As a whole, the movie struggles to establish its footing, leaving audiences unhappy with the final product. The potential is clear, but The Runners fails to deliver.

Micah Lyons ("Ryan") has to head to Mexico to rescue his recently kidnapped little sister before she becomes embroiled in the drug-fuelled sex trade. Quickly adopting the kind of ninja skills that would flatten an entire army, he manages to overwhelm just about everyone as he races to her side. The acting, dialogue and storyline in general are all the stuff of a college project. Lyons appears to have done all but make the coffee, and as is frequently the case when the star/director has no sense of objectivity, what is produced is a messy, ill-conceived story with more plot holes than a Dutch cheese. There isn't the slightest degree of jeopardy anywhere and the adventure - such as it is - seems to be based on the premiss that he is the only one who has the remotest chance of hitting what he aims at, despite being constantly out-numbered, out-positioned and out-gunned. It's a labour of love for a very mediocre star working with an equally unremarkable script and supporting cast. Nothing to see here, really, even if you are a fan of the genre.

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