“Richards,” played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, consistently clashes with those in power. This stems largely from his unwillingness to follow what he perceives as pointless instructions within a heavily militarized United States. Eventually finding himself outside the law, his choices narrow down to competing in a bizarre televised contest. The opportunity exists for him to gain freedom and wealth if he emerges victorious, but this involves cooperating with the scheming producer "Killian," portrayed by Richard Dawson, who seems unlikely to honor any agreements. As events unfold, “Richards” detects an underlying movement of defiance aimed at dismantling the network and restoring some level of freedom for the oppressed population. With relentless pursuers like “Fireball,” played by Jim Brown, hot on his heels, it’s uncertain whether this group, seemingly unprepared, can determine who to rely upon and ultimately succeed when faced with overwhelming odds. While not considered one of Schwarzenegger's most engaging performances, nor do Dawson or his associates truly convey a palpable sense of danger, the film does satirize the practice of exploiting reality television for financial gain and demonstrates how far people will go in their willingness to accept and applaud what they see on screen. At times, it appears that humanity regresses to an almost brutally primal, gladiatorial state. It’s difficult to say whether this movie has inadvertently inspired certain trends or rather unsettlingly foreshadowed them—or perhaps both. Had director Paul Michael Glaser devoted more attention to refining the simplistic dialogue and cast a more intimidating "Killian," it could have easily become a genuinely disturbing cautionary tale about what's to come. Ultimately, however, it suffers from a lack of its own internal certainty; at times, it felt reminiscent of “The Generation Game” rather than something with believable peril, and Harold Faltermeyer’s musical score has aged poorly.

Source on TMDB