he was a hit man with a conscience. All of the actors in the film played their roles with expertise.

Some comparable films have their moments of droll dialogue that may be superfluous to the main story line, thus making them hard to watch. This was certainly not one of them. I highly recommend this film to sci-fi and action fans alike.