The Runaways: DVD Review
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Page 1 of 3 Sony / 107 Minutes / 2010 / Rated R / Street Date: July 20, 2010
How in the world was a movie like The Runaways a financial failure? The story of Joan Jett and her birth into the rock and roll strategy? Two hot young chicks pouting and snarling while wearing tight pants and screeching like rock banshees? How could this not have addressed a nation of sex-starved hot-rock disciples? Turns out that The Runaways is one of the more pitifully limp rock bios to have ever come down the pike. It's a shame: Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning have the physiques, the attitudes, and the acting chops to pull off the complex strive-for-fame ethos at the center of their characters, but writer/director Floria Sigismondi absolutely ruins their chances at getting meaty scenery to chew. The Runaways is remedial biopic material at best, a movie that totally sports an excellent rock soundtrack, but doesn't deserve a lick of it.
The movie is based on the rise and eventual fall of the iconic band, a collection of chicks - Joan (Kristen Stewart), Cherie (Dakota Fanning), and a rhythm section - as well as their sometimes-nice producer (Michael Shannon). The kids deal with alienation at school and at home, with music teachers who tell them 'girls don't play electric guitars', neglectful parents and other all-around douchebags in their lives as they funnel all the negative energy from the shit-stream around them into full-tilt FUCK YOU!!! rock and roll. But the end result isn't anywhere near as enjoyable or as riveting as it should be. Stewart and Fanning are (unsurprisingly) the best things about the picture, but that almost makes it worse: The Runaways should be kick-ass. It has all the potential to be the perfect 2010 rock movie, a perfect counterpoint to the tone-deaf Justin Bieber lunacy of our modern radio age. Instead, it's a movie-of-the-week snore - sure, it's got great vintage set design and the movie's costumes are spot-on, but one thing's for sure: Now I know why the flick was such a flop in cinemas. It's too bad. |
Comments (3)
Youre review does indeed suck because it lacks research. The Runaways is a rated R indie film with a small budget. In what universe do those type of movies do well? I am hoping that this movie gets some award play for the leads.