The Runaways Reviews

I wasn't sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for such music biopics, I still wanted to check it out. Personally, I thought it was not bad at all and I was above all impressed by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. They were both pretty good and it is a real shame to think that they would both waste their time with a franchise like 'Twilight'. Especially concerning Kristen Stewart, it will take a long time before her career really recover from this and that people start to take her seriously again. Of course, Michael Shannon was once again pretty impressive and he is slowly becoming one of the most interesting actors at work nowadays. Still, even though the subject was really interesting, even though those 3 actors did a really good job, the whole thing was still rather underwhelming. Indeed, it was unfortunately not really well written. I mean, the way Joan Jett met Kim Folwy sounded really phony and rather unbelievable. Like Roger Ebert pointed out, the weakness of the script was very often hidden behind some (albeit awesome) loud rock music. As a result, except for Kim Fowley who was the typical evil rock manager, you never really got to know the characters and, especially for Cherry Currie, it was never cleared what was exactly her problem eventually. Thank God at the end they tell us she eventually became a chainsaw artist! It was so much clear after that... Anway, it was still a fascinating band and those 3 actors were really good so I enjoyed most of this movie. To conclude, even though it never reached its full potential, it was still a decent music biopic and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I finally got to see this movie yesterday, and I must say I liked it. I kind of knew I would like it since it was about music, I love movies that show you about some popular artist. I thought the story really came together nice. I wish it was a little bit longer, because there was so much more they could have explored in the movie. I thought the acting was really good. Kristen Stewart did a good job, she showed a lot of emotion in this. You can really see her talent in this. Dakota Fanning didn't scream at me! She also did a nice job, she has a great career ahead of her, but Michael Shannon once again steals the show. This movie proves once again that he is the most underrated actor of all time. He is just an awesome actor and is just pure amazing in this. So this was a good movie, they could have explored more with it, everyone did a good job at acting especially Michael Shannon. If you dont really like Kristen Stewart or Dakotan Fanning I would recommend you check this out, because now I like them a little bit more now.

Most definitely one of the worst movies I have ever seen. If you're actually interested in the band and not the Twilight brats, stay away. Horrible acting, "music" that will cause your ears to bleed, plot has been raped by Joan more than you could possibly imagine. Just don't.

This was a great movie, definitely a must see.. :)

The Runaways were the first all-girl glitter-bomb glam-metal-punk band. They were one of the numerous influential artists who suffered from a lack of respect and sales while they were together, but proved their worth as the decades went on. The fact that Cherie Curie, Joan Jett and Lita Ford all had careers post-Runaways break-up speaks to that fact. Granted, Joan Jett has been the only one to maintain a certain level of fame and success throughout. So, a film about them seemed like a great idea. In execution it is a fun film, but far from one of the greatest bio-pics I have seen. But the music is absolutely great.

Instead of focusing on the entire group, The Runaways tells the story of Joan Jett and Kim Fowley, but mostly focuses on Cherie Currie. Kristen Steward and Michael Shannon deliver great performances in their respective roles, and look almost creepily alike their real-life counterparts during the era, but Dakota Fanning is weirdly vacant, a weightless presence who only really grows into the performance once Currie becomes a rock & roll casualty. Fanning looks like the younger Currie, but she never really captures the tenacity, fire and spunk of the original. Instead of showing Currie as she actually was, we get a good-girl-gone-bad storyline which rings ever-so-slightly false and plays very formulaic. It also doesn’t help that Fanning is allowed to actually sing (most of) the songs chosen to be in the film. The real Currie sounded like a middle-aged smoker at the ripe age of sixteen, and Fanning’s real voice sounds airy, light. Her growl is like a kitten mewing, not the guttural sex-howl it needed to be. But her performance hits its stride and comes to a stunning halt in a sequence where she tries to buy alcohol from a store but is denied. The venom and barely concealed junkie-rage she brings out showcases that she could have played the role more accurately and been all aces in the role if given the chance.

This brings about my last problem with the film: the way that the rest of the group is thrown off to the side and rudely ignored during the last sequences. Lita Ford has two speaking scenes, the bassist (a composite character with no lines since the life rights couldn’t be acquired, and they flew threw so many of them) and Sandy West’s tragic death never get a proper mention. The filmmakers have forsaken the more interesting and dramatic truth for a film formula. It’s worth seeing to see the typical rock & roll film get a riot-grrl makeover. And did I mention that the music is absolutely fantastic?