Review of The Runaways (2010) by Catherine S — 13 Feb 2011

The Runaways is an awesome rock and roll flick with strong performances, amazing music, and an overall enjoyable film.

The film is basically the story of how Joan Jett got her start in the world of music. We follow Joan and Cherrie Currie (the original lead singer for the band) as the rise in stardom (at an alarmingly fast paced rate) and encounter sex, drugs, alcohol, and everything people associate with rock. Even though the film is about Joan Jett, we get more of an insight to Cherrie, revealing her difficult upbringing and the addiction that almost killed her.

This rock and roll biopic has everything a movie about a band people would expect. There's lots of drugs, alcohol, sex (mainly lesbian sex...), and more. I was really impressed by Kristen Stewart's turn as Joan Jett, showing she can be more than a mopy, depressed girl from Forks, Washington. Dakota Fanning's role as Cherrie Currie shows how much she's grown up (especially if you compare this role to her very first role in "Sam I Am".)My problems with "The Runaways" are mostly just how disjointed and raw the film can be. They certainly don't take the time to explain what the heck is going on. One minute you're watching Jett and Currie having sex, the next they're talking to their unscrupulous manager. The camera work is brilliant, and of course the music is awesome, with hits like "Cherry Bomb" and "I Love Playing With Fire" interspersed within the film.

I may be a rather new Blackhearts and Runaways fan, but I still seriously enjoyed this film. Is it perfect? No. Is it a heck of a lot of fun to watch and a satisfying experience? Oh yeah, it is. If you are a serious rock and roll fan, go see The Runaways. I bet that you'll enjoy it. (Real rating: 84%).